New and IMPROVED Hotbot Search Tool Debuts on the Web
Web Search--Hotbot New and IMPROVED Hotbot Search Tool Debuts on the Web
After many of us had all but forgotten about Hotbot, the folks at Terra Lycos, Hotbot's owner, are out with a useful search tool that could be of value to many information professionals and end users. The new Hotbot allows you to search FOUR major search engines (AlltheWeb, Google, Inktomi, and Teoma) each with a unique database, simultaneously. This can be a major timesaver for end users and a tool for them to easily compare result sets from the most useful engines. Unlike meta search engines, Hotbot DOES NOT synthesize results into a single results list but rather allows the searcher to QUICKLY and EASILY toggle and move between results pages offered by each individual engine. I've had a chance to use the new Hotbot over the weekend and have found it highly useful and interesting. Here's a quick review of what I've noticed. Of course, be ready for changes. The web search world moves quickly.
- Hotbot: The Home Page
* Simple, Basic, and Quick Loading
According to this morning's news release the home page will not contain advertisements.
*Customizable Skins
If you don't like the look of the default page, several skins, which you can also modify, are also available.
-- Hotbot: Filter/Limit Preferences
* On the Hotbot home page you'll also notice a link labeled "filter preferences". Clicking this link allows you to select limits (via boxes and pull-down menus) to add to the home page. For example, you can add language, word/phrase limits, domain/site, and more.
**What's also useful and maybe even exciting about these filter/limits is they are smart and will alert you if they are NOT available. In other words, the boxes change depending on which engine your searching with. For example, Google doesn't offer a a region filter, so, when you select Google, the region filter reads, "This filter is not yet supported. Try your search using FAST or Inktomi." Very impressive.
-- Caveats? Yes!
Web search and search engines always has caveats. However, in the web search world a caveat one from early in the week might be different a few days later. So, be ready for changes. Here are a few caveats to be aware of as of today.
*The filter/limit labeled "Page Content" only will tell you if those types of files are included somewhere on the page. It does not limit your search to only that/those formats.
**Remember, the button labeled FAST is utilizing the AlltheWeb search engine. AtW is part of FAST Search Transfer.
***As we've told you many times, be careful with limiting by date. Here's a link to an article Genie Tyburski and I wrote for Search Day earlier in the year.
****Google via the Hotbot DOES NOT offer several features. These include the auto conversion from alternate formats (pdf, ppt, xls, etc) to HTML, the cache, dictionary definitions, address/telephone number, and maps.
*****Teoma via Hotbot does not offer the very useful Resources section and refine feature.
******It's important to remind end users that most of these search tools offer several specialized "catalogs" of info in addition to the primary web database. If you ONLY rely on Hotbot you might be missing specialized tools (AlltheWeb News, Froogle, Google Groups, etc) that are not accessible from Hotbot. In fact, I wasn't able to find any mention of them. Here's an October, 2002 review of many of these resources from Searcher. ******See Also: Notess's Search Engine Showdown Has Several Addition Points to Be Aware Of. Btw, MSN Search (using the Inktomi Database) Looks and Feels a Great Deal Like the Old Hotbot.
---- Odds & Ends
*For the syntax gurus out there, if you apply the syntax directly in the search box and it's available (be careful) seems to work correctly except with Teoma. For example, using filetype: with Google or site: with AlltheWeb produces the proper results. Teoma's recently added site: syntax does not work.
**Many end users might not be aware of Inktomi. In fact, this is one (if not the first time) we've seen a search engine labeled Inktomi. Inktomi has been a search service purchased by various companies and labeled as their own. Until today, Inktomi was the underlying search engine and Hotbot and remains the database in use at MSN.
-- Updated 12/17/02
I had a brief chat with a Inktomi spokesperson today and learned that Hotbot is utilizing several (but not all) of the features from Inktomi Web Search 9 which was released a few weeks ago. You should find .pdf content and the use of the new "smart summary" technology. What's a smart summary? From the Inktomi site, "Document summaries returned in search results are culled from algorithmic and editorial sources and selected based on user context and intent. Users receive abstracts that are more useful in understanding search results than simple computer-generated page summaries." The summary for www.stanford.edu was created using this technology. Also, expect a spell check tool from Inktomi in the month or so.
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***The "Advanced Search" link will offer you whatever advanced limits are available for a specific engine.
---- Final Thoughts I'm very impressed with the new Hotbot. I think it's a great tool to show the end user (info pro as well) because it's easy to use, a timesaver, and perhaps most importantly, provides an easy method to view search results from several sources with little extra effort. Hopefully, Hotbot/Terra Lycos will continue to develop the product. Stay tuned.
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