ISSUE 388: THE HIGH-TECH OFFICE--Alan
Zisman
Tackling the information superhighway requires a
good
handle on the road maps Apr 1 1997
Last week, we went to the Internet looking for
information -- they do call it the Information Superhighway, don't
they? Well, if it's a superhighway, we found it to be somewhat lacking
in proper direction signs. Luckily (to push this unfortunate metaphor
further), there are maps -- a growing number of Internet search sites,
or places to go to get directions to what you're looking for.
Unfortunately, we discovered that simply entering a
couple of words in the text box and clicking "Search" tended to come up
with too much irrelevant information. Trying to find references to
articles I'd written, for example, I typed in my name. One search
engine, Lycos, claimed to have found 21,160 possible responses, and
none of the first 10 were useful, after which I gave up looking.
Obviously, there has to be a better way to search.
Here are a few hints:
* Try to include several words, not just one. However,
on most sites, the default when I typed my first and last names was to
give me a list of all listings with either Alan or Zisman, not simply
the far fewer that included both words. Instead, try putting the words
in quotes ("Alan Zisman") or connect the words with a plus sign:
Alan+Zisman. Alternatively, try using the words AND or OR, as in Alan
AND Zisman to find listings including both words, versus Alan OR Zisman
for listings including one or the other. (You generally don't need to
use OR -- most search sites do this by default.)
* Watch out -- it's easy to get confused about when to
use AND and when to use OR. A search for Cars AND Trucks will only get
results that include BOTH words -- look for Cars OR Trucks to find
results that could include either one.
* Alternatively, try narrowing down your search with
NOT (in some search sites, a minus sign): Zisman NOT Alan or
Zisman-Alan will get anything with my last name that's not by me. (On
Alta Vista, you need to type AND NOT to make it work, even though the
instructions tell you to use just NOT.) On many sites, you can get even
more complex using parentheses. NOT Alan AND Zisman would get you pages
with those other Zismans; NOT (Alan AND Zisman) would filter out any
Zismans as well as anybody with my first name.
* Check the fine print. Several of the search sites
have a drop-down menu option, right next to the field where you type
your words, offering options like AND, OR, NOT and more, and attempt to
explain what these actually mean. Others offer to let you go to an
ADVANCED page, where you can create complex searches.
* Try other ways to limit what you're looking for.
HotBot, for example, has a Geoplace option in its Expert mode, letting
you narrow your search geographically. Making sure your results all
come from North America, for example, will eliminate the Finnish or
Japanese language pages that other searches often give you. (Of course,
you may be wanting those Finnish pages!) Some search sites will also
let you narrow down your search by time; for example, to just see
recent information.
* Taking too long to check your results when they're
listed 10 to a page? Most search sites let you customize the response.
Try 25 or even 40 to a page. Be sure to check this option before you
search -- afterwards, it's too late.
* If you're not sure what you're looking for, you can
navigate down a category tree at some sites. The popular Yahoo search
site, for example, lets you start with general categories like
"Business" or "The Arts," but by moving down a few levels, you can
focus in on what you want relatively quickly.
In fact, the popular Yahoo site isn't really an
Internet search site like the others; while most such search sites try
to automatically index the entire Web and boast 50 million or more
entries, Yahoo is a list of Web addresses submitted by (gasp)
humans, and sorted and rated by humans. It's far less comprehensive but
may be more useful. What looks like a standard search engine at the top
of Yahoo's page is actually a link to the automated Alta Vista site.
Instead, try browsing the categories lower down Yahoo's page.
* Sometimes, software can help. Quarterdeck's
WebCrawler (about $69), for example, can be set to search multiple
search sites for you, and will present its findings in a report you can
custom design and check after you're no longer connected to the
Internet. Symantec's Internet FastFind is a similar, though less
powerful product.
Too much information can often be as useless as not
enough, but with a little practice, you really can find things
on the Internet.*
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