Computer Based Info and Data retrieval
Kelly Cook As the age of computer-based information grows, search engines must also adapt. This adaptation is in the form of expansion of databases, updating of URLs, consolidation of subject matter, and the creation and modification of referencing algorithms. The web is predicted to hold over one billion information-filled web documents and finding this information without the help of search engines would be virtually impossible. 73.4% of consumers use search engines to find information on the Internet. (Driving Consumers, 2001) Search engines are essential to the Internet and information retrieval. However, as the size of a search engine database increases, must the amount of time spent searching also increase? Alta Vista was first created in 1995 and boasted the largest database allowing it to control most of the search engine competition. By 1996, however, most search engines had increased the size of their databases to keep up and consequently FAST Search and Northern Light took the lead in terms of database size. By 2001, Google had dominated the search engine "market" by reaching one billion documents. Later that year Google boasted the largest database yet of 1.5 billion documents. The web has, since then, continued to grow and is filled with new information and ideas. Presumably, search engine databases will continue to expand to cover the needs of information searching individuals. Analyzing search engine sizes concludes that the web is vast and information is plentiful, however, as information and the demand for it grows, so does the impatience of consumers. On average, Americans spend 1.5 hours per week searching for information.