Monday, June 04, 2007

How to Search the Internet

Cyberspace has become as immense as the universe that surrounds our tiny blue planet. So finding exactly what you are looking for can be down right frustrating but this blog entry will teach you how to search the Internet with ease.

First, you need a reliable search engine because if you start with junk you more than likely will end up with junk. I recommend the almighty Google but you can use Yahoo, AfterVote or Alexa if you wish. Second, you need to understand exactly WHAT you are trying to find. There are billions of websites that contain information on just about any subject known to man be as specific as possible. Now we could go into the different types of search questions and methods but that would get boring really fast. Or we can do it the Apocalypse Papers way, which I feel is a gentler more humane method, because it doesn’t waste precious brain cells. Let’s get started.

I could tell you about Boolean searches, string searches algorithms, and keyword searches, but that would bore you to click away. However search like a pro and find exactly what you are looking for in a flash by using concise search terms. Remember the Internet is designed and maintained by really smart people that believe that there is beauty in simplicity and that Star Trek was the most awesome show ever created. So when searching:

Instead of: The actor that appeared on the “Man from Atlantis” (I am showing my age I know)

Try: Cast of Man from Atlantis (no quotes)

Instead of: What is the name of the white cheese dip they serve at Mexican Restaurants?

Try: White cheese dip Mexican Restaurant recipe

If you want a commercial by Ronco then ask by the name of the commercial. If you are looking for a song then ask for the name of the song however if you don’t know the name but know some of the lyrics just type those in the search box (believe me that actually works!) If you are looking to solve certain equations in math, believe it or not, Google has that function. So if you want to surf like a pro you have to think like one. Think brief, think accurate and think simple.


~Vale~

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