Happy Friday to all. Just a few links of interest today while I work on redesigning a directory application I wrote some time ago.

Anyway, while I've been listing a lot of new search startups of late, I haven't paid homage to the pioneers in the search field. So ... here are a few (the "Big Three"):

• Dialog - Strong tools for business and scientific searching.  
• Factiva - Good international coverage (mainly Europe, with some Asian sources).
• LexisNexis - Great source for news monitoring 

Other links:

• Why to Start a Startup in a Bad Economy.