Reflection (Practical 4 and 5)

Today, we learnt all about meta search engines and search directories in class. A meta search engine is a website of compiled information from other various search engines like google, yahoo, etc. I never knew such a website existed until I tried it out myself, however, it was not as efficient as I thought it would be. Being a raw database of several other major search engines, I'd expected more relevant results and a more professional approach to the whole 'search engine' interface. The application of the website is similar to ordinary search engines, by accessing multiple web properties for each of my query, it provided me with a mix and match of several links for my results. I personally felt that a meta search engine was not what i prefered when it came to looking for information online, mainly because a wider spectrum of libraries meant more irrelevant search results, which will lead to a harder time filtering for what i wanted to find.

However, as compared to subject directories, it is a tad bit more convenient and user friendly. Although subject directories provide more in-depth information, it had to be on search queries specifically categorized in the website. For instance, if you wanted to search for a topic related to games, you woudn't yield any results unless there is a category stated on the website that listed information on it. Subject directories are for experienced users who know what kind of information they want to look for in relation to the relevance of their search queries. Thus far, it is still not my preferred type of search engine.

Another form of information sharing is through Wiki, where individuals like us could modify and edit information on the website to share with others. This type of informative webpage would only be effective if it consisted of a community of reliable users. Users could easily edit information on the website, which also meant vandals or people with nothing better to do could get their hands on the contribution of other hardworking and dedicated individuals, unruly modifying results to the extend of losing its relevance and authority.

This practical was an eye-opener for me, introducing me to alternative forms of online search engines. It has expanded my options for gathering information online, and this will most definitely help me as research is one of the most important steps in a design process.