Whats the difference between a Web directory like Yahoo and a Web search engine like Google?
There is less difference now than there used to be, because many search engines, including Google, have built large subject catalogues to help you search. But think of a Web directory as a subject catalogue–something like the subject catalogue in your local library. Yahoo started out as a directory but is now de-emphasizing that aspect of their broadly-based business. However, directories such as The Open Directory aka dmoz and the Google Directory attempt to organize Web by dividing it into topics and subtopics. Some examples include: Arts, Science, Health, Business, News, Entertainment. If you’re looking for information on the Web that fits neatly into an obvious subject or category, go first to a web directory. Think of a Web search engine as an index that enables you to seek out specific words and phrases. With the search engine’s help, you can locate individual appearances of such words in documents all over the Web. This can be both a blessing and a curse–but it’s more commonly
