Tips for Super Smart Web Searches

Steve Bass visits the Google Bar and finds dancing Paul and the flying squirrels.

Steve Bass

"You know any Google tricks?" It was my plumber, his hands wrist deep in the wall, wrangling the pipes in the bathroom. A Web searching plumber--that's all I need. I pretended not to hear him over the sound of the water splashing on the floor. "Or maybe a good Web searching program," he hollered, like he was reading my mind.

"The Google Bar," I yelled back, watching him stop work and hoping his $60 per hour clock had also stopped.

Web Searching Like a Pro

I'm going to share the tips I shared with my plumber--free of cost. The Google Toolbar is something I always recommend--and find indispensable--because it has so many useful features. You can learn more about Google and other search tips in my Home Office column, " The Skinny on Web Searching."

You might want to just take my word for it and grab the Google Toolbar. It's a quick download, absolutely free, and works with all versions of Windows. (Okay, not Win 3.1. So sue me.) And fair warning, Netscape users: You're out in the cold. Google's representative said they may have a Netscape version sometime, but don't hold your breath.

Google Bar Speedup Tips

If you've installed the Google Toolbar onto Internet Explorer, click on the drop-down Google menu and choose Toolbar Options. Under General Options, mark the box that makes Google open a new window to display the results each time you search. Closing a new window is lots easier than spending most of your time hitting IE's Back button.

Next, check the "highlight button" box. That button on Google's menu bar lets you highlight the words you're looking for on the search results page. Clicking the highlight button toggles the highlighting on and off.

Finally, if you want to search newsgroups, click the box marked "Search Usenet button."

Dig this: The sheer exuberance of this site will make you want to jump on your desk and dance along. Please don't. (Warning: The Flash may take a few minutes to load if you're on dial-up. And if you choose to have the guy on the site do his number to music, turn down your speakers first.)

Like Searching? Here Are More Tips

Oh, you say you need more searching tricks? Cool, because we have plenty.

We have an eight-part masterpiece (okay, hyperbole aside, it's a meaty article) entitled " Find Everything Faster." In it, Contributing Editor Scott "search me, buddy" Spanbauer and writer Michael Gowan reveal the best tools for tracking down facts, news, people, music, and the ubiquitous more. Really, it's worth the read.

PCW's Harry "I can find it faster and better than you" McCracken tells us his tricks for Web browsing in " Smarter Ways to Search."

Back to Google for one more gem. Go to Google's home page and type this into Google's search field (make sure to include the quotes and spaces): "steve bass" site:pcworld.com. You'll see everything on PC World's site with my name. Interested in finding just my online newsletters? Type: "steve bass" +newsletter site:pcworld.com.

If you want to see my articles about e-mail--but not my newsletters on the subject, enter: "steve bass"-newsletter +e-mail site:pcworld.com. Don't kid me; you're impressed, right?

Searching for items on some of the more popular auction sites? We have shortcuts for scouring Amazon, EBay, and Yahoo auctions. They're in " Hone Your Auction Searches."

Dig this: Oh, so you say Dancing Paul in the blurb above wasn't intriguing enough? Fine. I have another, something that will make your day (and the deadlines) pass more quickly. (Warning: Definitely turn down you speakers.)

Here's a search tip for finding what you want on PCWorld.com. The site has a cool, albeit bass-ackwards, trick to find more articles about the topic in the story you're reading. Say you're reading my e-mail column. Now you want more details about e-mail programs. Click the "E-mail Clients" link at the top of the page to get a "related topics" box as well as a list of topics.

Hey, wait, I have one more "dig this." In the "The Skinny on Web Searching" article, I talked about trying to find a way to thwart squirrels at my birdfeeder. Many readers sent solutions, but by far the most elegant? (No, it's not my backyard, and no again, I really love squirrels...)

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