Kamil Stępień
The aim of the paper is to present the methods of retrieving visual materials from the Internet. The author pays attention to the „avalanche” accrual of images in cyberspace (WWW space), as well as to the accessibility of digital image recording technologies. Web projects are presented that find images in a „non-textual ” way, with the use of visual attributes, such as, e. g.: hue, shape, texture, or by means of other images. The author describes solutions used for automatic (machine) image recognition (CBIR). He wonders about the future of visual browsing, emphasizing its attractiveness, meaning and potential. Attempts are referred to at creating „visual language” and the visual ranking system. Reverse retrieval is significant from the point of view of the changes that take place in designing the functionality of WWW services.