17 Specialty Search Engines Every Web Developer Should Bookmark

Google is still the undisputed ruler of web search, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only option when it comes to finding what you need on the web.

Try a new search engine… to protect your privacy

Google’s new motto might be “Do the Right Thing,” but what do they really mean by “right”? And can such a giant company be trusted to always do what’s right, regardless of profits?

As a generally law-abiding citizen, you may not think you have anything to hide from Google – but take a moment to think about your search history:

• Have you ever typed anything into Google that could be misconstrued, misinterpreted, or otherwise used against you?
• Have you ever searched for anything you wouldn’t want your friends, co-workers, family, or neighbors to know about?

…Probably! That’s one reason why privacy is an important human right, especially in the Information Age.

The truth is, most of the websites you visit are spying on you, and Google is tracking everything you do.

Try a different search engine… to narrow your search

Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask.com aren’t the only search engines out there. There are many smaller, more customized search options that can help you quickly find what you’re looking for by only searching through a few sites rather than through everything. After all, you’ve got enough on your mind with hosting, design and programming to do.

Try out these 17 search engines designed with Web developers in mind:

1. DuckDuckGo: The search engine that doesn’t track you.
2. CSS Search: Don’t spend time looking all over for CSS coding information–use this CSS search engine instead. It searches through some of the most useful resources on CSS. If you don’t see your favorite site listed, simply email the creator and have it added.
3. Dogpile: Dogpile compiles the search results from the top search engines on the web, so you don’t have to visit each to get the best results.
4. DevX: Access thousands of articles and resources on programming and development on DevX. The site’s built-in search engine can provide you with access to information on Java, AJAX and tons of other web-based goodies.
5. Google Custom Search: A tool dedicated to letting users create their own custom search engines.
6. Sphider: A PHP spider crawler and search engine you can use on any site.
7. WolframAlpha: A handy search engine that gives you all kinds of data including website analytics, historical info by date, unit conversions, stock data, sports statistics, etc.
8. SymbolHound: This programmer-friendly search engine doesn’t ignore special characters, so you can easily search for symbols like &, %, and π.
9. LinkedIn Job Search: Find your next programming gig using LinkedIn’s advanced job search.
10. SEO Search: All the information on SEO you could need is only a click away with this search engine. Simply type in your search query and this site will search through carefully filtered content to bring you the highest quality information.
11. Topsy: Topsy provides an advanced search engine for the social web, including tweets, links, videos, photos, and more.
12. Webmaster Search Engine: Find everything you need to know about keeping up with your websites with this simple search engine. As the title suggests, it searches through sites dedicated to web development and maintenance to bring you the best results possible.
13. Search.net: Get information on .net sites with this search engine. Those working on developing .net sites will find this particularly useful, as it will likely bring up more relevant results than a search through Google.
14. Whois.net: If there’s anything you ever wanted to know about a domain name, Whois.net is the place to go. Find out who owns what domain, search through them, and see what’s available for purchase.
15. Zippy: Zippy is a search engine designed with webmasters in mind. It lets users get information on domain names, search for SEO information, and compare sites, all on one easy-to-use page.
16. Internet Archive: Remember the old days of the Internet? Well now you can search through them with this site. Try out the Way Back Machine and check out what the web looked like back in 1996. Warning: it’s not pretty. Perhaps not the best site for productivity, but the search tools will help keep you entertained for hours.
17. Addictomatic: Addictomatic creates custom pages for your searches that combine results from top search engines and the social web.

These search engines should get you started on finding the development information you need, but if they don’t meet your needs, try making your own with Google Custom Search Engine.

Tags: Search Engines