JournalismNet
By Julian Sher

Smart bots  
These useful tools are the way to the future

The future of the web is not with clunky browsers and complicated search engines but with intelligent “bots” and other smart tools that reside on your desktop, your taskbar, or on your browser’s toolbar.

Almost all are free and can provide fast and convenient access to research databases such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and news sources. Some can be easily tailored to fit your specific needs.

All these tools work in roughly the same way. You have to load them and have them running (they usually reside discreetly in the right-hand corner of your Windows taskbar) while you surf the web. Come across any word on a web page – a geographic location, name of a company or an obscure medical term – and simply click on the word (some tools ask you to click and hold down the “Alt” or “Control” key). The application then automatically searches for references and background on the word.

The beauty of these tools is that you can use them even on email or Word documents. In other words, you could be writing an article and you want to find out more about a company or a place or biographical figure. Or you are reading an email from an interview subject and she refers to something you don’t understand. Simply click on the word and your smart “bot” will do some digging for you. 
 
ZAPPER’S MANY AGENTS 

Probably the best so far is an unassuming, but incredibly powerful application called Zapper. It is available for free download at www.zapper.com.

Zapper’s strength for journalists is that unlike most of the other smart tools which do not focus on news sources, it has a wide library of first-rate media databases. Click on a word and you can instantly find related articles from the New York Times, BBC or Reuters.  

Zapper's advantage over other products is its versatility. Once you download the Zapper box, you can go on to their web page and install various “agents” from its vast library at www.zapper.com/library/library_fr.html.

For example, under Zapper's News category (check it out at www.zapper.com/library/library_category.jsp?id=1122) you can add a variety of media feeds, news sources, the wire services, Time magazine or  major newspapers to your search. 

One Zapper agent called News Sources gives you CNN, MSNBC, ABC, BBC and CBC. Another gives you Reuters and AP. A third called News Magazines gives you Time and other publications. And a fourth called Newspapers gives you the New York Times and the Washington Post.

 The Journalism section (at www.zapper.com/library/library_category.jsp?id=14060) gives you access to specialized research for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and other regions.

For business news, you can add a Zapper agent that will get you the latest from CNN, Dow Jones and CBS Marketwatch; another agent will check stock quotes; and a third agent will scour the business magazines.

OTHER BOTS

Other intelligent bots are less news-orientated, but they still can deliver useful and timely information.

Atomica  (at www.atomica.com) was formerly known as GuruNet. One of the first kids on this new block, it still remains one of the best and simplest tools. This nifty add-on gets you more information on the words you select on any web page or document. If it’s a company, you’ll get the latest business news and quotes. Other entries for other words include dictionary help (including medical dictionaries if you highlight a medical term) plus web searches.

Flyswat is very similar to Atomica, except instead of sitting on the bottom of your Windows taskbar, Flyswat can be activated to stay on your browser toolbar. It automatically underlines any words on the web page it has more information about. A simple click opens a dialog box with more information. Flyswat searches pages you visit and finds related pages based on keywords.

Alexa is a wonderful way to find out more about any site you visit. It examines every site using statistics, contact information for who is behind the page and suggestions for "related pages."  There are also specific reference bots you can download.

IFinger gives you excellent dictionary and other research help, such as the New Oxford Thesaurus of English  and the Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary . Many more extensive reference materials can be accessed – for a price. IFinger is also working on expanding its repertoire to include more news and databases resources. 

Babylon is a free download tool that allows you to use dictionaries with a click of your mouse and to translate a word into or from the majority of the languages spoken on the web. You can also receive instant information online or offline, use glossaries and make currency, measurement and time zone conversions.

GOOGLE ADD-ONS

The best search engine on the web also has mini-bots you can install, either as buttons or as a toolbar.

Adding Google Browser Buttons to your personal toolbar gives you access to Google's unbeatable search technology. (They can be found at www.google.com/options/buttons.html) The buttons allow searches simply by highlighting a word (or phrase) on any web page and clicking the Google Search button.

The Google Scout button finds web pages that are similar to the page you're on. So clicking the Google Scout button while on a company's homepage will often show competitors.

You can also install a Google toolbar (for Internet Explorer) at http://www.google.com/intl/en_extra/options/toolbar.html

This gives you Site Search (search only the pages of the site you're visiting); Word Find (find your search terms wherever they appear on the page); Highlight (highlight your search terms as they appear on the page, each word in its own color); PageRank (see Google's ranking of the current page); and Page Info (which gives you a nifty list of web pages that link to the page you are on – a great way to find people or experts).

So expand your browsing experience and start using the smart bots of the future. These and other tools can be found on JNet’s Search tool page at www.journalismnet.com/search/tools.htm 
 

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Julian Sher, the creator and webmaster of Journalism Net (www.journalismnet.com), does Internet training in newsrooms around the world. He can be reached by email at jsher@journalism.com. This article and many other columns from Media magazine are available online with hot links on the JournalismNet Tips page at www.journalismnet.com/tips