How To Do A Web Search

1. Go to the "Current Search Keywords" webpage on this website (click HERE to go to it), and use some of those keywords or write down a few keywords of your own (words that pertain to the information that you are trying to find on the Internet).

2. Decide which "Search Engine" that you are going to use for your search.  In Microsoft's Internet Explorer 3.x, you can click on the "Search" button on the menu bar.  This will take you to Microsoft's search webpage, unless you've set this button for another search resource.  (I recomend using another resource, as Microsoft's search procedure runs you through their databases as well as through the search engine that you've chosen.  Not my idea of privacy.) Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) should also give you access to a number of search engines.  Find their search webpage and use it or one of the search engines listed, you can always try your search on another search engine later if you have more than one to choose from.  I usually use AltaVista's text-based version, myself.

3. There are many ways to enter your keywords, but I'm going to show you just a few of them.  The first is just entering your keywords with a space between them (enny meany minny moe).  Or, if your keyword is a phrase, you would want to enter it in quotation marks ("enny meany minny moe").  If you had a phrase and a few other words, you'd just separate them with a space ("enny meany minny moe" rhyme).  Two or more phrases ("enny meany minny moe" "nursery rhyme" children).  If you want hits that contain EVERY keyword, which is a great way to limit the number of hits that you get (but may not get you the information that you want), just use the "+" sign between keywords ("enny meany minny moe"+"nursery rhyme"+children).  MOST search engines will accept these entries.

4. You will learn to do more complicated searches as you do more of them, "practice makes perfect".  Probably, you will also find that one particular search engine will become your favorite.  This will usually get you the information that you want, but not all information on the Internet is found by every search engine.  If you don't find what you want with one search engine, try the search on another.

5. If you plan on doing very extensive web searches, you might want to invest in a "Multiple Search Engine Aplication" like WebCompass 2.0 by Quarterdeck (Quarterdeck was purchased by Symantec, and WebCompass has been discontinued. <sigh>  Just about the time that you get really comfortable with an application...)  This type of application will allow you to send keyword searches to multiple search engines at one time, and some will even publish webpages based on your search results (download one of the former "MON Index & Search Results" Archives from our Downloads page for examples of this feature).


Copyright © 1999 2000 Michael Jackson
All Rights Reserved


Press "Home Page" button to go to the Jackson Family's Home Page.