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Did you know that the Internet and World Wide web are not the same? The Internet has existed since the 1960s. The concept of the world wide web wasn’t born until 1989. Tim Berners-Lee provided all of humanity with the world wide web. Read more about this history at Wikipedia:

World Wide Web

The world wide web has transformed human existence. While there have been times in human history where information and knowledge have been controlled and forbidden, the world wide web has challenged those barriers like a proverbial tidal wave. Information and knowledge are now available like never before. Not only is formal knowledge available and online news sources bypass the traditional gatekeepers for knowing what is happening in the world, wikis, blogging and social media have provided a conduit where individual people share information. Friendships are being made all over the world.

While using the world wide web has become commonplace, finding information remains somewhat a mystery to many people. Let’s explore some of the ways to use the world wide web.

A good place to start for many users is basic terminology:

Internet Terms for Beginners

The primary tool through which most users are familiar is called a web browser. The primary portal to find information is called a search engine. While most users are familiar with Google, Yahoo, and Bing, there are other general purpose search engines available. For example, the search engine Baidu is popular in China and Yandex is popular in Russia and Turkey.

Some general search engines offer privacy features, such as:

Start Page

Ixquick

Duck Duck Go

A list of search engines is available:

List of general search engines

Meta search engines or aggregators combine the search results of many search engines. A list of meta search engines is available:

List of meta search engines

Most popular web browsers allow users to quickly change search engines as needed.

While not general purpose search engines, there are online databases for searching specific topics. For example, there is a search tool dedicated to movies and TV shows called imdb.com. There is a question-and-answer search tool called ask.com.

A list of online searchable databases:

List of online databases

Most popular web browsers allow users to search online databases just like general search engines.

Looking for all kinds of reference sites to help with research? Type the following key words into a general search engine:

online reference sites

Knowing these search tools exist is only part of the solution. Typing search terms is easy to learn but often leaves users still looking for ideal results. Knowing how to tweak the search criteria is important too. Here are some hints.

• Use different search engines. Or use multiple search engines simultaneously by using meta search engines or aggregators.
• Unless part of a specific phrase or title, common words, such as articles (a, an, the), do not help the search process.
• Use as many terms as possible to narrow the search.
• The order of the search terms helps. Place the more important words or terms first.

• With unsuccessful or undesired results, use different search terms and synonyms.
• Capitalization usually makes little difference in the results.
• Quotation marks don’t help around single words but help with specific phrases or combination of words. A search for “iron river” will yield different results than just the words.
• Use the minus sign to eliminate terms from a search. To avoid results containing phrases, use the minus sign in front of the first quotation mark.

• Use the plus sign to force the search to include a word or phrase, which can include common words.
• Many web sites do not include a site-specific search tool. Use general search engines to search a specific web site. Use the site: operative followed by the web site URL (Uniform Resource Locator). For example, site:www.fast-air.net, followed by the desired search terms or phrases.
• Use the boolean logic OR operator to force searches to include either one or another term.
• An ellipses (three dots or three periods) can be used to limit numerical ranges, such as prices or dates.

These few tricks should be helpful to search the web more efficiently. Be bold. Explore!

Technical trivia: On June 30th, time keepers around the world will adjust clocks for a leap second. For more information about leap seconds:

What are Leap Seconds?

Next issue: Windows 10.

Have you heard the word “viral” being used? What does that mean? Remember biology class, watching viruses under a microscope, multiplying and spreading in a very fast manner? These days, something going “viral” means a video that is posted on the web and quickly spreads around the world being viewed by millions of people. Here is a classic viral video, having now been viewed almost 80 million times since the initial release in November 2013:

Video

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Backwoods Geek

Backwoods Geek wrote his first computer program in 1977. He started using desktop computers in 1982 to write training and job aids. These days his home includes routers, switches, computers, a home theater PC, a laptop, and bluetooth phones. His professional career includes instrumentation and controls, computers, industrial training, technical writing, and teaching computer classes. Pastimes include sitting on the front porch, observing wildlife, cutting firewood, reading, watching movies, and tinkering with computers. He is uncomfortable around morning people until afternoon, likes dry and off-the-wall humor, and usually tells jokes with a straight face. He is a believer in the old adage that, "No matter where you go, there you are."

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