Steal This Computer Book 4
Published by No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com)
This list may be freely copied and distributed provided that the contents are not modified in any way..
Finding What You Need: The Magic of Search Engines
The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the
right questions.
There are two problems with information: not enough and too much. Without all the necessary information about a topic, itÆs easy to make a wrong decision based on an incomplete picture of reality. Then again, too much information can be just as bad since finding the relevant facts about a topic can be time-consuming and tedious, which encourages people to make snap decisions based on perception rather than truth.
Trying to find the right balance of just enough facts without drowning in too much irrelevant trivia can be a delicate balancing act. Still if you want to make informed choices based on logic and reason rather than emotion and ignorance, you must take the time to research your topic thoroughly.
As a research tool, the Internet offers a wealth of data for finding information about virtually any topic. Unfortunately, the Internet poses a few problems of its own when it comes to research:
• How do you find the information you need?
• How do you know if the information you find is accurate, obsolete, misleading, or just plain wrong?
Finding information on the Internet is relatively easy: you just type one or more words into a search engine and then the search engine lists all the Web sites (that it knows about) that contain the words or phrases you want to find.
The easy part is shifting through the different Web sites to find the information you need. The hard part is deciding whether you can trust what you find, knowing that every source of information selectively chooses which facts to include and which ones to omit. Combined with your own natural tendency to interpret facts based on personal biases, donÆt be surprised to find that identical facts may cause you to reach a conclusion thatÆs completely different from what someone else might reach.
Sometimes there might be a right answer and sometimes there might be a wrong answer, but more often than not, there wonÆt be any one answer thatÆs either completely right or completely wrong. What you decide may be the right answer depends on your point of view.
The key to finding anything on the Internet is to use a search engine. But if you ask different search engines to find the same information, each one will find a number of Web sites not found by the others. So rather than limit the information you find by the tunnel vision of a single search engine, experiment with some of the different search engines listed below and you may uncover information that your favorite search engine might have missed.
Even better, you may find that one search engine is better at finding certain types of data or offers a unique perspective to searching for information. For example, the Teoma search engine tries to cluster search results into subjects. So if you search for ôMustang,ö the Teoma search engine clusters the results according to ôFord Mustangö and ôMustang horses.ö The following list includes some of the more powerful search engines:
Aboutáááááááááááááá http://about.com
AlltheWebááááááá http://www.alltheweb.com
AltaVistaááááááááá http://www.altavista.com
AOL Searcháááá http://search.aol.com
Ask Jeevesáááááá http://www.askjeeves.com
Google http://www.google.com
Hotbot http://www.hotbot.com
LookSmartáááááá http://www.looksmart.com
Open Directory Projectááááááááááá http://dmoz.org
Teomaá http://www.teoma.com
Yahoo! http://www.yahoo.com
Rather than visit multiple search engines yourself, you can save time by using a meta-search engine, which simultaneously sends your query to two or more general-purpose search engines and eliminates duplicate results. Here are some popular meta-search engines: DogPile (http://www.dogpile.com), Mamma (http://www.mamma.com), MetaCrawler (http://www.metacrawler.com), and Search.com (http://www.search.com).
Finally, donÆt ignore specialized search engines designed to search only for Web sites pertaining to a particular topic. Specialized search engines often find obscure Web sites that the larger search engines might overlook. There are specialized search engines for everything from caring for fish to the latest crafting fads. Here are a few interesting ones:
Finds occult information about witchcraft, vampires, pagan rituals, astrology, tarot cards, and other topics that often panic right-wing conservatives (http://www.avatarsearch.com).
Finds Web sites of particular interest to Blacks (http://www.blackwebportal.com).
Searches for Web sites providing information about various crime and law enforcement sites organized by topics such as serial murder, urban legends, and cybercrime (http://www.crimespider.com).
Conspiracy theoryûladen search engine that helps you uncover Web sites offering the ôreal truthö behind the pyramids of Mars, the sightings of black helicopters over America, film footage of Bigfoot, and the government secrets hidden in Area 51 (http://www.disinfo.com).
Finds Web sites that can help students, teachers, and parents learn more about education (http://www.education-world.com).
Lists many of the Web sites from various government agencies and organizations (except for the really cool ones like the CIA and FBI). Maybe you can use it to find out where all your hard-earned tax dollars are going (http://www.infoctr.edu/fwl).
Helps you find Web sites related to law enforcement so you can find a policeman when you need one (http://www.copseek.com).
A bilingual search engine geared towards Hispanics and Latinos, available in both English and Spanish (http://www.quepasa.com).
Two search engines geared toward helping women find information and resources on the Internet (http://www.ivillage.com and http://www.wwwomen.com).
If you leave your children unsupervised, itÆs likely that theyÆll eventually find bomb-making instructions and pornography on the Internet. While keeping children isolated from such information may be impossible, you can at least limit their searching to kid-safe search engines. Unlike general-purpose search engines, kid-safe search engines wonÆt accidentally display links to pornographic or bomb-making Web sites. Try one of the following: Ask Jeeves for Kids (http://www.ajkids.com), Go.com (http://www.go.com), or Yahooligans (http://www.yahooligans.com).
Most search engines help you find text but what if you want to find a song, a picture, or a video clip? Rather than waste your time using a general purpose search engine to find an MP3 file of your favorite band, try using a special multimedia search engine instead. These multimedia search engines specialize in searching only for specific audio, graphic, or video files.
Some of the more popular multimedia search engines include: Ditto (http://www.ditto.com), FAST Multimedia Search (http://multimedia.alltheweb.com), or MIDI Explorer (http://www.musicrobot.com).
Table 1-1: International search engines
Countryááááááááááááááááááááááá Web siteáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá URL
Chinaáááááááááááááááááááááááááá SINA Onlineááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://english.sina.com
Hong Kongááááááááááááááááá Timway.comáááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.hksrch.com/welcome.html
ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá IndiasWebáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.indiasweb.com
Japanáááááááááááááááááááááááááá Search Deskáááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.searchdesk.com
Singaporeáááááááááááááááááááá Catcha.comáááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.catcha.com.sg
South Koreaáááááááááááááááá Yahoo! Korea-Seekááááááááááááááhttp://kr.yahoo.com
Generalááááááááááááááááááááááá Woyaa!ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.woyaa.com
South Africaáááááááááááááááá Ananziááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.ananzi.co.za
Generalááááááááááááááááááááááá Search Europeááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.searcheurope.com
Franceááááááááááááááááááááááááá FrancitΘáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.francite.com
Icelandáááááááááááááááááááááááá Iceland on the Webááááááááááááááááhttp://iceland.vefur.is
Italyááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá Italia Miaáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.italiamia.com
Maltaáááááááááááááááááááááááááá Search
Netherlandsááááááááááááááááá Search NLáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.search.nl
Scandanaviaáááááááááááááááá Absolutt Internettááááááááááááááááááá http://www.sol.no/sws/absolutt/absolutt.html
Switzerlandáááááááááááááááááá Swiss Searcháááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.search.ch
U.K.ááááááááááááááááááááááááááá Everyday UKáááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.everydayuk.co.uk
ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá UK Plusáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááhttp://www.ukplus.co.uk
Generalááááááááááááááááááááááá Ajeebáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://english.ajeeb.com
Egyptáááááááááááááááááááááááááá Egypt Searchááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.egyptsearch.com
Israelááááááááááááááááááááááááááá HaReshimaáááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.hareshima.com
Syriaááááááááááááááááááááááááááá Syria Gateáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.syriagate.com
Canadaááááááááááááááááááááááá Canada.comáááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.canada.com
Mexicoáááááááááááááááááááááááá Radaráááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.radar.com.mx
Boliviaááááááááááááááááááááááááá Bolivia Webááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.boliviaweb.com
Brazilááááááááááááááááááááááááááá Cadeááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.cade.com.br
Chileááááááááááááááááááááááááááá ChilNetáááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.chilnet.cl
Australiaáááááááááááááááááááááá WebWombatááááááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.webwombat.com.au
ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá WebSearch AUááááááááááááááááááááá http://www.websearch.com.au
New search engines seem to appear almost daily. The following sites will help you find the latest and best Internet search engines: AllSearchEngines (http://www.allsearchengines.com) or Search Engine Watch (http://www.searchenginewatch.com).
Search engines can help you find specific information on the Internet, but they also flood you with large amounts of irrelevant information. With a little bit of extra effort on your part, though, you can make sure that a search engine finds exactly what you want as quickly as possible. The next time you use a search engine, try some of the following tips.
Many search engines, such as Yahoo!, display categories, such as Computers & Internet or Business & Economy. If you click on a category and then use the search engine, youÆll have the option of searching the entire Internet or narrowing your search just within the currently selected category. Obviously searching within a selected category will take less time and avoid irrelevant Web sites. Still, you might like to search the entire Internet just for the surprise of seeing what the search engine might uncover that you might not have found if you had only limited your search to a specific category.
If you want to find all Web sites that focus on birds, you could type in the word ôbirdö into a search engine. Unfortunately, the search engine might return thousands of irrelevant Web sites that talk about badminton birdies or different ways to cook game birds. Instead of searching for general words, use more specific words such as ôornithologyö (which is the zoological branch of studying birds). The more precise your words, the less likely the search engine will be to uncover irrelevant Web sites.
You can also narrow your search by typing in multiple words.
For example, if you wanted to find information about
Many search engines allow you to focus your search by using two different Boolean operators: AND and OR.
If you wanted to search for all Web sites that contain both the words ôhotö and ôdog,ö you would simply type the following:
hot AND dog
This search would find Web sites devoted to hot dogs, but could also turn up Web sites that talk about ways to cool down a dog on a hot day.
If you wanted to search for all Web sites that contain either the word ôhotö or ôdog,ö you would type the following:
hot OR dog
This could turn up Web sites that talk about dogs, different ways air conditioning can cool you down on a hot day, hot chili sauces, or dog food.
The order that a search engine ranks Web sites can influence which ones someone may visit. So to increase the odds that people will visit a specific Web site, some Web sites pay search engines to put them first (or at least near the top) of any list of related Web sites. The better search engines identify which Web sites paid them to give them greater exposure but other search engines may not be so honest.
Since search engines scan Web sites for keywords that people are most likely to search for, many Web sites hide multiple copies of the same keyword on their web pages. This tricks a search engine into thinking the Web site contains more information about a particular keyword than it really does.
Like reading newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching the news on television, always be wary of the source of your information. Search engines can find information for you but they canÆt verify the accuracy of any information that it finds.
No search engine will find you everything available on the Internet so be sure to use several search engines to find Web sites that other search engines might not have found. The more search engines you use, the more information youÆll find and the more information you can find, the more likely youÆll have most of the facts you need to make an intelligent decision.
Sometimes the hardest part about finding an answer is knowing how to look for it in the first place. With so many different search engines available at your fingertips, thereÆs no excuse for not finding the information you want on the Internet right away.