How to learn a new program – Search Engines and Mailing Lists
Do you have a new software program that you need to learn how to use? Have you purchased a new Vista computer and now want to know how to use some of the new features in Vista?
There are several ways to learn about new software programs or operating systems, but the key to learning any program is research, research and more research! Where do you find the answers you need to learn how to use the program or operating system?
- You could read the manual, but at times the manuals are not written for the ordinary person.
- Check the software manufacturer’s web site for tutorials or links to teachers of the program.
- Join a program-specific mail list. A mailing list is an automatically distributed email message on particular topics going to certain individuals who sign up for a mail list. There are several mailing lists or groups available but the most popular mailing list is Yahoo Groups. * (see below).
- Search the web with a search-specific question for your software. An example would be “Embird – masking designs”. A quick Google search will have 2,570 hits on this subject, sorted by relevance. Changing the wording to “Masking Designs in Embird” results in 2,560 hits. Usually the first page will have the most relevant links.
How do Search Engines Work?
Search Engines for the web do not really search the World Wide Web directly. Each one searches a database of the full text of web pages automatically harvested from the billions of web pages out there residing on servers. When you search the web using a search engine, you are always searching a somewhat stale copy of the real web page. When you click on links provided in a search engine’s search results, you retrieve from the server the current version of the page.
Search engine databases are selected and built by computer robot programs called spiders. These crawl the web, finding pages for potential inclusion by following the links in the pages they already have in their database. They cannot think or type a URL or use judgment to decide to go look something up and see what’s on the web about it because they are basically brainless and do not have the ability to do anything that is not automated. (computers are getting more sophisticated all the time, but they are still and possibly will always be brainless.)
If a web page is never linked to in any other page, search engine spiders cannot find it. The only way a brand new page – one that no other page has ever linked to – can get into a search engine is for its URL to be sent by some human to the search engine companies as a request that the new page be included. All search engine companies offer ways to do this.
After spiders find pages, they pass them on to another computer program for indexing. This program identifies the text, links, and other content in the page and stores it in the search engine database’s files so that the database can be searched by keyword and whatever more advanced approaches are offered, and the page will be found if your search matches its content.
Many web pages are excluded from most search engines by policy. The contents of most of the searchable databases mounted on the web, such as library catalogs and article databases are excluded because search engine spiders cannot access them. All this material is referred to as the Invisible Web or what you don’t see in search engine results.
(Information derived from U.C. Berkley Library)
Search Engines
Google currently is the winning web search engine and so people need to learn to use it really well.
Google alone not always sufficient, however. Less than half the searchable Web is fully searchable in Google. When comparing search engines, more than 80% of the pages in a major search engine’s database exist only in that database. Getting a second opinion or checking with another search engine is therefore often worth your time.
* Mailing Lists or Groups
Yahoo Groups states that “It’s where people with a shared interest meet, get to know each other, and stay informed. Your group gives you instant access to shared message archives, photos and photo albums, group event calendars, member polls and shared links.”
To find a software specific group at Yahoo Groups, browse the list of topics or enter a search topic in the “Find a Yahoo! Group” search box. Enter the word “Machine Embroidery” and there is a list of 664 machine embroidery-specific groups.
If you want to find a list on a specific topic, enter that term into the search box. As an example, if you want to find a group for your embroidery machine, enter the name of the machine. One of the newest embroidery machines on the market right now is the Viking Diamond. Entering those words into the search box will give you five groups with only two software-specific to the Viking Diamond embroidery machine. Adding two more words to your search “Viking Diamond Embroidery Machine” narrows the search down to only two groups.
The most information on any group will be when that group is brand new. There will be many people anxious to learn and there will be a great deal of activity on the list, sharing tips, hints and information on the topic. If possible, join a group at the very start-up of the group.
If you are joining an already-established group, search the archives of the group messages, files, links and photos for previous entries or links. The message archives of any group can be a goldmine of information.
Keep postings to the group on topic and be as definitive as possible with your questions. Do not expect a mailing list to teach you how to use your software. Most groups are discussion groups, not a free tutorial on your software. You will learn a lot about different aspects of your software or the subject for which you joined the group, but a mail list will not take the place of a software-specific tutorial.
Before asking basic questions, search the archives. A simple question may have been answered several times and you will find the answers in the archives.
Be pro-active in the group. By that, I mean don’t join to just take, these groups are give and take, so try to give an answer as well as ask an answer.
Now that you have all this information at your fingertips, you will have your own “encyclopedia ” available at any time on almost any subject.
