The scientists, Lawrence and C Lee Giles, studied 11 major search engines and came to the conclusion that each search engine is likely to be indexed to more popular sites and with a tilt towards American content -- European, Asian, Latin American and Australian sites come next. The search engines also have a bias towards commercial rather than educational sites.

The two researchers, writing in Nature - a science journal - say that the maximum a single search engine covers of cyberspace is only 16 per cent of content. The 11 major search combined together cover only 42 per cent of the Web and that their coverage has decreased over the past two years. The scientists estimate that there are about 800 million pages on the Web and close to 180 million images which canbe indexed.

And despite all fears that pornography is the plague of the Web, they discovered that only 1.5 per cent of the internet has pornographic content. Commercial sites contribute 83 per cent, with educational sites accounting for about six per cent. The researchers also found that internetters are increasingly using the search engines to wade through the clutter of online shopping, information and e-commerce.

The research clearly highlights what a cutting edge medium the World Wide Web has become and how important search engines have become despite their inefficiencies. Some search engines actually charge to have a website listed right on top of a search.

The lay Web surfer does not know this. He may well be influenced by the higher listing and make a commercial decision based on the fact that the site ranks the highest. This apart, dangers lie in another area: The Web is being used increasingly by surfers to get information about political candidates, the two US researchers pointed out. And ifsearch engines continue with their bias, they may well throw up a particular candidate's various websites in excess, making the voter believe that he has merit because of his extensive presence, thus influencing his voting decision.

No doubt the Web has only about a million users in India. But its influence is spreading far beyond what with various newspapers and television channels reporting on it with increasing frequency. Hence, the Election Commission needs to take a serious look at the content being created for wannabe ministers' sites and how they are being indexed on the Web. This is needed especially because the elections are round the corner.

An extended maintenance

Last week this writer had written about VSNL's high-handed attitude of doing what it wants without caring much for its internet customers. After carrying out maintenance work and leaving its bom1 subscribers in the lurch for an entire working day last Thursday, the ISP decided to try its hand at tweaking the same server thisSunday between 6 and 9 pm.

It took this decision despite several subscribers' insistence that it should carry out any damage control or repair work after 1 am when the number of users shrinks. Compare VSNL's attitude to @Home, a cable ISP in the US. @Home apologised for drops in throughput and service outages in the Bay Area. Not only that, it also provided its subscribers in six Bay area communities with free service extending retrospectively from May through September.

It made this offer to 1,000 of its subscribers. The revenue loss on this account to @Home is expected to be in the region of $200,000 but the ISP said it is willing to take the pain as it failed in its commitment of offering super-fast access to the Net. Hopefully, the VSNL senior management will take a cue from @Home's gesture and compensate aggrieved bom1 subscribers who were truamatised by the ISP's extended maintenance.

(The writer is the editor of The Indian Cab&Sat Reporter. Feel free to email with your comments totelevision@vsnl.com or television@hotmail.com)