Slashdot Mirror
Google: The Missing Manual
Looking at the table of contents (for some reason PDF only), I figured out the book might be useful for someone relatively new to the Internet with intrinsic fear of doing something wrong (which pretty much describes my parents as well as their friends within the same age group). Chapters 8 and 9 on Web-mastering with Google might be useful, as it talks about buying AdWords for ad campaigns and serving AdSense for making money off the Web site. Still, I was interested to see what the book had to offer and started reading from Chapter 1, only to find this useful tip on page 24:
A lot of people probably knew this, but Google allows you to do a phrase search even if you don't have an idea of what the complete phrase looks like. Wildcard search allows one to use an asterisk for any word that's missing. Google will fill it in automatically. Pretty useful for finding the lyrics for that song you heard on the radio, but couldn't figure out the last word.
But this is not a Google tutorial: it turned out to be surprisingly useful even for me, someone who uses Google probably about a hundred times a day. Google features have that feeling of serendipity, where you can use the engine just fine without knowing anything advanced, but once you discover a few shortcuts, there's truly no replacement. For example, the book tells you what kind of numbers can be usefully entered into the Google search window: you can search for area codes, ISBN numbers, UPC numbers, flight numbers, Fedex/UPS/USPS tracking numbers as well as vehicle ID numbers (btw, the car is for sale).
Chapter 4 is very informative for Google's less frequently used services - Groups and Answers. While Google Groups and the Usenet search are probably bookmarked by any geek out there, not many people know that Google runs a paid service that can help you if you're just stuck with no results. Moreover, once the answer is posted and someone has paid for it, Google allows all the visitors to browse it for free, and some advice, for example, in small business section, can save a trip to the lawyer or paid consultant. The book takes the reader through the process of setting up an Answers account (which is actually the same account as the one for Groups) and asking informative questions requiring additional research.
Google: The Missing Manual is a pleasant book to read. Lots of screenshots (although all black-and-white), detailed information on the services and quite useful tips for newbies as well as professionals, clearly marked chapters, notes and tips spread throughout the book all make for a good reading experience. It's interesting URLs like this one that show that the authors really put time and effort into creating a book that's fun as well as informative.
Will the book be useful for an average Slashdot reader? Unlikely, since most of the information is already out there and most of the people here don't need a hand-holding walk-through into Google services. Will it be useful for Webmasters? Most of the tips I've read in the last two chapters were pretty much something I knew before. It's not something you need when you've had your own Web site for a few years, but the book is pretty good if you've just started up building Web pages. Also, since so many features have been only recently introduced, the book doesn't cover things like graphic ads in AdSense or Gmail accounts.
For someone quite unexperienced with the Internet or those seeking to gain expertise in Google services and broaden their research skills, though, it is a useful, fun-to-read title. It's not expensive either, so while I think for most of the geeks it's redundant, it would be a good gift for those in the family who keep calling and asking questions that begin with "Where do I find...?"
You can purchase Google: The Missing Manual from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews. To see your own review here, carefully read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Well, when a hairdryer needs a warning label about use in the shower.......
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
Whats the deal with all this missing manuals? Someone needs to get fired.
People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
I'm going to post this anonymously since the /. crowd loves Oriley. But come-on, when will you guys cease buying another Oriley book? They'll make anybook just to get your money case in point: Google: The Missing Man. It midaswell say Oriley, shh don't tell the geeks that its really a Book for Dummies series. I wish wikipeida would start a series to remove the onslaught of yet another Oriley book (YAOB). No to YAOB.
Step Two: Hit Enter
I'm not so surprised that O'Reilly has published a manual for Google. What surprises me is that they got 224 pages out of it.
224 pages! My god, the style guide and word processing manual here at work, toegther, don't even come to 224 pages.
What in the name of the Eversmiling Buddha could possibly fill those pages? "You may type 'AND' between search terms. To type the word 'AND', do not use the apostrophes. Find your keyboard. Locate the 'A' key..."?
www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
Cheers,
Erick
http://www.busyweather.com/
Slashdot, The Missing Manual
"It seemed to me," said Wonko the Sane, "that any civilization that had so far lost its head as to need to include a set of detailed instructions for using a search engine, was no longer a civilization in which I could live and stay sane."
When you have nothing left to burn you must set yourself on fire
There are tons of little aspects to google that you probably don't know about.
One of my favourites is the define option...
type into google define:whatever and it will come back will a list of defintions, can be very handy sometimes.
I'm just not too sure what they could put in another O'Reilly book about it. Google hacks (O'Reilly), as well as the Google website itself, has tons of information on the less known features.
Here's a brief summary of a few of my favorites that I use to remind myself of them.
dmiessler.com -- grep understanding knowledge
Ok, maybe it saves trees or even recycled trees for better use. I personally find using online documentation a massive bother. I shelled for an expensive software package in the past, a few times, only to find no books or even decent installation instructions were included. I like a good copy of reference completely separate from the workstation or laptop. Often I'd like to go find a comfortable place to sit and read, or even read up on something while in line, flying or anywhere else I can make productive used of a few minutes, such as the doctor or dentist. A CD with a manual on it isn't quite going to work. Futher, I waste battery time if I'm trying to learn while on a laptop. Perhaps the best reason of all, though, is because I can put those yellow Post-It notes in the pages I frequently need to return to. A manual for Google? Well, that's not a bad idea, but I think Google has a very simple and intuitive interface. The only thing I think anyone needs to know is how to construct searches properly. Maybe I'm not the audience and the manual is targetted toward someone who hasn't spend their life around computers or written their own search engine (it existed for 5 years where I once worked, the replacement is horrible and I'm sure they paid well for that improvement.) The worst thing about search engines is the 'special knowledge' you need to be savvy. How to avoid being tricked into a site which isn't anything like you are looking for, but has a pile of key words in a header somewhere to get a high Google score. I suppose a book could teach you some of that, but the rest comes with experience.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
What is the plan?
ObInSovietRussia: Goverment Googles YOU!
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Normally I am completely uninterested in the Missing Manual series of books. But I use Google so much (and it already does such a good job) that getting this book is very tempting. I didn't know about the Google Answers section, and I would love to know how to get that last 10% of usefulness out of their services.
I submitted this story last night, and it didn't get posted.
Call me stupid, but it doesn't look like this book has anything that Google Hacks doesn't have...
Also, the book reviewed is available on Amazon for four dollars less. Don't pay the /. tax.
Er...Google will fit in if you don't put anything.
In your example "Netcraft confirms: * is dying", google yields the same results as in "netcraft confirms: is dying". Pretty obvious actually, since the results achieved with "*" do not restrict the "*" to be a single word.
When more computer novices entered the market for computers and software in the 90's and I suppose up until now, manuals were being used less and less percentage wise. I'm sure it's expensive for software developers to publish them and so if no one reads them, then why bother? The "for Dummies" series and other publishers took over because they could provide manuals for people's specific needs. If you had no clue what you were doing, there was a manual for that. If you were skilled, but wanted a good technical reference, you had your books. The old way of the "one level fits all" manual style became too obtuse for the customers.
The last manual I've read in a long long time was the Gentoo handbook. That was an example of the old style one level fits all, but they just happened to do a very good job and it worked. They combined good explainations along with technical information. For something like windows, you're dealing with system admins and complete idiots. There is no way Microsoft could make a manual to satisfy the needs of 90% of their customers, so they don't bother. Many other companies obviously do the same.
If you don't believe me that novices have difficulty with one level fits all technical manuals, print out some man pages and see how many people can understand them.
I really like the google guide.
http://www.googleguide.com/
I used it a few times to teach some classes on how to search the internet.
Here a Sig There a Sig Everywhere a Sig Sig...
glasses should have a little "how to use" manual. if they cost money, its better.
We are all geeks here, so yeah it's ridiculous to us. But I see this as being an awesome book, and required reading for people getting into computers with the will to learn
See, if you go out looking for something obscure, you'll find it perfectly in 15 minutes or fewer. But I have friends who work as researchers for Harvard Univeristy and are considered the bomb and a bag of Fritos basically because of this ability. It's not second nature to most people to start using quoted phrases, alternative spellings, excluded matches, and cached pages with their handy highlights. Most folks have never clicked "I'm feeling lucky," or even know what it does. And good luck explaining to someone when you should use the directory, what pagerank is (and isn't) good for, how to find GIS results, or foreign language results. Yes the product is simple, but it is huge
Also, most people don't understand formal logic. Best Google-foo artist I know: a philosophy major. Try explaining even a concept so seemingly basic as implication to a random non math non geek. It's like the Mr. Wizard with the apple and pear slices. "So, if X implies Y, and I have Y, what can I infer?" They'll say "X" every time. Toss in a little logic, a little set theory, and I'm guessing that book could be even bigger than it is. And that's not counting Froogle or the toolbar or Gmail or anything.
I'd buy it. I probably will. And I'll make my LSAT students read it.
adam b.
Of course not, this is slashdot, where even the insightful people don't RTFA.
If you read the review, it looks like this book has a lot of useful information for those who have used google without really knowing the advanced capabilities (as I have). I may consider getting this book, since there are a lot of features of google that I don't know about, and one day I may need.
P.S. About O'Reilly books, I don't know anyone who buys books without needing them. I like their reference books, because they have everything easy to hand. Also I like their Perl book, it's well written.
At any rate, this isn't about advocating O'Reilly, so I'll leave it at that.
If you find your penis is missing, look in the medicine chest.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
I hate the lack or printed manuals. Only really expensive software seems to include any printed manuals (Protools TDM had quite a few thankfully).
I have a version of "The Microsoft Office" in a large grey box, that has alot of massive manuals still sitting around here somewhere. I don't know why they won't print them anymore.
Linux is just as bad about this as anything. Sure there's typing 'man' or using the howto's, but it's not like using an AS/400 or other server that actually has a whole bookshelf of manuals.
Tibbon
tibbon.com
451 furlongs/fortnight in km/hr and you get back:
451 (furlongs / fortnight) = 0.270020143 km / hr
or type: 387 btu/hr in watts
and get: 387 (btu / hr) = 113.418504 Watts
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -- HST
"What is needed is Penis..The missing manual (for developers)."
Some people shouldn't write comedy on an empty stomach.
I have nearly the whole O'Reilly X series, and a lot of their older programming books. The quality of their books has really gone downhill. It used to be that their books assumed a certain level of competence. Now, all of the books assume you are a newbie. Can you imagine if the Xt book assumed you didn't know what a for loop is? IMNHO, any programming language book that is much thicker than K&R should really think about why it is bigger.
Next Up: Solitaire, The missing manual.
Surely they meant "anything that follows Ctrl-Alt-F1".
"F1" does nothing here.
And Ctrl-Alt-F1 isn't even that scary unless you're on a distro like knoppix, that has that screen already logged in to someone with password-less sudo ability.
(or did I not understand what they were trying to say)
Wildcard search allows one to use an asterisk for any word that's missing. Google will fill it in automatically. Pretty useful for finding the lyrics for that song you heard on the radio, but couldn't figure out the last word.
If you were missing the last word, you could just type in the part you remember ( the first X words ) and it would do the exact same thing as the wildcard!
Wildcard is usefull when you have a phrase you want to search for that can include generalities. For example, "The crooks at SCO are a bunch of * *" could match:
This books sounds exactly like the Google Hacks book. Is it the same thing with a new cover?
Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
Folks, you're missing the point here.
It's not about a manual for "type word here then press return." That's the part everybody knows about.
It's the different things that Google can do from the very same line that the general populous doesn't know about. Sure, Google is great for searches. But it can also convert currency, forward & reverse phone number lookups, unit conversion, mapping, spell checking, and (now that I've read some of the prior comments) defining words.
There's probably even more functionality that I don't even know about yet deep within that Mostly Harmless Google frontpage.
Google definitely falls in to the category of products that are simple & easy to use, yet below the surface are much deeper for people intelligent enough to take advantage. Most everyone on this site is (benefit of the doubt) of above-average intelligence, and it is great to see mass-audience products incorporate neat tricks for people like us. So, yes, publishing books about Google's deeper features is completely justified, and appreciated for those of us with responsibilities that keep us from having 5 hours a day to tinker with un-published features like we perhaps used to. :0]
Is to be able to search by DL ID#... now wouldn't that be a rush? Seriously, this simple, intuitive information aggregator has become so ingrained in our society that it even has a dictionary reference. ...
Freddie
Not mentioned in this write up (but perhaps in the book?) is this:
-qqqqqqqq site:slashdot.org
Placing something impossible (like 8 Qs) in the "without the words" field on the Advanced Search page combined with entering a site in the "Domain" field will get you a listing of ALL of the pages on that website!
Well, unless the robots.txt file blocks certain pages/directories... but most sites don't do this. I don't know how many times I've used this trick to find more pr0... err, I mean, information on a website.
For example: Remember that Slashdot story about tired.com? It bugged me that there was only one page on the site... so I pulled out my google trick and found these. Nothing amazing, but fun.
Visit the Game Programming Wiki!
Bug: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q= 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000+light+years+to+ picometers&btnG=Search
"inf picometers" :)
"'Yrch!' said Legolas, falling into his own tongue."
All the links in the example section have "...&sourceid=mozilla..." in them. Browser boosterism perhaps? I'm at work using IE.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
here
On a related note, Soople.com offers a sort of "GUI" for Google's more advanced features. Yes most of us on Slashdot can remember/figure out how to search for specific file types or look up a phone number via the command-prompt framework, but Soople puts them out front.
It can work pretty well for those proverbial parents/grandparents who don't quite "get" it.
So close and yet so far from the world's perfect ID number
Actually, a user manual for telephones would be useful. A full list of all the # and * functions is hard to find.
1) Get a patent on the process of writing user manuals for anything that doesn't already have a user manual. :)
2) Sue everybody.
3) Profit!!!
If anyone doesn't know, you can put your tracking number for UPS, FedEx or USPS into google and it'll give you a direct link to their tracking service. Very handy.
"Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Slashdot, The Missing Manual
Can I write the appendix covering hot grits, Natalie Portman, and pants?
(If you haven't been here several years, you are not expected to get the joke.)
I love paper manuals for computer programs, or nearly anything in preference to help files or electronic copies of manuals, and really resent it when a supplier sends us a program we pay $5k for to not include a paper copy of the PDF manual they dropped onto the cd.
It is a lot harder to put post-it flags to mark the bits you refer to often, pencil in margin notes to clarify bits you had to work through, or cross reference to other sources of help.
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World" 1 John 4:14
So if a user is "left out in the cold" because they choose not to utilize freely available information designed to help them... Am I supposed to feel sorry for them? Seems like the difference between an intellgent person and a moron is that morons consistently refuse to use every resource available to them due to some strange form of laziness. This wouldn't be so bad if morons didn't have this tendency to blame everyone and everything but themselves.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
... both "The Bald Prima Donna" by Ionescu and "Waiting for Godot" by Beckett.
The Raven
At least make it a proper link.....
Fellowship 9/11
An unnamed computer book publisher apprached me about writing a "Missing Manual" type of book for Microsoft Frontpage (probably a version back, by now). I'm not a big fan of Frontpage anyway, but after looking at the help files I told them "This program doesn't need a manual. It's easy to use and has well-written, comprehensive contextual help files that will hold a user's hand through any conceivable situation. These can even be easily printed out, if the user so desires. We'd just be stealing their money." Needless to say, they went with another writer and produced the book anyway.
Serving your airship needs since 1995.
While Google Groups and the Usenet search are probably bookmarked by any geek out there
Real geeks don't use bookmarks, they use Google Web Search to return to sites.
The shareholder is always right.
if that fails, look for a bum selling it. You'll have to buy it off him. and a google search for the reference to make it on topic ;)
Moderators
Yes, I moderate, when I can.
When every 15-year boy thinks they know it all :-)
Google is the missing manual!
Can anybody tell me why GMail stopped working with Firefox 9.2 last week? It says that it doesn't support javascript for some reason and doesn't show my mail. It does work fine in IE 6, though.
Although I'm suprised 1 light years to picometers works!
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
like 'The complete Google for dummies'. Or 'Google for complete idiots'. Then *they* (being either dummies or complete idiots or both) will come (and buy it).
buy a copy of suse linux - when i got it delivered (v8.2), it came with 2 good quality manuals - one was a user reference and the other an admin manual - good for me to read when i'm travelling and still want to hang on to my machines...
i live on an alternate planet
I think there's definitely a need for a Google manual. Apart from the importance of explaining how to search effectively, there are so many extra Google features that normal users simply won't know about, such as Google Local, the Google Toolbar and Personalized Search. That's not even starting to mention some extremely useful third-party add-ons that use the Google Web APIs, such as GoogleBrowser, GoogleAlert and CapeMail. Since they're not home grown, Google ain't going to be publicizing these on its own site any time soon.
I didn't know that this had been changed... I've been using the same -qqqqqqqq sneakiness for quite some time.
Thanks for increasing my google efficiency!
Visit the Game Programming Wiki!
Step Two: **Click** enter. It is important to use the proper technical language, so as not to confuse the users. We don't want them sticking their fists through their monitors, do we?
Is there more to say?
parent poster's links include reference, every click/order gives him money. do YOU approve?
This book was totally unnessary and almost completely useless. It seems like 95% of the books reviewed on /. are favorable. Why even bother? If nearly every book is a good book, why not just put a rotating amazon link on the side of the page with the rest of your ads and let people click on "/. recommended" instead of wading through 6-10 paragraphs of "Chapter 1 was great, Chapter 2 was ok but I still liked it, Chapter 3 was amazing....over all I recommend this book" UGH /. has the fucking WORST reviews ever for books.
I think i'll just stick to reading the 1 liner amazon.com reviews - they actually have more content than these pages of fluff posted on here.
Ave Molech Setting
There used to be a site called Fravia (now reborn into something more legal). It had lots of reverse engineering-info, but the most interesting part, and the only thing that has survived to this day, is a series of articles on "How to find what you're looking for", well-digested information and theory on efficient search methods.
I find that most web users have an intrinsic fear of searching, or fail to use the search engine properly. They don't know which keywords to use, or how to wield the quotes and plus/minus operands to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Then they stare at me with a blown mind when I offer a concise query string that pulls the needle from the haystack "How did you do that ?"
The guy who used to run Fravia now runs http://www.searchlores.org/
-Billco, Fnarg.com
along with a dozen other pretty obvious things. I am waiting for the manual for breathing:
Step 1: Inhale Oxygen or a combination of Oxygen/Nitrogen/Hydrogen etc, through the mouth and/or nose.
Step 2: Exhale Carbon Dioxide and excess Oxygen/Nitrogen/Hydrogen through the mouth and/or nose.
Step 3: repeat steps 1 and 2 as necessary.
Step 4: ???
Step 5: Profit!?
If firefighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime, what do Freedom fighters fight?
Try this one
one third of half a teaspoon in teaspoons
I always thought of Creationism as the Raving Right's version of the Loony Left's Anthropogenic Global Warming-brightmal
My longstanding beef (yes, I have complained to them) is that this doesn't work for currency units. Try "240 euros in dollars" -- it does not recognize this as a unit conversion.
On the other hand, 10^100 light years to picometers works- the reason why the above fails is that google doesn't allow 'words' which are 100 characters long.
Google for Dummies
-- Boycott Shell
This appears to be the longest one it will actually DO, anything beyond is infinite.
& sa fe=off&q=10000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000+light+yea r+to+picometers&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8
:::The Spear in the heart of the Other is the Spear in the heart of You; You are He - Surak of Vulcan:::
I recently purchased Macromedia Flash MX and discovered that my $400 box contained 1 disc and.... NOTHING ELSE.
I don't care if a manual is available in electronic form, for that price I deserve a god damn book!
Just open it at a random page and you'll be ok...
Z
Cleaning the cache fixed it. Thank you!
the required legal disclaimer for offerring currency conversion would clutter the clean design of the results page.
-j
...someone writes "Women: The missing manual."
There's a technology no one has figured out yet.
Use the word "in" not "to."0 00000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 light years in picometers
The largest it will do is:
10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
See this http://gnubox.dyndns.org:8080/~sunil/google.php
I regret only the absence of a one page quick ref (all field selectors, logical opperators)... presented like grammare available from the front page of any search engine. It is so quicker to type in a nice query as opposed to complete cryptic advanced search forms.
Would be nice so have a standard SE-SQL. I mean a SearEngineSimpleQueryLanguage all the same accross search engines. Would be no need to RTFM.
Is anybody else here annoyed by the features that only work in the U.S. The VID thing doesn't seem to work with British VIN's, Froogle is a non starter, UK postcodes do not link to a map etc.....
Don't get me wrong, I love googles simple yet powerful interface and its search results are the best.
Philip
Signatures are broken
"-qqqqqqqq site:slashdot.org
Placing something impossible (like 8 Qs) in the "without the words" field will get you a listing of ALL of the pages on that website!"
do this instead:
site:slashdot.org inurl:org
(10^280) light years = 9.4605284 × 10307 picometers
(10^281) light years = inf picometers
That's not the reason. 1e281 light years to picometers does not work. The reason it does not work is that quantities seem to be held in doubles, which cannot express larger numbers than 2^1024-2^(1024-53), about 1.79e308.
- site:slashdot - 462,000
- site:slashdot -q - 549,000
- site:slashdot -qq - 551,000
- site:slashdot -qqq - 522,000
- site:slashdot -qqqq - 523,000
- site:slashdot -QQQWEIRRRQUWWEOEIQJWEOJQAAQ - 465,000
And so on... I don't get it. When I performed the search with a single Q, I expected to find very few pages (since many pages must contain the letter Q) but I guess it's only searching for complete words?And when I searched with an entirely impossible string (-QQQWEIRRRQUWWEOEIQJWEOJQAAQ) I got a result much closer to the site:slashdot result, which makes no sense...
Visit the Game Programming Wiki!
The results count is a joke, since the maximum actual number of results (accessible) is limited to 1000 -- and you have to include &filter=0 in the URL string to see all of these.
Anyway, another interesting variation is,
site:slashdot.org inurl:slashdot.org
This query seems to return a much higher number of summaries in the result set, where the exclusion-based search returns more bare URLs.
I was very impress square root of i worked!
- Jax
Time that they use "Math::BigFloat" :)
Cheers,
Tels