At this time (September, 2001), there is a clear answer: http://google.com. Google is fast, it is extremely effective in tracking down what you are looking for, and it is closely tied to the linux/open source world (e.g. the Open Directory project). Here are some comments about Google from a couple of articles: “It’s fast and accurate, with an uncanny ability to put the thing you most wanted to find directly under your nose. The technology that makes this happen is equal parts rocket science and peer review. Google’s hypertext-based system for ranking search results uses a mathematical algorithm to rate Web sites based on the number of other sites linking to them, then factors in how heavily linked those sites are. The result is a form of objectivity that springs directly from the Internet community, translating its distributed judgments into a quick, precise read of what matters and what you can do without.” “The result is a kind of automated peer review that sifts sites b
