BP11_2009113_EyePlorer

I found another new web 2.0 tool today called eyePlorer. It is a web search engine with some really cool features. It is much more like a mind-map than a traditional search engine. It also has a place to store notes as you go along, if you choose to log in. It is a free tool (as you’ve already noticed, that is one of my favorite words), and can be used anonymously, if you don’t want to log in. I noticed that when I was an anonymous user, there was way more advertising, and some of it would have been inappropriate for younger kids, so that would be something to watch out for if you are working in that type of environment.

Now, I know some people will have a problem with this, so I have to be sure I am up-front about this; eyePlorer is powered by Wikipedia. There it is, right out in the open. I know that there is sometimes a question about the reliability of Wikipedia, but before you dismiss eyePolorer, please take a look. One of the features of this tool is a nice little toolbox that automatically provides a search on the topic you have chosen either as a web search, image search, or even a Twitter search! So, even if you are Wikepedia-phobic, this tool is a great way to get started on your search. It really helps you visualize what topics are related to your initial search, helps you narrow down your topic, while giving you great little tidbits of information as you go. Once you’ve decided where you really want to go, you can always revert to your favorite trusted sources to confirm or build with.

I can see this as a very useful tool for anyone doing research on almost anything, students and teachers alike. You might think when you first look at the tool that you are limited to the topics it suggests on the initial graphic, or the A-Z topic list that is populated according to the topic heading you chose. That is not the case, though. I tried two search topics that were not on the list, and got back great results both times.