Googe Tip of the Decade!
Here is the hottest, smartest coolest google search tip of the DECADE! Am I excited about it? You bet. Say you are at any site at all, anywhere on the Internet. Say you want to find out if they have something but they have a lousy search engine. Just use Google's. For example, this search phrase brought the Microsoft update site in at first slot: microsoft update site:microsoft.com.
This trick is the "site:" option. It will restrict Google's search to the site specified. No need for the "WWW" or the "Http:⁄⁄" Just use the domain. Another example was that I wanted the driver for windows xp for the HP Scanjet 3500 scanner. So I typed hp scanjet 3500c driver windows xp site:hp.com and the first two hits both led me to the right place.
Perhaps you remembered that I wrote in a newsletter about a bookmark program. You could type: bookmark program site:steveshank.com and you'll get it. But remember, Google takes awhile to index stuff, so though my October article on spam is indexed, my November article on chkdsk isn't there yet (as of November 17).
Site: can also be used to limit your results. So for example, spam site:org will limit your spam search to .org and spam site:edu limits it to educational facilities.
Other cool options:
- Link: ever wonder if a site is popular and reputable? Type link:domain and see what sites link to it. If lots of trusted sites link to it, then it is more likely to be reputable. If you are into coffee, then link:sweetmarias.com shows you a slew of sites to check out.
- Define: as Define: longitude - Shows you all sorts of definitions for longitude on the web.
- Putting in a business name and zip code or city, state will bring up their business phone listing.
- Putting in numbers will perform calculator functions on them, so it's an adding machine! So, 4*8+3 will give you 35. But, more amazing is 400 grams in ounces will convert for you. 45 celcius in farenheit will come back with Did you mean: 45 celsius in fahrenheit which it will convert after you say yes. By the way, it's 113 degrees.