What terms do you suggest, Mike? 

I think we're doomed no matter what with these, after certain 
communities started to use "federated search" and "metasearch" in 
directly opposite ways. 

I also was told recently that what is called an "accordion" in English 
is called a "bandoneon" in Spanish, and what is called a "accordeon" in 
Spanish is called a "bandoneon" in English.

Hope this helps.

Mike Taylor wrote:
> On 18 May 2010 15:24, Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>   
>> There is no synchronous operation in SRU.
>>
>> As for federated  search .
>>
>> To digress a moment, you may recall -- I believe it was on this list --
>> there was discussion (maybe a year ago?) of what that even means and whether
>> it is the same or differs from metasearch, whatever that means.  That
>> discussion was inconclusive.  Anyway, earlier drafts of SRU 2.0  describe a
>> metasearch model.  Recently, the committee decided that the terms
>> "metasearch" and "federated search" are undefined jargon.  We now choose to
>> call it "multi-server search".
>>     
>
> Way to go.  Introducting yet ANOTHER synonym can only help!
>
> (And don't forget "broadcast search".)
>
>