INSIDE
THE INTERNET - WITH ERIC SPELLMAN
* This update, Eric gives the lowdown on searching - how to use search engines
successfully and find what you're really after
Advanced Searching Made Easy
A friend once told me that "searching the Internet is akin to finding a
particular grain of sand in the Sahara Desert.". While that may be a bit
over the top, I completely understand his frustration.
Whenever I go to my favourite search site, Google, (and
mine - but I use the UK-specific version Google
UK - Ed) and type some keywords into their basic search blank, I inevitably
discover that the answer I am seeking lies somewhere within two million pages!
To avoid this situation, use Google's Advanced Search Options. You can find
this
page either by clicking the "Advanced Search" link just to the right
of Google's search blank or by going straight to:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search
Once there, don't let this busy screen intimidate you. You are looking at the
best tool to find your Net answers quickly. Let's start at the top ...
Find Results
Have you ever heard the phrase "Boolean Logic?" Basically, it's the
process of turning your search into a mathematical algorithm (something the computer
can understand). Three major logical tools are used in this process: AND, OR,
and NOT.
AND is used to guarantee that two or more search keywords exist on a
page in order for it to qualify as a "hit."
OR allows one, some, or all of the words to exist.
NOT prevents a keyword combination.
The first blank "with all the words" is an inferred AND. Typing
in a bunch of keywords will ONLY return pages that contain ALL of them.
The next blank, "with the exact phrase" is also an inferred
AND, but requires the words to be in the order you typed them. This blank is
perfect for typing movie and book titles. I've even used it to find the source
of famous quotes and song titles. I just type in a piece of the quote or song,
and Google finds all instances of the phrase.
Next, you'll see "with at least one of the words". Can you guess
which Boolean operator is inferred here? That's right: OR. A word of warning,
here, though. Using this blank will return the highest number of hits (since
only one of your keywords need be present).
I rarely use it.
The final blank in this section - "without the words" - has
some very interesting uses. For instance, let's say I was interested in all web
documents pertaining to the book, David Copperfield. If those two words are all
I type in the second blank ("with the exact phrase"), what will I get
back? That's right: a mixture of sites talking about the book and the current-day
master-illusionist.
To weed out pages pertaining to the famous conjuror, I simply add the word "magic" to
the "without the words" blank. Try it and see what happens. By adding
this one word, you filter out about 12,900 irrelevant pages. Wow!
In the next section, make sure you set the language to "English", unless
you want foreign-language pages appearing in the mix.
And believe it or not, Google catalogues more than just web pages. Microsoft
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and Acrobat documents are also included in
the database. To narrow your search, choose it here in the "File Types" section.
The next option, "Date", is very useful in weeding out archaic
pages. If you want the most up-to-date information on your subject, choose "past
three months".
"Occurrences" allows you to customize the relevance of your
search terms. By choosing "in the title of the page," you can make
sure that the page is TRULY related to your keywords and doesn't just mention
it in some random paragraph.
"Domain" is useful to search a site WITHOUT using that site's
internal search. For instance, the Microsoft Knowledge Base is very nice, but
I prefer Google's tools. Whenever I need to search the ENTIRE Microsoft site,
I use this blank to narrow my results to the microsoft.com domain.
Depending on your search terms, you may want to turn the "SafeSearch" on
or off. As an example, if you are looking for information on "breast cancer," I
would HIGHLY recommend you turn on this filter.
Finally, the last section allows you to find pages that are "similar" to
a particular page. It will make sense when you try it. And, the last blank, "Links" is
a neat way to find out what websites are linking to YOUR website.
While Google's Advanced Search page should meet the majority of your querying
needs, other search tools exist to aid in your exploration of the "hidden
Internet." Find out what I mean in the next CFN update.
Until then ... I'll see you in cyberspace!
- Eric
Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate
technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his
weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local
CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences.
If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by
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