The Searching Game :: Internet Computers Essays

The Searching Game In today's ever increasingly technological world, the Internet is playing a crucial role. This network has the capability to store and make public a wealth of information. Organizing this information and making it easily accessible is a daunting job, but there are many Internet search engines out there that are trying to do just that. A few of the more popular search engines includeYahoo, AltaVista, and Lycos. In comparing these, the most important criteria would be the effectiveness in obtaining information. However, these web sites also have many added perks to keep users on the page. One thing can be certain, web search engines are a much needed service. The First Impression The first time one surfs on to a site's homepage is a critical stage. The page must convey to the user that it is useful, yet not too complicated. These web sites have different approaches to the first impression. One of the first things that jumps out to a user is the page layout. This would include colors, graphics, and the general layout of the links on the page. Yahoo's homepage does not contain a lot of color. It consists of a simple blue background with the traditional blue links. There are a few graphics and the page is sectioned off into different areas. This may be so as not to distract the user and give the impression that Yahoo is a simple, yet effective search engine. Lycos' homepage is also on a simple white background. This page has a few more colors and graphics present to draw the users attention to certain things. One thing that is noticeable is that the search box is outlined with a bold blue. This box is the most important part to a search engine, so it seems only fitting that it be highlighted. AltaVista's web page used a bold color combination for the homepage. The search box is also highlighted here, but this time with a bright yellow. The header is a deep blue which compliments the yellow search box as well as the yellow side bar. Although aesthetics is important for all web sites, they must also be functional. The most important part of a search engine is the search box. For these three search engines, this is always located at the top of the page, for easy access. Some sites bring more attention to this than the others, but it is usually the focal point of the page.