2008 Woodie Awards
'Google it:' More than just a search engine
By: Trish Wallace
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Internet search engines, like Google, have more to offer than some regular users realize. Kristi Evans, Webster Help Desk coordinator, demonstrated how to best utilize the search engine and other features of Google during a March 29 presentation as part of the Tecknow Series.
To get the best search results, Evans suggested using specific terms. If quotation marks are placed around a phrase, documents will be searched for the entire phrase instead of each individual word. Evans said it is still best to use one's best judgment when searching.
"Sometimes being very specific isn't helpful," Evans said. "Those Web sites are created by people and they might not think like you."
Evans showed how an "advanced" search further constrains search results. Specific factors can then be applied to the search, like time periods. All links in a search result listed to the far right or in shaded boxes at the top of the page are sponsored links. The organizations, people and companies of these links pay to have them listed.
Instead of searching for key words or phrases, Google can also locate graphics via the image search. The "image" search has a filter function to keep inappropriate graphics off the screen. The default is set for moderate filter, but the filter can be turned off or made more strict. Before publishing a document using a Google image search result, Evans advised the audience to check the copyright.
The "local" feature or Google provides maps. The maps are drawn images including street names. Satellite pictures provide an actual bird's eye view of the searched location. A hybrid of both the satellite and the map is also available. The satellite images are not always current. Evans discovered this when she recently looked up a satellite photograph of her home.
"I live near (Highway) 141," Evans said. "The intersection was redone maybe two years ago, and it wasn't updated."
By clicking on the "more" option on Google's main page, one can find a list of all of Google's searches, Evans said.
To get the best search results, Evans suggested using specific terms. If quotation marks are placed around a phrase, documents will be searched for the entire phrase instead of each individual word. Evans said it is still best to use one's best judgment when searching.
"Sometimes being very specific isn't helpful," Evans said. "Those Web sites are created by people and they might not think like you."
Evans showed how an "advanced" search further constrains search results. Specific factors can then be applied to the search, like time periods. All links in a search result listed to the far right or in shaded boxes at the top of the page are sponsored links. The organizations, people and companies of these links pay to have them listed.
Instead of searching for key words or phrases, Google can also locate graphics via the image search. The "image" search has a filter function to keep inappropriate graphics off the screen. The default is set for moderate filter, but the filter can be turned off or made more strict. Before publishing a document using a Google image search result, Evans advised the audience to check the copyright.
The "local" feature or Google provides maps. The maps are drawn images including street names. Satellite pictures provide an actual bird's eye view of the searched location. A hybrid of both the satellite and the map is also available. The satellite images are not always current. Evans discovered this when she recently looked up a satellite photograph of her home.
"I live near (Highway) 141," Evans said. "The intersection was redone maybe two years ago, and it wasn't updated."
By clicking on the "more" option on Google's main page, one can find a list of all of Google's searches, Evans said.