Searching for manuals with Google

[Franc Zabkar]

I was searching for a user manual for a Polaroid TLX-0911C TV.

Google gave me four hits ...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&q=%22TLX-01911C%22+filetype%3Apdf&btnG=Search

.... one of which was the user manual for a model TLA-0911C:

http://www.polaroid.com/service/userguides/ce/lcd_tvs/tla01911c_ug_en.pdf

I looked for "TLX" in the PDF file but found nothing. I also searched
Google's HTML version and again turned up nothing.

I then modified my search terms as follows:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&q=%2B%22TLX-01911C%22+filetype%3Apdf&btnG=Search

The TLA manual then disappeared from the results.

Does Google believe that close enough is good enough, and must I use a
"+" to enforce my preferences?

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

 

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/21/2009 11:04 PM Franc Zabkar spake thus:

Does Google believe that close enough is good enough, and must I use a
"+" to enforce my preferences?

My question is whether "+" actually does anything at all.

I seem to remember that it used to make a discernable difference, once
upon a time, but lately haven't noticed any effect.

And since we're on the topic, how about some documentation (like by
Google itself) on the use of its search engine? I've searched Google's
help high and low and have yet to find a comprehensive reference to all
available switches, syntax, etc. You'd think that would be easy to find.
Does it even exist?


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:15:19 -0700, David Nebenzahl
<nobody@but.us.chickens> put finger to keyboard and composed:

On 6/21/2009 11:04 PM Franc Zabkar spake thus:

Does Google believe that close enough is good enough, and must I use a
"+" to enforce my preferences?

My question is whether "+" actually does anything at all.

I seem to remember that it used to make a discernable difference, once
upon a time, but lately haven't noticed any effect.

And since we're on the topic, how about some documentation (like by
Google itself) on the use of its search engine? I've searched Google's
help high and low and have yet to find a comprehensive reference to all
available switches, syntax, etc. You'd think that would be easy to find.
Does it even exist?

I discovered the "filetypedf" and "site:.au" switches by using the
Advanced Search and observing what terms were added to the search box.

Another annoyance which I'm having trouble understanding is why the
number of hits often *increases* when I add an additional word to the
search box.

Here is a simple example which gives 1 hit:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&q=vtech+1127b&btnG=Search

This ones gives 3 hits:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&q=vtech+1127b+manual&btnG=Search


After writing the above, I think I may have found an answer:

http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=136861


===================================================================
Search exactly as is (+)

Google employs synonyms automatically, so that it finds pages that
mention, for example, childcare for the query [ child care ] (with a
space), or California history for the query [ ca history ]. But
sometimes Google helps out a little too much and gives you a synonym
when you don't really want it. By attaching a + immediately before a
word (remember, don't add a space after the +), you are telling Google
to match that word precisely as you typed it. Putting double quotes
around a single word will do the same thing.
===================================================================

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Bob Larter]

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 6/21/2009 11:04 PM Franc Zabkar spake thus:

Does Google believe that close enough is good enough, and must I use a
"+" to enforce my preferences?

My question is whether "+" actually does anything at all.

I seem to remember that it used to make a discernable difference, once
upon a time, but lately haven't noticed any effect.

And since we're on the topic, how about some documentation (like by
Google itself) on the use of its search engine? I've searched Google's
help high and low and have yet to find a comprehensive reference to all
available switches, syntax, etc. You'd think that would be easy to find.
Does it even exist?

<http://www.google.com/support/websearch/?hl=en>

--
W
. | ,. w , "Some people are alive only because
\|/ \|/ it is illegal to kill them." Perna condita delenda est
---^----^---------------------------------------------------------------

 

[David Nebenzahl]

On 6/22/2009 8:56 AM abo mahab spake thus:

Justice to all Mankind, Even Those Who Make an Enemy of Islam
I hope you don’t mind receiving my letter. It is short but full of
information.

Keep your FUCKING RELIGIOUS SHIT out of here!


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

 

[abo mahab]

Justice to all Mankind, Even Those Who Make an Enemy of Islam
I hope you don’t mind receiving my letter. It is short but full of
information.


Justice to all Mankind, Even Those Who Make an Enemy of Islam


The saying of Allaah the Exalted:


"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah as just witnesses; and
let not the enmity and hatred of others allow you to avoid justice. Be
just: that is closer to piety; and fear Allaah. Indeed, Allaah is Well-
Acquainted with what you do."
[Soorah Al-Maa'idah 5:8]

Ibn Katheer explains:
“Do not let your hatred of a people cause you to be unjust to them,
rather you must be just to everyone, friends or enemies, this is why
Allaah said: ‘Be just: that is closer to piety’ Meaning being just is
closer to piety than being unjust.”
At Tabari, a renowned scholar of the 8th century comments:
“Do not let enmity between you and others cause you to be unjust in
your dealings and rulings with them such that you oppress them due to
the enmity that is between you… It has been stated that this verse was
revealed when the Jews plotted to murder the Prophet.”

Al Qurtubi, a scholar from the 12th century states:
“This verse also proves that the disbelief of non-Muslims must not
prevent us from being just to them…and it is not permissible for us to
retaliate in the same manner, even if they kill our women and children
and cause sorrow to befall us, it is not permissible for us to act
likewise with the intention of making them feel grief and sorrow.”

Allaah the Elevated says:
"Verily, Allaah enjoins justice, beneficence, giving (help) to kith
and kin, and forbids all forms of evil and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is
prohibited by Islamic law and oppression). He admonishes you, that you
may take heed.)."
[Soorah An-Nahl 16:90]

Ibn Katheer states:
“Allaah orders his servants with justice, which is fairness and
equity, and encourages them to be beneficent.”

Allaah the Mighty says:
"Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed
with them the Scripture and the Balance (justice) that mankind may
keep up justice."
[Soorah Al-Hadeed 57:25]

At Tabari comments:
“Meaning: So that people may interact amongst each other with
justice.”

Allaah the Merciful says:
"That no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of
another."
[Soorah An-Najm 53:38]

Ibn Katheer comments:
“Meaning: Anybody who has oppressed himself by disbelief or sins will
be responsible for those sins, nobody else will carry the burden.”

As Sa`di, a scholar of the 19th century explains:
“…and no one shall bear the sin of another.”

The noble scholar; `Abdul-Azeez Aal Ash-Shaykh, current Mufti of the
kingdom of Saudi Arabia comments:
“Allaah judged that no person shall bear the burden of another
person’s sin due to His absolute justness.”

The Messenger of Allaah, may peace be upon him, informed us that
Allaah said:
“O My Servants, indeed I have prohibited injustice for myself, and I
have prohibited it amongst you.”

The noble scholar; `Abdul-`Azeez Aal Ash-Shaykh comments:
“This is general to all mankind, whether they are Muslim or not, it is
not permissible for any one person to oppress another even if they
were enemies or harbored hatred for one another. Enmity and hatred do
not authorize anyone in the legislation of Islam to be unjust or
practice oppression.”

The former Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Ibn Baaz
states:
“It is not permissible for Muslims to transgress upon non-Muslims, not
in their person, their wealth or their reputations if they are formal
residents in a Muslim country, have a treaty with Muslims or are under
Muslim protection, rather they must be given their rights. Muslims
must not transgress upon non-Muslims by stealing from, betraying or
cheating them with regards to their wealth. Likewise they mustn’t
physically transgress upon them by hitting them and so on. The fact
that they are residents, under treaty or protection secures them from
that.”

The noble scholar; Saalih al Luhaydan, chairman of the higher
judiciary council of Saudi Arabia states:
“During battles, the Messenger of Allaah would advice the army:

“Do not kill women, children, the elderly and those devoted to worship
in their religious centers.”

This means that Islam does not permit killing anyone except those who
kill, wage war or oppress Muslims.”

An Nawawi, a distinguished scholar from the 12th century states:
“There is a consensus amongst the scholars that killing women and
children is prohibited in battle except if they themselves engage in
battle.”


———————–


For more information about Islam

http://english.islamway.com/

http://www.islamhouse.com/

http://www.discoverislam.com/

http://www.islambasics.com/index.php

http://english.islamway.com/

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php

http://www.sultan.org/

Contact Us At

Imanway.group@gmail.com

 

[JeffM]

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Franc Zabkar wrote:
Does Google believe that close enough is good enough,

There *was* a time that Google would accept a tilde (~)

to indicate "close is good enough".
As time has passed and dumber and dumber people use Google,
"Assume they are all brain-dead" has become the default.

and must I use a "+" to enforce my preferences?

Yup. (It shows up as %2B in the URL.)

My question is whether "+" actually does anything at all.

It does--but you're right; it has become deprecated.

If you use the Boolean OR operator,
that should also default to "Give me EXACTLY what I asked for".

I seem to remember that it used to make a discernable difference,
once upon a time, but lately haven't noticed any effect.

Try including it *multiple* times.

+%2Bsearchterm+%2Bsearchterm

And since we're on the topic, how about some documentation
(like by Google itself) on the use of its search engine?

First, my own notes on posting Google URLs:

Google does a lousy job of determining what is English
and what isn't, so
&hl=en
&rls=en
are mostly noise in a URL.

btnG=Search
is complete noise.

%3A
is a colon, so you can shorten
filetype%3Apdf
to
filetypedf
(which also makes things more readable).

Double quote marks get expanded to
%22
so making sure that if there is a phrase in the seach string,
pulling that LAST will save you one quote mark.

The www is also superflous.

Thus
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=en&q=%2B%22TLX-01911C%22+filetype%3Apdf&btnG=Search
can be shortened to
http://google.com/search?q=filetype:Apdf+%2B%22TLX-01911C

I've searched Google's help high and low
and have yet to find a comprehensive reference
to all available switches, syntax, etc.
You'd think that would be easy to find.
Does it even exist?

http://cai.au.edu/Training/Content/Google/Google.pdf
Some ham-fisted idiot at Google
recently broke their highlighting of non-HTML pages
(caches of txt, doc, PDF, XML, PHP)
or I'd show you the highlighted version of that PDF.

Here's a short version (from Google):
http://google.com/search?q=cache:mr75JNnLTPgJ:www.google.com/educators/p_websearch.html+*-*-*-particularly-effective+*-minus-sign+*-*-quotation-marks-*-*-*-*+ignores+Other-Advanced-*-*+add-a-plus-*-*-*-*+*-exact-phrase+*-*-*-*-critical+*-*-*-*-*-more-than-one-meaning+*-*-*-either-*-*-*-*
(I hope the lengthly URL yields useful highlighting.)