A hot new tool on the Internet is the toolbar. These branded search toolbars are now ubiquitous - all the big search engine providers have one. Google, Ask Jeeves, Teoma, AltaVista, Yahoo!, Dogpile, Lycos, HotBot, and MSN all have released them, so have AOL and Earthlink. They are always free to download and install. Once you put one on your system, they personalize your browser or the Windows Taskbar and offer you quick access to the search box of that specific search tool.
They are very convenient, but they create an over-dependence on using one specific search engine, something experienced searchers know to steer away from. Of course, it is in the search engine's best interest for you to become totally dependent upon their search tool. Almost all of the toolbars have very specific requirements for operating systems and web browsers. Most will work only with Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser and most do not work with Netscape, Mozilla, or Opera. Most will not work if you have a version of IE before 5.0.
All web browsers have a variety of operations, so what are the advantages of adding a toolbar? Toolbars provide all kinds of quick links, search tools, and easy to use features into a small part of your browser screen. Most provide direct access to the search engine's main database, saving you a step of having to go to the search engine's site initially before running your search. Many of the toolbars offer additional tools like news searching, image searching, translation, dictionaries, conversions. Ask Jeeves offers a toolbar tailored to its kids site. Yahoo!'s Companion Toolbar offers the search box as well as news headlines, games, and personal ads. You will need a personal Yahoo! account.
The browsers take up space on your desktop, and the more toolbars you have downloaded, the more space you loose on your desktop. There are some security risks to adding toolbars. Perhaps more important are the privacy considerations. While Google and a few of other toolbars provide warnings about the privacy implications when you install their toolbar, some of Google's "advanced" features cause your information to be sent to Google.
Popup blockers the come packaged with Google, Altavista, or Dogpile toolbar downloads have unintended consequences. Over the years, many websites have been designed to include pop-up windows that are not advertising. These legitimate popups - like calendar updates, deadline notices, and explanations of new navigation features - enable a web designer to alert visitors to new items without substantially revising the home page. These sites are almost routinely blocked by the popup blocker tools in toolbars. Some popup blockers have also blocked anything that opens in a new browser window. Sites with windows that open after a visitor has clicked on or run a mouse over a link are unusable by those who have installed a popup blocker.
Be aware of another strange feature that disturbs privacy experts. The Google toolbar will automatically update itself without asking. Most software will notify you of updates being available and prompt you to ask if you want them. Privacy experts warn if they can update the toolbar, what else can they do on your hard drive without you knowing? One solution for maintaining your privacy is to only install the toolbar when you have specific research projects where you need to save time by using it.
One of the other really useful toolbars - but with the same privacy concerns about sending out information - is the AlexaToolbar. It is a great toolbar, providing access to Google-powered results combined with access to Alexa's own unique traffic ratings, the contact information of the page owner, and information about linked sites. This allows you to quickly measure a page's credibility and, to a lesser degree, its legitimacy.
Use toolbars for their convenience and - if they have it - their popup blocking action. The Alexa toolbar is the most useful for checking site credibility, and the Google toolbar is convenient for saving time on searches. Remember to use multiple search tools to find information.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Greg Walder at 08282010
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