- From: Jamal Mazrui <empower@smart.net>
- Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1998 22:49:33 -0600
- To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>, <webwatch-l@teleport.com>, <basr-l@trace.wisc.edu>
I received the inquiry below, and said I'd follow up by seeking answers from relevant lists. Any info/opinions are appreciated. Thanks, Jamal ----- Forwarded Message Follows ----- Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 13:59:21 -0700 From: "Luther Smith" <SMITHLL@dshs.wa.gov> To: 74444.1076@compuserve.com, RICHA@dis.wa.gov, debcook@u.washington.edu Subject: Internet Search Engine Jamal, I presently work at Washington Department of Social & Health Services/Aging & Adult Services Administration (AASA), and I am managing the development of our initial Internet site. Our site will be hosted by the Washington Department of Information Services (DIS), where most other Washington state agency sites are located. We are interested in having the most highly-accessible site possible. DIS is planning to acquire an "industrial-strength" search engine for their site, which will be the single search engine for all their hosted sites. They currently favor the Netscape Compass search engine and will begin a 90-day evaluation July 27. Our experiments with that search engine using the Lynx browser yield miserable results. The search engine apparently requires a Javascript browser, which causes a Lynx browser user to go down a long and frustrating path to yield the same results as are easily available to an Internet Explorer or Netscape browser user (try using the search function at DSHS.WA.GOV for a demo). In our preliminary discussions with DIS personnel, each of the other major search engines failed to meet one or more of DIS's informal requirements: 1. Detect and use META tags (Excite doesn't); 2. Middle-of-the-road pricing ($12,000 for Netscape Compass vs. $30,000 for Alta Vista); 3. Search engine vendor is responsive and flexible to work with. 4. Requires no customized coding to implement. What is your personal preference for the search engine we need ? We are working regularly with Washington Assistive Technology Alliance in building our site. I will forward the same question to Deb Cook. Are there other resources we should work with ? I am very hopeful that we can find a mutually satisfactory search engine through these informal, low-level negotiations. Thanks for your consideration.
Received on Monday, 13 July 1998 22:49:24 UTC