The most effective way to use a search engine?

On many engines, affixing a plus sign to the beginning of a word returns only links to sites that contain that word, affixing a minus sign returns only links to sites that do not contain that word.

you can do Exact Search by putting a string in quotation marks.

like "the lord of the rings"

Cool, thanks for the advice guys keep it coming.

How about if I wanted to look for something that's exact. For instance I want a "flow-motion" picture (that's where every step is shown) how a "jump-stop" (a basketball move) is done. How do you think I'll be able to find that? I'll probably find it before I get a response, and yes I'll "google" first and this is just a rhetorical question whether it gets answered or not.

IMO, the key is using the most precise terms for what you want and then use the quotation marks to lock-in key phrases.

For example, I wouldn't use "flow-motion picture" as you mention simply because "picture" has to many other possible meanings. Since I'd want to eliminate the possibilities of getting any site covering still photos, drawings, etc.. I'd used "Flow-motion movie" (in the quotes!).

But each search engine has it's own FAQ with lots of tips on how to best tune your serach terms for their site. Use them!

No such thing - by it's very own nature the Net is so amorphous that it can't be tied down like a library catalogue.


My own tip - try the second or third page of your Google results, they may also be of interest.......

Cool, and "flow-motion picture" is the name of the type of such movements shown frame-by-frame. I can't completely explain it. Unfortunately, this might explain that concept well. For instance golf... if you want to master Tiger Wood's swing then what the flow-motion picture would do is record each "frame" of his full swing that way you get about 50 pics of one swing. I know it's a lil tough to understand that's what that concept is though.

Cool, thanks what's "IMO" btw?

IMO = in my opinion