Thursday, June 15, 2006

Your own Databases in Ask.com (Toolbar +Ask)

What is happening with Ask.com? They certainly decided to put some extra effort (and money) in it. Not only did they started a new search service for blogs, it is now also possible to make a connection to your our own collection of search databases & resources. The default search engine for the Effectivebrand.com Toolbar is Ask.com. If you have an EffectiveBrand Toolbar like the QuickSearch CMB Toolbar you can add (almost) ALL of your exclusive databases to search via the Toolbar. In that case all users HAVE to install the Toolbar. However, there can be a lot of reasons why someone is not able (or allowed) to install it at their work. Now they can use -for the search function of the Toolbar at least- the following link: http://search.platformaonline.com/Results.aspx?q=patellar+tendon+rupture&ctid=CT142118 This link merges the Ask.com search engine with the databases from the CMB Toolbar via the EffectiveBrand site. The result is that anybody can see and use all "our"databases (with licensing limits including possible remote access) within "just" the webbrowser. That way users (can have):
  • direct access to all licensed databases and other services with óne click.
  • do not have to repeat their search terms, just click the next database
  • do not need to install the Toolbar for the search functions.
  • access the databases from all over the world. You just need a web-browser & internet.
  • your library collection visible in the their environment

The nice thing is: the selection of links stay on top of your browser window. Room for improvement: please insert this in the advanced option as well-;)

Oh, i forgot to tell that you can paste the html-codes into your pages to create the ASK Search Box in your own website (if your CMS let's you)

Ask.com search with custom engines from the Toolbar

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2 comments:

WoW!ter said...

Guus,
This looks really nice. I am impressed.

Wouter

Anonymous said...

Hi Guus, Did you see that it doesn't work anymore the way it did? No more top frame with the databases alas :-( Perhaps it is just temporary, let's hope so.