The Best Tools to Find Information When Google Isn’t Enough
When it comes to finding information on the Internet , Google is so entrenched that we named the act after it. However, there are tons of other tools and tricks that can give you answers to your question when Google doesn’t have the answer .
Dedicated tools can find answers that Google doesn’t need
Google does a great job of searching websites, and it doesn’t slouch in the area of instant replies either. However, not all questions can be answered on the first page of results. Here are a few more resources that you should include in your repertoire, as well as what they are useful for.
Wolfram Alpha handles large numbers and statistics
Wolfram Alpha for Google answer cards is like movies for paper books. Google will tell you everyday things like how many ounces are in a cup . Wolfram Alpha can tell you about the average wage in an area or perform key financial calculations . You can even estimate your blood alcohol content . The site is great for deep research and calculations beyond web search results.
The Way Back Machine Shows You The Internet Of The Past
The internet is constantly changing and what you are looking for may have been removed or changed. Archive.org is a non-profit organization that tracks publicly available films, audio, and text. However, one of the most useful tools is the Wayback Machine. It scans websites and saves snapshots of the sites you visit. You can view any site in its archive as it was in the past. It’s not completely comprehensive (almost an impossible task), but you can look at the history of major sites over the years.
Topsy analyzes Twitter data stream in real time
Twitter encourages real-time sharing, which means that it is uniquely positioned to share information about current events. It is also incredibly dense and difficult to sift. Topsy makes life easier. It can filter by time range, collect videos, photos or links, and even analyze sentiment. It can even identify which accounts have the most influence on a topic. If you’re trying to make sense of the latest news, Topsy can give you something from a bird’s eye view.
Use forums to get answers from real people
Not every question has a simple and straightforward answer. If your problem is too specific and confusing, or if you need personal advice and experience, forums are a great place to get unfiltered feedback from people. With forums, you usually have two options: general sites, which have answers to pretty much everything, or specialized forums, which tend to attract like-minded people in the field you are looking for. Here are some of the best resources to get you started.
Reddit supports an almost limitless number of subcommunities
For the average person, Reddit is a place where people post funny pictures, share links to current events, and occasionally interview famous people. However, users can create subreddits targeting whatever they want. Sub-forums already exist on topics including personal finance , relationships and sex , science and more, and are not very easy to find on Google. Reddit can even help you find useful subreddits . So, if you want to gather your opinion, going to Reddit and using its search feature can lead to things you won’t find otherwise.
StackExchange answers your questions categorically
Like Reddit, StackExchange has sub-communities dedicated to specific topics, from bicycles to beer . However, unlike Reddit, it specifically focuses on asking and answering questions (as opposed to sharing news or funny pictures). Subsections are also not user-generated, so there aren’t as many of them as Reddit, but the site is really focused on picking professional and quality responses. If you can’t find the answer to a question you’re interested in, or just want answers from people who know what they are talking about, this is a great place to start. Of course, start by looking for your question if someone else has already asked it.
Enthusiast forums gather experts
If you’re not getting the answer you’re looking for (or just want to dive deeper), the enthusiast forums are a great resource. They not only bring together some of the most interested people on a given topic, but they also create huge archives of discussion where you can search for answers to questions that only one person asked a few years ago .
There are almost as many forums as there are people on the Internet, but here are some of the most useful and active on a variety of topics:
- XDA (Android and Windows Phone): XDA is a great resource for people looking to root their phones , troubleshoot issues, or find cool new apps. It’s not just Android phones. You can find information for Windows Phone and even some publications for iOS.
- SlickDeals (Deals and Personal Finance: The SlickDeals forums are useful for information on credit card interest rates , career discussions, and tips on how to find your own deals . These aren’t all coupon notifications, so if you haven’t dug in yet take a look.
- BodyBuilding.com (Fitness & Exercise): Accountability is essential to getting in shape or learning how to eat well. Bodybuilding.com is one of the largest health and fitness forums (and one of the largest on the Internet).
These are just a few, but there are many others for almost every topic imaginable. From anime to music, from architecture to aviation. Many forums can be dense, but don’t be intimidated by the walls of text. Use the built-in search options, or if your site doesn’t have good search tools, you can at least use the site: operator within Google itself.
Learn the fine art of finding quality sources
Google often spoils us by giving us exactly what we’re looking for (assuming we’re asking the right question) in the first few search results. However, just because something is the best result does not mean that it is correct . Whether you use Google or other resources, there are some helpful rules to help you get the information you need .
Always read the comments
When you read political news, most people will tell you not to read the comments. If you’re trying to get relationship advice or figuring out how to set up a retirement account, opposing points of view are vital. Even here at Lifehacker, we know that some of the best advice comes from readers, so we put a lot of emphasis on comments, pushing the best ones to the top.
Many of the resources listed above also have voting systems. This will help you understand whose advice the community members agree with, even if they don’t explicitly state it. Of course, you should always take this in the context of the community itself. Often times, different communities will vote for different points of view depending on what you ask. However, if a seemingly compelling post has received a lot of negative attention, it might be worth finding another source. This is especially useful on low traffic streams such as obscure computer problems.
Explore the source of information
Persuasiveness and correctness are not always the same. For example, inexact scientific “facts” can very easily spread because the people who repeat them don’t know any better. Before you agree that what you read is true, research it . When you’re on the forums, checking the profile of the person applying can be a good first step. Check their sources (if they list them at all). Find out who this person is giving you advice. If the accountant has suggestions for dealing with credit card debt, no big deal. But if you are getting information about whale biology from a firefighter, it may be worth looking for more authoritative sources .
Don’t be afraid to ask (politely)
When you were in school, you might ask the teacher to explain something if you didn’t understand it. Unfortunately, pre-written guides don’t offer the same flexibility. However, many people on the Internet will still be willing to help you if you ask politely. As we mentioned earlier, sites like StackExchange are specifically designed for this, but wherever people communicate with each other is a candidate. For example, the Lifehacker Hackerspace subblog has a weekly open thread where readers can ask each other questions on any topic. Longtime commentator Moon got a TV tip that was being sold. Often times, you meet someone who knows something that will take you hours to find.