Full-text Search Engines

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Full-text search engines are built by computer programs called "web bots". These crawl like spiders collecting information from every web page on the open web.

Advantages

• The full text of billions of pages are included in a search, every word except the articles a, an, and.

• Results are sorted using both relevance and popularity.

• Pinpoints unique content, 'finds needles in a haystack.'

Disadvantages

• The selection of sites is indiscriminate and includes both the good and the bad.

•  No one search engine includes it all.

•  Many dead links, many sites no longer available.

•  Limited editorial oversight.