Chapter 2: Searching the Internet for Gaming Resources

Chapter 2: Searching the Internet for Gaming Resources
Somewhere, right now, a game fan is hard at work on what to his mind is "the most awesome" Web page devoted to his favorite game. Somewhere else, another gamer is posting answers to queries she's run across in her favorite newsgroup. Still, at another computer screen in another part of the world, two players are hunched over working out code for a new Java applet, a new game level, or even new gaming software they plan to share with the whole Internet community. Daily, new sites, new information, and new games are appearing on the Internet for the enjoyment and amusement of all.
With the Internet's gaming environment as dynamic as the play it generates, newbies, or those new to the Internet, sometimes find it hard to stay abreast of the latest goings on. In fact, some even find it difficult to uncover the resources which have been online for quite awhile. But no one need be lost in cyberspace nor feel overwhelmed by the growing volume of information available online if they know how to search for what they're seeking. And the key to effective searching is using the best search tools that are available.

Welcome to Lycos: Come Pet the Wolf Spider
Based in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Lycos, Inc. began in 1994 with a simple realization: As the Internet grew, users would need more and more efficient tools for locating the resources available online. It was then that Lycos set about the task of "cataloging" the Internet and created what has become the company's top-rated search engine, an electronic query system that allows users to find Web, FTP, and gopher sites by subject and then link to those sites with a simple click of a mouse.
The first step toward developing this manageable search system required that Lycos build a database in which users could search. This need led to the development of the company's powerful spidering technology. The Lycos spider actively roams the Internet in search of Web, FTP, and gopher sites, pursuing its quarry much like the Lycosidae family of spiders for which the company is named. At the time of this writing the number of unique URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), or Internet site addresses, captured by the spider had topped 59 million, and by the time this book is printed, the number will probably exceed 60 million.
Imagine it! Every day, the Lycos Wolf Spider, as it is affectionately known, prowls the Internet looking for new site addresses to capture and bring home to feed the Lycos database. But new addresses aren't the only information the spider retrieves. The spider also collects keywords that will help distinguish each site from all the others and by which users can search for a site's address.

All Aboard the Lycos Search Engine: The Basic Search
Once the database was of sufficient size to be of use, Lycos then put in place the easy-to-use interface which allows anyone from anywhere in the world to search through the continually expanding database free of charge. Here's how it works:
Let's say I want to find something on games.
I go to the Lycos home page at http://www.lycos.com/.
I type the word "games" into the text entry box.
I mouse-click the search initiator button. What I get in return is the listing for every document in the database that has the word "games" as a keyword.

Easy enough, right? Well, yes and no. Today there are over 130,000 documents-these could be HTML files, image files, sound files, or anything else which can be linked to via a URL-with the broad-meaning keyword "games" in their listings. Tomorrow there will probably be even more. That's too much information to go through. I need to narrow my search and be more specific. If I knew which game I were looking for, I could enter its name and find the URLs of the sites offering information on that game. But let's say I don't know the game's name. Let's say I'm not even looking for a specific game, but rather a type of game-card games, for instance.
If I were to input the words "card games" into the text entry box and initiate a search, my results would still include the thousands of documents I found with my first search; however, because there is a second keyword, the listings would be sorted such that the ones which appear first will be the ones which the search engine "thinks" are most likely what I'm after. Now that's progress, but the above example could also return a variety of new documents and add them to my search results as well.
The reason for this is the search engine is set to return the listing for every document which has "card" or "games" as a keyword. Think of it as an "OR" search. So even though sites discussing computer cards have nothing to do with games, they could turn up in my results. By the same token, even though sites discussing video games have nothing to do with cards, they could be in the search results as well. So how do I refine my search to look for only those documents which contain both keywords at once?
To limit my search results in this manner, I need to visit the Lycos Search Form screen. There, I can fine-tune searches so that the results which are returned will meet more exact criteria. To get to the Search Form screen, simply mouse-click the hyperlink below the data entry box on the Lycos home page, or link to http://www.lycos.com/lycos-form.html.

Tinkering With the Search Engine: What Does This Button Do? Search Options
There are two Search Options available which allow users to manipulate the parameters of a search. The first option changes the "match" criteria the search engine uses in comparing keyword strings to the database. In other words, it allows users to change the search from the default setting, "match any words," to the more particular "match all words" setting and to tell the search engine to return only those documents with keywords that match all the keywords entered in the data entry box. Consider this an "AND" search. By refining a search in this manner, users can eliminate from their search results many of the irrelevant documents which are returned by an "OR" search and produce results more keenly focused on the subject at hand.
In my case, by changing to the "match all words" setting, I can ask the search engine to eliminate from the search results all the companies selling computer cards which have nothing to do with games and all the varieties of game sites which fall beyond the realm of cards. To change the match setting, simply mouse-click the default setting, "match any words," and a pull-down menu will appear. Then, move the highlight to the match setting desired.
Other "match" settings are also available. The search engine can also be set to match specific numbers of keywords, from three to seven. These options could come in handy, especially if a keyword has an alternate spelling. For instance, let's say I'm interested in collectible card games, but I know that the word "collectible" has a commonly used alternate spelling, "collectable." I could enter the keywords "collectible collectable card games" into the data entry box, change the match setting to "match 3 words," initiate the search, and feel confident the results will include sites with both collectible and collectable card games.
The second Search Option allows users to set the selectivity of the search engine in determining match results. Settings include loose, fair, good, close, and strong. Obviously, when the search engine is left on its loose setting, the default, searches return the greatest number of entries, or "hits," because the search engine casts a wide net to include all documents with any relevance to the keywords queried. Conversely, when the setting is changed to strong, a search will return the fewest number of hits, including only those documents with a strong relevance to the keywords queried. It's best to experiment with this setting to better understand its effect on searches.
The Search Form also provides Display Options which allow users to change the format in which the search report is presented. If less information is wanted than is presented in the standard report, users can request a summary only. Or, if more information is desired, a detailed report can be requested. The number of hits listed per page can also be changed from the standard 10 hits to 20, 30-or even as many as 40 hits per page.

Keeping the Search Engine on Track-Wild Cards
Sometimes when conducting searches situations arise that require the use of "wild card" characters in order to get the results desired. For example, let's say I want to search for collectible card games, but want to make sure the search engine isn't too particular about the spelling or misspelling of the keyword "collectible." In this case, I could use the "$" character to convey that command to the search engine and enter "collect$" as the keyword. The search engine would then look for any word variation built upon the root word "collect."
Conversely, if I want to limit the search engine from looking for variations on keywords I could add a "." (period) to the end of the word. So if I were to enter "game." as the search word, any site with "games" as a keyword would be passed over.
Finally, let's say I want to look for card games, but am not interested in collectible card games. By attaching a minus sign or hyphen to the search word, "-collectible," I can tell the search engine I'm not looking for those sites, and though they will appear in the search results, they will be sorted to appear down the list so that the games I'm interested in, such as hearts, spades, bridge, and poker, appear first.

Other Lycos Search Tools: Point and a2z
As a dynamic company geared to serving the changing needs of its customers, over the past few years Lycos has added additional online search tools to complement its star performer, the Lycos search engine. First came the Point catalog of top Internet sites, and soon after, the a2z directory.
Unlike the Lycos search engine which allows users to effectively search the whole of the World Wide Web, the Point catalog is limited in its size and scope. The sites available at Point represent what are considered the "Top 5%" of everything posted on the Web and are organized by category. Rather than 130,000 documents dealing with games, Point catalogs about 100 sites. These sites have been selected for their presentation, content, and the joy of the experience they provide. Each site is rated and reviewed, so Point readers can get a feel for a site before they link out. Point offers gamers a general reference-a place to sample the variety of play which can be found online.
The a2z directory, on the other hand, offers a more extensive resource. It features the most linked to sites on the Internet organized by category and subcategory. Under the category of games, the dozen or more subcategories include general indices, company home pages, and individual game sites. The directory offers gamers an easy way to track down some of the more popular gaming sites online.

Sites to See, Things to Do
Gaming resources are available via every Internet protocol, not just the Web. Web pages offer interactive gaming, documents which introduce and detail the finer points of games, and indices which serve as gateways to voluminous topical resources. Newsgroups offer gamers a venue to discuss topics of interest, aid one another, and meet new folks with similar interests. FTP sites are often a gold mine of downloadable game demos, shareware, and freeware; while a telnet connection can gain players admittance to online, real-time playing areas, including MUDs, where fantasy worlds are being built through the ingenuity of the players who inhabit the realm.
When it comes to games on the Internet, there's no shortage of things to do and see. But not every game is for everyone, nor should that be the case. Cyberspace is a vast environment with plenty of room to accommodate most every taste. It is then up to each of us to seek our own level of excitement and entertainment. We should leave those games which do not appeal to our personal preferences to those who find them worthwhile.
Always remember, especially when viewing a game fan's page or an interactive gaming site posted by an apprentice programmer, that someone invested his or her time to create that page. And they did it for free, for the love of doing it. This is the spirit that makes the Internet as dynamic as it is. It should be encouraged, not diminished. So appreciate and recognize these efforts for what they are: someone's attempt to share their enthusiasm and to communicate fun.