Web Search — Identify the True Search Engine Which one of the following is correctly classified as a web search engine?

Introduction / Context:
Digital literacy includes recognizing the difference between internet protocols, historical networks, and search engines. A search engine is a service that indexes and ranks information to answer user queries. Several distractors below are not search engines at all.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Only one option should be a search engine to avoid ambiguity.
• Other items are protocols or historical infrastructure, not search services.
• We look for the everyday service most people use to search the web.

Concept / Approach:
Google is a well-known web search engine. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) are application-layer protocols for file transfer and email delivery respectively. ARPANET was an early packet-switching network, the ancestor of today's internet, not a search engine.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Entering a query at google.com yields indexed results; attempting the same with FTP/SMTP/ARPANET concepts has no such search function.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• FTP: Moves files; does not index the web.
• SMTP: Sends email; not a search function.
• ARPANET: Historic network, not a search service.

Common Pitfalls:
Mixing up protocols with applications. Protocols enable communication; search engines are applications built on top of them.

Final Answer:
Google