Searching the Internet
As search engines improve, are we
headed toward an age of intelligent machines? Although computers have not
yet developed the power to mimic the human thought process, is it possible for
them to understand the context behind an inquiry? For example, consider
the combination of the words "tiger" and "woods." This
association clearly means one thing to a naturalist and quite another to a golf
fan. Can computers use this type of association and associative contexts
to supply meaningful replies to one's queries on the Internet?
Contextual hints to specific meaning are now often included in advanced applications of artificial intelligence to searching software. For example, if someone types in the word "survivor" in the health section of an indexed search engine, they are probably not looking for information on the television show, "Survivor." Such linkage of topics within a specific domain based on context illustrates how computers are becoming "intelligent."
Technology is able to filter out the irrelevant links and exclude sites that don't fit a certain profile. The software notes the placement and pattern of words and then sends a "crawler" software agent into the specified pages on the web that matches the specified criteria. This strategy also works when the search software considers the searcher's last "stop" on the web. Chances are, if you're looking for health information, the previous URL in your browser was a health related site. The software of today is able to use this context in its criteria for the search parameters.5
Keyword searching is a good strategy when you have a specific word or phrase in mind; for example, the name of an organization or product. Browsing in subject indexes may be the best strategy if you are still figuring out what information you need.
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| Citation Number: Vol. 2, No. 4, Page 038 |
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