Google

Google (http://www.google.com) has been my favorite search engine for as long as I can remember. It is now ranked as the biggest search engine on the Internet and boasts of an index that includes over 2 billion web pages.

Most of us simply enter a word or two in the search field and manually sift through the results. However, the easiest way is to type a phrase into the search box and select "I'm Feeling Lucky". This takes you automatically to Google's number one choice for your selection.

There's a whole lot more you can do here though. If you click on the Directory Tab toward the top of Google's Web Page, you will be able to narrow your search within a specific category. For example, if I am looking for a speaker for my Modern Art Conference a search of "Speaker" would return information on stereo speakers, computer speakers, public speakers, etc. Searching for speaker within the Arts category would bypass these unwanted results.

The Groups Tab located next to the Directory will allow you to search through specific Forums or Newsgroups on the Internet. Google has archived over 700 million messages from the Usenet, which is a collection of round-table discussion groups on the Internet.

If you ever need a special picture or image use Google's image search which canvases over 400 million pictures. Word to the wise though, if you'd like to eliminate any unwanted views of an explicit nature first reset your preferences. On Google's main page, click the word Preference (next to "Google Search"). Here you can set your preference for SafeSearch Filtering to Strict. While you're there, you can also select English only websites and limit the search results per page.

You'll also find Google has a News Tab that will take you directly to the latest headlines as well as current news for World, Business, Entertainment and Technology. And, the features keep going on and on and on…www.google.com/universities.html allows you to search specific university sites for admission information, course schedules or alumni news. The advance search button gives you the ability to tailor exactly how Google searches for your terms.

Nor is Google just all work. You can have some fun too.

Visit Google's test lab and help select the new features that may be introduced in the future.
Google labs (http://labs.google.com/) showcases new ideas and concepts that aren't quite ready for prime time. Your feedback can help improve them. Try out the potential features then send your comments directly to the developers.

Do you look forward to Google's holiday logos as much as I do? You can view the special versions of their logos used during special occasions right at their collections site - http://www.google.com/holidaylogos.html.

And if you're looking for a good chuckle, go to http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html to read the story Google ran on April 1, 2002 about the "real" secret behind their technology.

No matter how much you've used Google in the past, there's a lot more waiting for you.