Question about search engines that search Rapidshare

[jimdagys]

I am really confused about this. If you go to Rapidshare (or something similar that allows you to store and access large files on the web), there isn't any way to search for and download other people's files. But there are some other websites that seem to allow you to search on Rapidshare. My question is, if the Rapidshare website doesn't allow you to search for files, how can other websites (seemingly break into Rapidshare) allow you to search on Rapidshare?

[redwudz]

There are 'search bots' (Automated search programs) out there that frequent many sites, if the sites let them. If you post on our site and do a internet search about an hour later, using the text in your title, it's probably already available on a search. Scary thought, but they are out there, gathering info 24/7. 'Google bots' are here all the time. That's one reason we insist on clear titles, to aid in searches.

It may be Rapidshare blocks them or is set up not to allow searches internally on it's site.

[jimdagys]

Well, I kind of understand what you said. But with this website (vcdhelp) you can already search using the included search feature, so there is no point in going to another website to search on this site.
But with Rapidshare, there is no included search, so these other websites that allow you to search on Rapidshare provide a powerful service.

[redwudz]

It's also possible that Rapidshare doesn't have an internal search engine for several other reasons. It may be able to claim no knowledge of what is on it's servers if it doesn't have a internal search function. This might help protect them from lawsuits. Or it may just take more resources than they are willing to use to have such a search engine available for it's site. I'm just guessing with all this. I have no clue about Rapidshares reasoning.

[AlanHK]

if the Rapidshare website doesn't allow you to search for files, how can other websites (seemingly break into Rapidshare) allow you to search on Rapidshare?

They don't search Rapidshare directly.

When someone posts a file on RS, they pass the URL on to the persons they want to have access to it.

Some people post these on forums and then the search engines can search the forums and return any posts they find with the filename you are looking for and its Rapidshare URL.

If you don't publish your URL in a public place, it won't be found by these search engines.
In fact many of these search engines just use Google to search for "Rapidshare + Whatever you are looking for".

You can do that yourself with similar results.

[redwudz]

Just to add, Google found this thread about one hour ago.

[thecoalman]

But with this website (vcdhelp) you can already search using the included search feature, so there is no point in going to another website to search on this site.

The "search feature" on this site generally sucks to put it mildly. Most internal search features are bad no matter what site they are. A good server side search engine costs $$$ and eats up a lot of resources. Google and other search engines will generally give you much better results.

[louv68]

My brother uses Mayoko, a Rapidshare file search "browser" to search for files. He seems to like it. http://www.mayoko.com/

[AlanHK]

The "search feature" on this site generally sucks to put it mildly. Most internal search features are bad no matter what site they are. A good server side search engine costs $$$ and eats up a lot of resources. Google and other search engines will generally give you much better results.

Not necessarily. Many forums own search will allow you to specify search within subject or body, by author, rank by date, results as posts or threads. Generic searchers like Google may give you all the results, but it's order is basically random and if there are a lot of hits you'll have a hard time finding anything relevant. Also some forums are members-only, so Google can't search them at all.

The search in posts here is not great, but the search in the Tools section is quite useful.

[AlanHK]

My brother uses Mayoko, a Rapidshare file search "browser" to search for files. He seems to like it. http://www.mayoko.com/

Yuk. It wants you to install something (Toolbar? I didn't want to find out.)

Try http://rapidlibrary.com/
Seems efficient and no installation needed.
(Just ignore the "sponsored links" in the results.)