by Lianne Kruger
For Part one go to 22 August 2010 or type Google in the search box in the top right corner or go to category Using the Internet.
This article will include with more in-depth operators which allow you to view old websites, search for a range of years, search within only one website, list websites that link to another website, how to search only one website and view sites similar to another.
Cache
The word cache (pronounced cash) means a hiding or storage place. When the computer stores data it is said to be stored in cache.
Web pages are created and deleted daily. A “hit” on your Google search may no longer be available because it has been changed or deleted. Google has a possible solution for that. This will display the page that Google has in its cache. This may allow you to read, copy down, get an email or print what you need.
Webpages do not last forever. I have a screen capture of a website from 2004. This was a hit in 2007 but only available to view in Cache. Now in 2011 when I search for that website it no longer exists. Grab what you can when you can even if you are not sure it is related.
Cache Exercise
If a website says it is no longer available:
1. Click the back button to go back to your list of hits.
2. Click on the cache link at the end of the URL link, last row of the hit descriptions.
3. The website will appear below Google information. The information includes the date and time this site was viewed by Google.
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[#]…[#]
This command searches for any web sites which contain numbers within the range of numbers given. The [#] values are replaced with numbers to form a range.
Google will search for pages which contain numbers matching the first, the last or any number in the middle of the sequence. This is great for searching a location and the range of years your ancestor lives in that area such as the following that searches for Timothy Bancroft in Clay County Missouri during the years 1818 to 1835.
“Timothy Bancroft” “Clay County” 1818…1835
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SITE
The SITE command specifies a specific website to be searched. The word or words requested to search within the site may appear before or after the site command. All previous layouts of quotes are available.
Word(s) site:websiteURL
- Type what word or words you want to search for.
- Add a space.
- Type site: [no space]
- Type the URL.
Do not include http://
A search for Timothy Bancroft has listed the following website. I would like to search the whole website for all the Bancrofts.
To search for just Bancrofts in just this website type the following:
site:www.rays-place.com/town/ma/ Bancroft
There are 91 hits in the results.
If the Bancroft family you are searching for is not in Lynnfield, then take it out of the results by using the minus sign.
site:www.rays-place.com/town/ma/ Bancroft –lynnfield
NOTE
The search will work with pay sites such as Ancestry.com but you will not be able to view the pages unless you have subscribed.
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INFO
The Info command displays specific information about the web site typed after the colon.
Note:
There must include colon in order for it to work properly
This set of information includes:
- A short summary of what is on the Web page (this is usually pulled from the site’s meta description)
- Google’s cache of the Web site
- a link to Web pages that link to that page
- a link to a search within the web site
- Any web pages that contain the URL in a phrase
Type in the following
INFO:Ancestry.com
The following appears:
Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records online …
Discover your ancestors with the world’s largest family history website. Start a family tree, browse census records and more online at Ancestry.com.
http://www.ancestry.com/
Google can show you the following information for this URL:
- Show Google’s cache of ancestry.com
- Find web pages that are similar to ancestry.com
- Find web pages that link to ancestry.com
- Find web pages from the site ancestry.com
- Find web pages that contain the term “ancestry.com”
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LINK
The Link command will return a list of hits of other sites which are linking to the web site given.
1. Go to google.ca
2. Type in the LINK:theURL
Example
link:www.kindredtrails.com/MO_Clay.html
The hit was:
http://www.kindredtrails.com/MO_Buchanan.html
Note
See also the INFO command. Click on “Find web pages that link to (your URL).”
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Related
The Related command will list pages which Google considers to be related or similar to each other.
related:www.ancestry.com
A list of genealogical website appear.
The following website has Bancroft family in Massachusetts. Other web sites with similar information would be very helpful.
related:www.rays-place.com/town/ma
A New England History and Genealogy website was listed in the hits.
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Lianne Krüger researched her family line back to the first three land owners of Canada. She has a genealogical historical article published by BYU Studies magazine involving Massachusetts and Missouri. Lianne is presently researching Ireland and Missouri. Saturdays during her teenage years were spent at the Genealogical Library rolling through microfilm from Canada, England and Scotland. She received a computer degree in 1979, has been teaching computers since 1982 and has written computer instruction manuals. Ephraim and Lianne have been married 24 years, they have 5 children and twin grandchildren arriving this summer.
Thank you Lianne!
