Wide Area Information Servers
Last updated on June 26, 1996
It is now generally accepted that there is more electronic information available via
the Internet than is contained in all the world's libraries. WAIS databases constitute the
heart of this new cyberlit. Many sites on the Internet have developed very large
databases of information which are searchable using WAIS (Wide Area
Information Server). They are generally updated on a regular
basis and can be powerful resources in a wide variety of highly specific subject areas.
The complete works of William Shakespeare, as only one example, are available on the Internet
completely searchable by word. WAIS is almost like a giant index to the literature of the
Internet. If you know exactly what you are looking for, WAIS databases can probably provide
what you need. There are two search engines - Archie and Veronica - available at most gopher
sites, which access WAIS databases and search them directly. Many WWW sites now offer WAIS
search engines, also, which lack the colorful nicknames of yesterweek. You can use these
search engines to locate the specific topic or computer file you're interested in. The trick
is knowing what you want to look for. Don't worry - this will come with experience. The
WWW, Gopher and WAIS complement each other in the access they provide you to the sometimes
bewildering array of information available to you on the Internet.
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