Gigablast facts for kids

Gigablast is a small web search engine that helps you find information on the internet. It was created by Matt Wells in 2000 and is based in New Mexico.

What is Gigablast?

Gigablast is a special computer program that searches the internet. It helps you find websites, pictures, and other information. Think of it like a huge library catalog for the entire internet.

How Search Engines Work

Search engines like Gigablast use automated programs called "spiders" or "crawlers." These programs constantly explore the internet. They follow links from one webpage to another. As they visit pages, they read the content and add it to a giant database.

When you type something into a search engine, it quickly looks through its database. It then shows you a list of webpages that match what you are looking for. The search engine tries to show you the most useful and important results first.

Open Source Software

In July 2013, Gigablast's source code was made public. This means the instructions that make the program work are available for anyone to see. It was released under the Apache License.

When software is "open source," people can look at its code. They can also suggest changes or improvements. This can help make the software better and more secure. It also means that others can use parts of the code for their own projects.