We were told our lives would never be the same because the internet would help us to find information on any thing.
From the temperature in Antarctica to the history of the Vikings, all with the few clicks of a mouse.
But how easy is it to find what you are looking for? Do you get frustrated clicking through endless, irrelevant web pages and head back to the library to find a reference book?
The internet is an unimaginably sprawling resource. Since April, it has tripled in size. With such a phenomenal growth rate, it is hardly surprising we need help in navigating our way around it. This is where search engines come in.
The problem is most of us do not really know how to get the most out of them and so miss out on the potential they hold to make our internet experience a richer one.
Search engines come in different shapes and sizes. There are directory-based ones, such as Yell.com, the interactive, online version of the Yellow Pages, which are ideally suited to quickly finding information and contact details on local businesses and services.
These tend to be fairly straightforward. Yell.com asks the user three questions: What? Who? and Where? The question-and-answer format makes finding a hairdresser in Hove or a plumber in Portslade quick and easy.
Index-based search engines, such as AltaVista and Google, regularly search the internet and update their indexes with new web sites. They have the potential to search the whole of the world wide web.
The problem with global searches is they deliver too much information. To get the best from a global search, you need to refine your search terms. You have to ask for exactly what you want.
Tip No. 1: Be specific.
Think about exactly what you're looking for before you start and give the search engine that information. If you're looking for information on extreme sports, don't err on the side of caution by just typing in "sports".
This only leaves you with the task of narrowing down the results, whereas typing in "extreme sports" means the search engine will do that work for you.
Tip No. 2: Use inverted commas to get words in sequence.
Instead of typing in a word related to what you're trying to find, typing in a phrase in inverted commas will ensure you are only directed to web sites with that precise phrase in them. If you're looking for a present for your Barbie-loving daughter, typing in "Barbie toys" rather than "toys" or "Barbie" will make your search far more successful.
Tip No. 3: Adding words together with a plus sign (+).
If you don't want to narrow your search as much as precise phrases, using the + sign will mean that your search results will only include sites with all of those words in them, although not necessarily appearing as a phrase.
If you want to find out about swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean, instead of writing "swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean" or even just "dolphins", "dolphins + Carib-bean + swimming" means you will be directed to sites that have all three words in them.
Tip No. 4: Omitting words from your results with a minus sign (-).
If you're looking for information on Harry Potter and don't want to be deluged with technical information about the film, using the minus sign in your search query (e.g. "harry potter - film") will prevent this.
Tip No. 5: Think regional.
Most search engines will offer you the option of only searching for UK web pages. Not every search needs to incorporate searches of web sites in India or the Far East.
If you are looking for information on the city of Birmingham but don't want to end up with links to sites with everything you never wanted to know about Birmingham, New Jersey, then make sure you click on the "UK web pages only" option.
These tips are only a starting point and most search engines have advanced search functions for serious resear-chers. However, for the majority of us, following these guidelines should make searching the web a more fruitful and less frustrating task.
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