Saturday, February 28, 2015
Google Guide Making Searching Even Easier Nancy Blachman
- Link to Google Guide
- Using the Google Guide Effectively (FAQs)
WHAT?
"Google Guide is an online interactive tutorial and reference for experienced users, novices, and everyone in between. I developed Google Guide because I wanted more information about Googles capabilties, features, and services than I found on Googles website." - Nancy Blachman
"Google is so easy to use, why take this online tutorial? If you’re like many people, you use only a small number of Google’s services and features. The more you know about how Google works, its features and capabilities, the better it can serve your needs (Source)."
JUICE?
I found this useful Google guide when I was snooping around in Jane Knights super blog. When you first look at this Google Guide, you might be thinking this is just a simple HTML page with a few plain non-attractive graphics. Though, simplicity is one of Googles secret weapons and this is what I like about this guide, too. Anyway, do we really need any Superman or Batman animations to engage our minds to explore it? Where am I going? Wake up! In short, this guide can help us improve our skills and speed to find the learning juice we are Googling for (if indexed by Google!). The guide can for example be explored according to three (3) levels:
- Novices - Explains how to write a query that will help you find just what you want.
- Experts - (or Experienced users) Appear to describe basic concepts, but if you read carefully, you’ll discover helpful insights into how Google works and how to use it more effectively.
- Teens - Provides a lot of different types of sample queries and exercises (Get straight to the point, I am a teen!).
In addition, you can easily jump to different sections (e.g. Query Input and Search Tools). Yes, it even gives you tips on how to develop a search-friendly Website (or improve your PageRank). Also, if you have time (or no time!), check out the Cheat Sheet (2-page quick reference) and Calculator Cheat Sheet (Solve mathematical problems with Googles built-in calculator function!) . Cool stuff to learn! Yeah, I really like the fact that the guide looks like a blog (Is it a blog?). It gives you a more relaxed and informal learning touch to it!
Although, it also has a Google Guide search box, it does not appear on the guides home page, meaning it will only appear on pages within the guide (upper-left corner!). I suppose I would prefer that the search box is also accessible from the homepage. Anyway, this is a small matter which takes a few seconds to change, if they really want to. What is important, is that this guide can assist us in improving our Googling ability, so that we can find the juice we are looking for :)
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