Searching the World Wide Web
Back to Internet Curricula
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Other Resources
- Suggested Internet
Resources - Starting points selected by Austin Public Library
Reference Librarians for library customers
- Librarians'
Index to the Internet an excellent resource maintained by the famous
Internet Librarian, Carole Leita (an Austin Free-Net partner).
- For more details about the World-Wide Web in general, read the World-Wide
Web FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List.
Differences Between Directories and Search
Engines
There are two main types of Web search services, directories (such
as Yahoo) and search engines (such as Alta Vista). Directories
and search engines are very different in how they work and, therefore,
in what they are used for.
Directories
What is a Directory?
Directories are organized listings of web sites that are created manually
by people. A directory is similar to the telephone Yellow Pages. They
are usually arranged by subject matter into hierarchical (tree-like) categories,
with the topics becoming more specific as you go down in the hierarchy.
To become listed in a directory, a web site must be submitted to the directory's
editors, who will decide whether to list the entry, and will then assign
the entry to an appropriate category.
What is a Directory Used For?
Directories are more suitable for casual browsing, and when you know the
category your topic is likely to be found under. Directories are also
easier to use, since there is no need to learn the particular query format
of a search engine. Yahoo and others also allow you to search for keywords
in their own catalog, which can speed up your search of the directory.
