Wilde went to explain, "With standard search, millions of queries are presented to a relevantly "fixed" dataset, the World Wide Web. With reverse search, a fixed query is presented to a dynamic dataset such as a news feed, stock prices, traffic info, or weather conditions. When the criteria for this fixed query are met, an alert is triggered that might send a message to the user or execute some pre-determined instruction such as stock purchase."

Here's where I am not quite sure that we want search engines to become so customer friendly. I mean, I really want to see the standard search method expanded to encompass the whole Web, rather than see the demise of surfing in favor of something more like a guided tour. I can get plenty of that kind of stuff from the portals, and I believe that, in time, we will all become married to highly specialized portals rather than the marshlands of services that you find on the big ones today.

Therefore, I had to ask Wilde whether search engines would ever become like telephone directory services and charge a fee?

He replied, "I don't believe Web search will become a fee service. Search is still the top application on the Web, and the best search solution will continue to attract tremendous traffic for the foreseeable future. As such, owners of leading search technology will be able to capitalize on this traffic through commerce and advertising." However, Wilde did admit, "Fee-based access will emerge in two areas: first, access to proprietary data that has a direct cost to aggregate will continue to generate revenue. Sites such as Northern Light will continue to be able to charge for its licensed content. Second, performance-based searching such as the Tibco Alert product will present such a valuable service to users that they will be willing to pay for it."

If you really want more information on search engines, and to get a much more detailed view of the industry I recommend you go to Search Engine Watch . The jockeying that's going on in this industry, and the developments in new search technology are very interesting. There is an obvious shift in the flow of traffic on the Web in favor of the larger sites, and searching the Web is going to favor the big sites even more so, think about that the next time you go look up something on the Web. You might want to check out Alexa , too. It might be the future of Web browsing and searching, but I'll let you be the judge. It's not my thing.

It seems as if we're moving out of the information age quite quickly, and entering a sort of data flea market where the best stalls get the most visitors. It's kind of sad, or I may just be feeling under the weather. Nevertheless, we're all going to have to do a better job of looking at information on the Web. I know that with some rare exceptions, I am moving away from doing too much research online, and finding alternative sources of information and data. Maybe the library will make a comeback. Now, that would be something.