Google CSE : new search tool's features A search list service helps craft one's customised search engine and share it with others
Allows a netizen to set up a search engine with an index packed with her list of sites. NETSPEAK DISCUSSES the features of Google's new search tool, Custom Search Engine (CSE). Finding Net resources with ease/accuracy is essential for a netizen and one always welcomes new search tools in this regard. Besides the common search engines (such as Google, Yahoo and MSN), various other alternative search tools have already been featured in this column. Search list is one such tool gaining popularity among netizens. A search list service helps you craft your own customised search engine (with subject-specific index, populated by you) and share it with others. The significance of such a service lies in its potential to generate a custom search engine that searches only sites approved by you/other experts. Services such as Listible (mentioned in this column earlier: http://www.thehindu.com/biz/2006/04/03/stories/2006040300631600. htm), and Rollyo (also featured in the past: http://www.hindu.com/biz/2005/10/31/stories/200510310029 1600. htm) are instances of such a product category. Latest entrant The latest entrant in this search tool arena is the one from Google, Google Co-op's Custom Search Engine (CSE). Like other similar services, Google CSE (http://google.com/coop/cse/overview) allows a netizen to set up a search engine with an index packed with her list of sites. In addition, Google CSE has several innovative features to its credit. Besides searching the sites included in the site list, you have the option to make your CSE invoke a normal Google search as well. A distinct advantage of Google CSE is the facility to enlist the service of other netizens in enhancing the site list. Yet another feature worth a mention is the bookmarklet tool, `Google Marker' ( http://www.google.com/coop/cse/marker), meant for adding a site to the engine's database directly from it. Once an engine is created, Google provides you the required HTML code for placing its interface on your web site. Besides this, Google offers a home page for your CSE. However, as this link is very cryptic, one may find it difficult to share it with others. You may use a URL shortening service (like Tinyurl) to make the homepage link less cumbersome to handle So, if you have a set of web sites pertaining to a subject/theme, say `Statistics,' you can build a custom search engine that searches only on these web sites (like this one: http://tinyurl.com/y9e5b8). Also, you can invite other experts to enrich your CSE's index (build a collaborative search engine) by contributing to the list with more relevant links and thereby make your engine an ever-growing, organic resource. It is probable that experts worldwide may start floating a variety of CSEs, giving rise to an explosion of subject-specific CSEs soon. If you are keen to further enrich your knowledge on Google CSE service and dive a little deep into it, the Google CSE guide ( http://www.customsearchguide.com/) may come handy. Subject-specific CSEs Also, several useful subject-specific CSEs could be found on this site. To keep up with the latest developments on this Google service, you may read the `Google Custom Search' blog (http://googlecustomsearch. blogspot.com/) or follow the Google Groups discussions at: http://tinyurl.com/y5fjjl. Yet another search tool worth a try is ResultR ( http://www.resultr.com/), which lets you create a customised meta-search engine. ResultR presents you a list of popular search services under different categories (like News, Blog, Job etc), from which you can choose the ones relevant to you and generate a personal meta-search engine. The personal engine created thus will also appear on the service's start page. Now, whenever you invoke a search by clicking on this engine's label, it initiates a search on all the services included in your engine and displays the output from each of them on a single page. J. MURALI He can be contacted at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/13/stories/2006111300441400.htm Vikas Kapoor, MSN ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype ID: dl_vikas Mobile: (+91) 9891098137. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
