A search engine or search service is a program designed to help find information stored on a computer system such as the World Wide Web, inside a corporate or proprietary network or a personal computer. The search engine allows one to ask for content meeting specific criteria (typically those containing a given word or phrase) and retrieves a list of references that match those criteria. Search engines use regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and efficiently. Without further qualification, search engine usually refers to a Web search engine, which searches for information on the public Web. Other kinds of search engine are enterprise search engines, which search on intranets, personal search engines, which search individual personal computers, and mobile search engines. However, while different selection and relevance criteria may apply in different environments, the user will probably perceive little difference between operations in these. Some search engines also mine data available in newsgroups, large databases, or open directories like DMOZ.org. Unlike Web directories, which are maintained by human editors, search engines operate algorithmically. Most web sites which call themselves search engines are actually front ends to search engines owned by other companies.

History

---

The very first tool used for searching on the Internet was Archie. (The name stands for "archive" without the "v", not the character from the 'Archie' comic book series). It was created in 1990 by Alan Emtage, a student at McGill University in Montreal. The program downloaded the directory listings of all the files located on public anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) sites, creating a searchable database of filenames.

While Archie indexed computer files, Gopher indexed plain text documents. Gopher was created in 1991 by Mark McCahill at the University of Minnesota. (The program was named after the school's mascot). Because these were text files, most of the Gopher sites became Web sites after the creation of the World Wide Web.

More on [ Search engine ]

BBC News | Entertainment | World Edition

Hundreds watch New Kids comeback
Fri, 16 May 2008 18:18:09 -0000
Reunited US boy band New Kids on the Block perform together for the first time in 15 years, in New York.
OBE for DJ and producer Jazzie B
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:22:28 -0000
Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B is formally made an OBE by the Prince of Wales for his services to music.
Top Hollywood agent Cowan dies
Fri, 16 May 2008 07:57:00 -0000
Hollywood agent Warren Cowan, who represented stars such as Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor, dies.

L.A. Times - Entertainment News

'Gossip Girl' behind tinted windows
Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
For the Waldorfs and Van der Woodsens, limos aren't only for travel. They're also good for therapy. "GREY'S Anatomy" has the elevator. "The Real World" has the confessional room. And "Gossip Girl" has the limousine. They are places where characters unburden themselves, out of the view of others. And because they're not being watched, they sometimes behave as they otherwise might not; remove becomes a sort of enabler.
Black-themed series come to a crossroads
Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
LIFE AT Tattaglia High School in Brooklyn can be tough. Homework, heartbreak and, on this day, a red-haired bully is on the loose, determined to torment unsuspecting nerds.
Jessica Alba's online staring contest
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:50:25 -0700
It was only a matter of time before the staring contest made its way online.

ABC News: Entertainment

Match Made in H'wood: Ellen, Portia to Marry
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:55:38 -0400
Comedian DeGeneres announced on her show that she and DeRossi are engaged.
SJP's Still 'Sexy' Four Years Later
Thu, 15 May 2008 17:23:22 -0400
Sarah Jessica Parker spills on the most eagerly anticipated chick flick of '08.
Sticks and Stones: Are Names Hurting Us?
Fri, 16 May 2008 10:44:21 -0400
Racial and sexual slurs have become more commonplace in our daily lives.

AP Top Entertainment News At 5:16 p...

DeGeneres, de Rossi engaged after Calif. ruling
By LYNN ELBER Fri, 16 May 2008 19:52:08 -0000
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ellen DeGeneres and longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi are jumping at the chance to get married. DeGeneres announced their engagement during a Thursday taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," telling the studio audience the news that the California Supreme Court had struck down state laws against gay marriage....
Marcia Cross drops a few hints about Bree's future
By MICHAEL WEINFELD Fri, 16 May 2008 20:00:18 -0000
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's true: "Desperate Housewives" will flash-forward five years....
What's Indy up to? Secrecy shrouds `Crystal Skull'
By DAVID GERMAIN Fri, 16 May 2008 16:00:56 -0000
CANNES, France (AP) -- Indiana Jones doesn't give up his secrets lightly, and neither does the man pulling his strings....

Entertainment News: CBSNews.com

Angelina's Secret? Brad And Comfy Shoes
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:30:03 -0400
Pregnant with twins, actress Angelina Jolie is promoting two movies in Cannes this spring. She says she stays serene with the help of babysitting partner Brad Pitt and by wearing comfortable shoes.
Ashlee's Family-Style Bachelorette Party
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:00:03 -0400
Bride-to-be Ashlee Simpson celebrated with a bachelorette party thrown by her mom, Tina and sister Jessica, E! News reports.
Secrecy Shrouds Indiana Jones Movie
Fri, 16 May 2008 15:00:03 -0400
Indiana Jones Director Steven Spielberg has tried to keep chapter four of the archaeologist's big-screen adventures, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," under wraps as tight as an ancient mummy's.

chicagotribune.com - Entertainment

'Avenue Q' puppets finally hit Chicago
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
'Avenue Q' sensation finally hits Chicago: Meet the furry, sexy urbanites from a place not at all like "Sesame Street."
Review: 'Narnia' franchise needs prince of director
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Like the Potter films, the 'Narnia' franchise needs a prince of a director A potential seven-film dynasty, the "Chronicles of Narnia" franchise so far has preoccupied itself with delivering C.S. Lewis on a blockbuster of a platter.
John Cusack's career woes | Pop quiz
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:10:42 -0500


CNN.com - Entertainment

Is 'Indiana Jones' secrecy hiding bad news?
Fri, 16 May 2008 13:18:40 -0400
Read full story for latest details.
Review: A glowing 'Prince Caspian'
Fri, 16 May 2008 12:50:29 -0400
"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember," the dwarf Trumpkin cautions the Pevensie children. And, indeed, "Prince Caspian" is a darker tale than "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." But it's also a better movie.
'Housewives' to jump to the future
Fri, 16 May 2008 16:28:11 -0400
It's true: "Desperate Housewives" will flash-forward five years.

E! Online - Top Stories

Idol Oddsmakers Dish on the Davids
Fri, 16 May 2008 14:45:00 -0700
If you've got some Benjamins riding on a David, be warned: Only one of them is Cooking. At least according to the bookies. The online oddsmakers at BetCRIS.com have unveiled the...
Jessica and Cash Hit a Ruff Patch
Fri, 16 May 2008 14:30:24 -0700
As if about-to-give-birth Jessica Alba doesn't have enough to worry about, her dogs went MIA the other day. I'm happy to report they weren't lost for long, and they're...
CSI Finds Fresh Blood
Fri, 16 May 2008 13:52:00 -0700
Lauren Lee Smith can see dead people. At least beginning this fall. Looking to fill the void left by the departures of Gary Dourdan and Jorja Fox, The L Word veteran is joining...

Newsweek Entertainment

Girls Gone Mild
Fri, 16 May 2008 17:02:24 -0000
'Sex and the City' is back at last! But those Manolo heels may be the sharpest things about it.
Movies: Return to “Narnia”
Wed, 14 May 2008 20:41:26 -0000
"Prince Caspian," the second installment in the Narnia franchise, sinks under a dull, bombastic sameness.
Publishing: Books for Teens Are a Bright Spot
Wed, 14 May 2008 17:59:00 -0000
The book business may be flat, but there's at least one bright spot: the booming sales of books for teens--and no, it's not all Harry Potter.

Christian Science Monitor | Arts & Entertainment

Review: 'Reprise'
Sat, 17 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500
Clear away the annoying avant-gardism and you have a powerful movie about a writer on the brink.
Review: 'Noise'
Sat, 17 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500
This black comedy's a one-note movie – but it's a resonant one.
Review: 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'
Sat, 17 May 2008 01:00:00 -0500
'Narnia' sequel delivers good family entertainment, but it's just a little too much of an action film.

Subscribe to Search_Engines RSS feed