The Invisible Web...!

While going for stroll this evening, I was wondering as to how huge would Google's Index size be? 2 billion / 3 billion web pages or even more? Quickly, I searched and found that as per last official figures released by Google, it seems to have over 8 billion web pages indexed. Isn't that a LOT of information...I bet it is indeed !

Google/Yahoo or for that matter any Search Engine hasn't indexed yet. Now, isn't that interesting? Upon spending a little more time trying to demystify about such hidden information, to my utter surprise I found that there is indeed sites and pages that methodical search engines crawlers haven't crawled yet. Such Web pages are part of what's called the Dark, Deep, Hidden or Invisible Web.

Interestingly the ever smart Googlers have already filed a patent for their invention aimed at
Searching through web content accessible through web-based forms. But what if one wants to search the hidden collection of documents and a multidimensional repository for sounds, images, audio, and other formats now??

I found a few Deep Web Search Tools - hope you like them:

• CompletePlanet.com - Specialty search engine
• Directory of Open Access Journals
• Super Searchers Web Page
• Librarians Index to the Internet
• GPO Access
• The Virtual Library
• Web Lens
• Clusty- my personal favorite

Hope you enjoy searching about obscure topics. Till my next post - good bye!!

Time for Resolutions...!

New Year's is traditionally a time of resolutions. Upon returning from Winter vacations, my mind was pacing rapidly as to what ideally be this year's resolutions I might want to undertake - I decided I should better be at a place that has remained a source of hundreds of ideas in the year past by. Upon finsihing two lengths in the pool, I was wondering about what I perceive to be the most challenging part in IT Industry - is it Installing software on OS, Applying patches, writing some good code or venturing out all by ourselves (You Tube, Writely).

Hmmm...venturing out all alone seems pretty interesting ;) Lets c....!
For now, here's what I would want to look forward to in 2007:

• Try replacing at least one commercial product I use with a free alternative once a month;
• Make an informed decision when I do cosmetic changes on my blog;
• Help spread the word about Google products as part of our symbiotic relationship with Google;
• Contribute to atleast one free software project and learn more about the command-line interface
• Share my views and experiences in using Linux thru' my Blog
• Publish my Sketches on www and Innovate.
• Slow down 'n' Play ;) & yes participation in iWatch for sure.

I hereby toss off my old calendar & say good-bye to 2006 officially now all set to take control of 2007 and the world ;)

The Anonymity @ Internet..!

While on the Internet or the ubiquitous world wide web - presentation is very vital - for everyone out there is actually on a quest to make some real good sense. Take Yahoo, take microsoft or take Google (you anyways have to ;)) - all they do is make best sense of the noise that comes in from all corners and filter that out to yield the organic results.

Call this Excellent End User Experience or call this Smartness - at the end far end of the spectrum there are always some real good techies who are working day and nigth to achieve the otherwise considered tough milestones.

Now, being Monday today - I decided to honestly find some way to track my site visitors on the Web. As most of us know - the getting IP (read Internet Protocol) Address is the only way I can find about geographic location of my blog's visitors.

I learnt a simple way to get access to HTTP headers that the user will send to the server. This
will include the IP address along with other information the user's browser will send to the server. Thats indeed all I need to get someone's IP.

So all I do using this Javascript is get the HTTP Server Variables and get the information I want.

• REMOTE_ADDR -- Gives me the IP address of the visitor
• HTTP_USER_AGENT") -- Gives me the browser the you use to visit my blog
• HTTP_REFERER - Gives me where you were before visiting this page

Try this out by clicking Button below...!

Thus possibilities are endless indeed. Now, when I sit back and wonder that if I can get this - imagine how much info the websites can extract from users !!
Wish I too learn how to do all that and lot more soon ;)

For now, I leave you all with yet another interesting site below that amazed me this evening...!

The Emblematic Graphics...!

The Visual presentation on any surface - wall, canvas, paper stone have enetertained me since time immemorial..! Nature as such does a good or rather remarkable job in creating an amazing amalgamation of such illustrations which are

referered to as 'Graphics' in IT World. The way it differs is in IT Graphics design may consist of the deliberate selection, creation, or arrangement of typography alone, as in a brochure, flier, poster, web site, or book without any other element. Clarity or effective communication may be the objective, association with other cultural elements may be sought, or merely, the creation of a distinctive style.

Now, here's an interesting website I found today that really made me roll my eyes again 'n' again in amazement. What do we do when we see a link (attractive enough to catch our attention ofcourse) - Easy - we go ahead and click it to see whats there in store for us. Now some smart people that offer instant document retrieval (read Google, Microsoft & Yahoo) capitalise on this very concept and here we have the omnipresent world on Online Advertising..!

So here's what happens - everytime you, me or any mortal soul clicks on an online ad - smart people out there pocket some decent $$ and equip us with the required informatio in return.

Anyways, while my mind was lost in thinking about the idea of Online advertising - I came across this very thought provoking website that basically is an experiment in human interface design. The web site claims that there is a small gap of time between clicking that can be eliminated by omitting the clicking process altogether. You are allowed one click to start off the interface, and from then on as you use the mouse to explore the interface, you are warned not to click.

Believe me its very difficult & highly strange to navigate for an extended period without clicking.

One very interesting this interface shows up is that we get used to what we do everyday..!! Inorder to learn to get into new "groove" - we really have to break from our existing mindset that makes us believe that if there's a link on a Web - One must click on it :)

A very nice study on human psyche indeed...!

Go try it out for yourself ...!