1. Google started in 1997 (after 2 years’ experimenting), but took off around 2000. It was not the first search engine. Created by Sergey Brin & Larry Page (#32 & #33 richest) at Stanford Univ., both now multi-billionnaires. Page Rank. (rates relevance of page by number and quality of pages that link to it) ( Pigeon Rank ?) For competitors & critical analyses see Search Engine Watch
See Also: Ask, Clusty, Yahoo, Grokker, Amazon, Wikipedia, Dogpile, MSN LiveSearch
2. Invisible vs. Visible web. Search Engines vs. Databases . Searching for info vs. for facts, for answers, for authority. Culture of info breeds a culture of answers. Culture of media breeds sense of “being in touch”. Connectivity. Culture of internet breeds sense of personal empowerment/authority. Culture of privacy. The hypocrisy of identity.
3. a. Ten-word limit
b. Word Order may make a difference ("rice bush iran" - shows up in results displayed rather than in "findings"; 3-word limit usually brings the most useful results)
c. not cAse seNsitIve; spelling counts, but----
d. ignore punctuation & short connective words (don’t waste words)
e. limits: phrases by exact words, quotes, date, file, etc.
(ex. “cash register,” five easy pieces, daddy long legs, summer and smoke,etc);
(Advanced Search options) ; searching by language
4. Use Google to search for whole quoted phrases (up to 10 words) (ex."It is a far far better thing I do....") ("provided efficient on-column digestion of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during RNA purification...." )
("NAHUA IN ANCIENT MESOAMERICA: Evidence from Maya inscriptions")
5. Using search operators:
a. site:edu (gov, org, mil)
b. filetype:ppt (jpg,doc,bmp,pdf,xls), tutorials (critical thinking tutorial 2002..2007 filetype:ppt)
c. intitle: (no space)
d. inurl: "
e. define: "
f. numrange (Oscars 1966..1971) cost, weight, percent, etc. (separate by two periods; covers, but not limited to, range) date range: +1968 - 1972
g. as calculator (% of, -*- (multiply), 3th root of, -^- (power of), log, ! (factorial ) , / (divide)
h. search for numbers, percents, “answers without questions” (ex: 23 dolls, 5 golden globes, population 3644).
6. Google Images (concrete & abstract)
7. Google Scholar (library holdings/search) Fulltext @ Stony Brook
8. Google Books (content: all, limited, full; Libraries via Worldcat)
9. Google Translation (language tools)
10. Google Maps (greatest app;mashups) - Google Maps Mania - Directions - Street View
11. Google Earth (Download) Google Earth Blog
12. Google Video (YouTube) (search by keyword
ex. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs&eurl
13. Google Blog Search / Google Groups (blogs may contain current, otherwise-unsearchable information)
14. Getting a Google Account https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount (personal home page/search history, GMail )
15. Google Documents (web-based word processor)
16. Page Creator (make your own web pages)
17. Custom Co-Op http://www.google.com/coop/ http://google.com/coop/cse/
ex. http://google.com/coop/cse?cx=000516496489466918034%3Asjwmwhw9_fu
18. Google API (codes) (application program interface)
19 Google Trends (statistics/analyses of current and past worldwide keyword searches;comparisons)
20. Google Sets http://labs.google.com/sets (experiment with tags & categories)
21. GoogleGuide http://www.googleguide.com/ and GoogleBlog http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
22. Google Analytics (tracks the use of web pages you publish)
23. Google Experimental and Google Labs
24. Google file finder shortcut (MP3, wav, jpg): Here Add "(name of title or atist)" at the end of the URL
25. John Battelle's SearchBlog; books: The Search; Google: the Missing Manual