You are browsing the archives of February 2010.

Last week we discussed some of the specialized and niche search engines that have emerged to compete with Google. This week an article in Wired explains how Google is continually refining its search algorithms to provide the best results of a generalized search engine.

As the amount of information available online increases and people become more reliant upon the Internet for information, technology companies are developing new features for search engines that can process an incomprehensible amount of data into organized, user-friendly results. New search features are constantly developed to deliver targeted results and ultimately make Internet research as efficient as possible.

he New York Times reported yesterday that despite reduced budgets, big media companies such as Hearst and the Associated Press continue to fund FOIA appeals and lawsuits.

With the ever-increasing availability of freely accessible government datasets, developers are seizing opportunities to reprogram these public records into Internet applications that are more relevant for the general public. One such trend is hyperlocal news web sites, such as EveryBlock. EveryBlock aggregates (and makes searchable) civic information from multiple public records dataset.

In the past week, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch have announced that Maryland legislative committee level votes will be posted online within a few days after they are cast. Maryland is following several other states in making committee level votes readily available to the public.