Alicia Fornal

SLM 521-Search Engine Activity

March 4, 2006

 

 

The “Best Picks” of Search Engines

 

Welcome to my “Best Picks” of search engines found on the Internet. I have chosen the following categories: general, kid safe, news, travel and shopping. Enjoy!

 

General Search Engines

 

www.google.com

 

Need to find out who invented the shoelace? You’ll find it on Google!  This site is very easy to navigate and gives you many different options to tailor your search to just what you need. This site is an excellent first step, and probably your last, to finding what you are looking for.

 

www.askjeeves.com

 

Got a question? Ask Jeeves and you’ll be sure to find an answer!  This site is very easy to navigate, can be tailored to your needs, and gives you plenty of options as to where to find what you are looking for. This site allows you to type a question and it finds tons of websites that have to do with one or all of the words in your question. Don’t be shy…ask away!

 

 

Kid Safe Search Engines

 

www.kidsclick.org

 

Wow! This website is loaded with information, good information, and was created by a bunch of librarians!  The site is well organized, easily navigable and tons of fun to explore. It gives the option for the viewer to have “librarian eyes” or “kid’s eyes” for different views of the site. Whether you are searching by Dewey Decimal System or by topics, you’ll have a blast learning lots of new things!

 

www.factmonster.com

 

This site is as much fun to look at, as it is to search!  Colorful pages with cartoons, lists of fact monster favorites, and categories like “cool stuff” and “word wise” to keep you on your toes are just a few of the great things about this site.  Students are exposed to current events in whatever area they search as well as a plethora of information to look through.

 

 

News Search Engines

 

www.headlinespot.com

 

You have hit the jackpot when you visit this site! Searching for news from around the world or right in your backyard is at your fingertips. The homepage touts list after list of different news agencies, categorized by anything from US newspapers to polls to education news. Well organized and full of information, you’ll never walk away from this site not knowing what’s going on in the world.

 

http://news.google.com

 

Search and browse over 4,500 news sources that are constantly updated to get the latest news. This site organizes your news in categories such as top stories, world, sci/tech, business and much more!  Very easy to navigate and you are given the option to personalize your page to organize your daily news morsels. 

 

 

Travel Search Engines

 

www.sidestep.com

 

If you are looking to take a trip, www.sidestep.com is the place you want to look to find the best prices of flights, hotels, you name it!  The jewel that this site holds is the ability to compare different companies side by side.

 

www.expedia.com

 

Whether you are traveling by land, air, or sea www.expedia.com is an excellent site to search for great deals. The “deal & destinations” section is great to see what the best-selling locations are and to view great suggestions for vacations to take. Expedia also suggests themed vacations, so whether you are looking for a romantic getaway or a family adventure it’s all there for you.

 

 

Shopping Search Engines

 

www.pricescan.com

 

This site offers an unbiased report on any product that you choose because it accepts no money from companies to list their products. Their goal is to offer you the best comparative pricing on the product that you are searching for. Whether you are shopping by category (books, movies, video games) or by store, this site offers easy accessibility to find the best price for what you are looking for.

 

www.mysimon.com

 

If you are looking for a cool, hip website to shop on...look no further. Mysimon.com is a cool site that offers comparative shopping for anything from cd burners to Oprah’s favorite things!  Clear and crisp pictures allow you to view the product you are looking for and they also offer consumer report ratings so you can make an educated choice.