Once upon a time Google ruled the world. The end. What, you’ve never heard that story before?
Seriously though, Google has a massive hold on the Internet, and I can’t really complain. I like Google and think they do certain things better than anyone else (web searches, free products, maps, etc). But every now and then I like to branch out and see what else is out there. Today I want to introduce you to two search engines that work a little bit differently than Google.
Addict-o-matic
Already you’re interested because the name sounds so awesome. No, it won’t get you hooked on coffee or chocolate, but it may help you find unique (and current) content on the web. Because Addict-o-matic is a search engine, it should be fairly obvious what to do…
I’m going to search for one of my favorite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory. Now, you’ll notice that instead of a Search button, it says Create. Why? Push it and find out.
Instead of just searching for general results across the web, Addict-o-matic creates a custom page with whatever content is currently trending on the Internet. It pulls from blogs, Twitter, YouTube, news articles and more. What this means is if you search for the same thing a week apart, you’ll probably get different results, which is great if you want to find all the latest buzz about something. For instance, what if a new tablet is released and you want to learn about it? Go to Addict-o-matic and type in the name of the tablet and you’ll get instant feedback from engaged users across the web.
You can adjust the order of the result boxes on your page to really customize your results. One of the cool features about Addict-o-matic is the ability to adjust which sources it pulls from. Go to the Available Sources button underneath the search bar and select the sources you want. You can also share your search on Facebook or Twitter.
Joongel
Another take on the search engine is Joongel. This search engine allows you to type in your search term, then select the category you want to search within.
For instance, let’s say I want to get a jumpstart on Thanksgiving; I want to find a new recipe to impress the family at the big feast. All I have to do is type in Thanksgiving, scroll down to the cooking category and select a source within that category.
Joongel will search within the site you specified,saving you time. But let’s say I didn’t find what I was looking for here. Joongel keeps its search bar at the top of the page so you can quickly jump to another page within that category. Or you can change categories.
When I first started reading I thought "I like google and if it broke don't fix it" but as I read on I started to think about my google experience compared with Addict-o-matic and how google searches and shows me what it "thinks" I might want based on my past net history. A new search engine might just be a good idea. Again, reading about Joongel made me realise how quicker the result could be if I can check an exact source. For instance if I was looking for a picture of something I remember coming across a long time ago and all I can remember was that it might have been on flickr then I am sure to have less to trawl through in my search and something more pertinent. Way to go Housewife E, you've edumacated me again!