Our results could lead to a new generation of web-searching tools that work with people. But first, the data must be scrutinized. The search engine actually records each individual letter that is entered and stores it all. So far, Spink and her students have found that, on average, people type 2.5 words into the little white box. More than half of these words are proper names or slang terms for which the search engines often cannot find exact matches.
Search engines can be tricky.
Darcy Comstock, Michelle Sollenberger, and Purvi Shah are information sciences and technology majors. Stephanie Milchak is a computer engineering major in the College of Engineering. Writer Alison Balmat will graduate in May 2002 with a B.A. in French and geography, with honors in geography. Illustrator Livio Ramondelli is an undergraduate majoring in visual arts.