Bookmarklets: Search & Web Tools

Instructions:
Click on a category above and drag any or all of the links to your personal toolbar and you're set! We try to use engines that display the least clutter in their results.

We suggest you store these in a toolbar folder in Mac IE 5, Netscape 4.76, 4.77, and 6.0. However, on the Windows version of IE, these links will only work from the Favorites menu. So either in your Favorites or "Links" bar, put these in a folder called "Search". Using dividers and subfolders to organize them helps a lot!


Look at this snapshot of IMDB's homepage as an example of clutter. All that's needed is the search field on the left, yet we're forced to digest the whole thing.
Why?
Searching for information on the Internet often means dealing with unnecessary bells and whistles. Banners, promotions, offers for free email and confusing links to partner sites are all distracting realities of the capitalist nature of the Internet. Furthermore, we often find ourselves using various sites for different types of info. From stock quotes, software updates, to movie trivia, we access a br /oad range of portals, search engines, and specialty sites in search of what we want.
Eliminate Clutter!
Now you can maximize your search tools, eliminate clutter, and speed up your search all without ever leaving the page you're currently viewing! With our powerful toolbar search links, you simply click the appropriate search link in the toolbar and instead of an entire web page, a simple prompt lets you enter your query. Your current page will not go away until you submit the query, so you don't get screwed if you change your mind and cancel the search.

It Gets Even Better!!!
We often find ourselves looking up a word we encounter in a book or magazine. Many, if not most of our curiosity is the result of surfing the net, reading articles, technical pages, personals, whatever. Point is, often what you want to search for is right there on the page itself. Why type it in?


Simply highlight the text and click the appropriate search. Also note how the use of toolbar folders instead of individual links organizes the searches and saves space on your toolbar.
No More Typing!
Even simpler than entering a query into a prompt is highlighting a word or phrase that's already on the page. That's right! When you click any of these search links, they first check to see if you've highlighted anything on the page. If nothing is highlighted, you'll get the prompt. Otherwise, the highlighted text will be submited as the query to the search engine.