[Conet] search engines

[horace@mta.loud-n-clear.net]

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Since you are still in the planning stage, it may be worth further=
 consideration of what it is you are trying to deliver to local people (or=
 perhaps to people world wide with an interest in Brighton and area - they=
 will be among your main users!).

A search function is not nearly so useful in this context as a maintained=
 commented and structured list of links to the sites themselves, the=
 'comment' aspect being the real added value, telling me whether it's=
 likely to be worth my while to visit a particulare site and the kinds of=
 things I'll find when I get there.

If you construct a function to search only Brighton / local oriented sites,=
 I can think of no effective way to do this than to find and specify the=
 sites, one by one, and to have someone continue to maintain this=
 'directory'. While doing this, why not offer it as a 'Brighton Web=
 Directory', which offers the user lists of locally-oriented sites, which=
 they can view 'by category/topic' (eg history, architecture, night life),=
 with the option to 'search the directory - ie to search the comments.

You'll need to find someone / some people who are motivated to do a little=
 maintenance on the directory from time to time, to clean out dead links=
 and edit the comments when a site goes from 'new but very promising' to=
 'no longer being kept up to date' (sadly a common characteristic!), but=
 this can be made simple and fun to do, and not time consuming; those=
 concerned should be credited as 'directory editors'.

I've specified the support environment for this kind of approach for=
 several people and organisations, for example Sir George Young MP's site,=
 where he now has a 'village page' for all the villages in his=
 constituency, and in each page a set of commented links to (generally=
 rather few) local sites. In another case I specified a more sophisticated=
 meta-structure, such that the site owner can change the directory=
 categories, a single entry (linked site) can appear in multiple category=
 list, and the editor can easily move a link from one category to another.

This kind of approach might sound more ambitious than what you had in mind,=
 but in my view will add a lot more value.

Best wishes, Horace.



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