Internet Searches Explained

bookmark   Friday May 25, 2001
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Why it takes twice as long as looking in the phone book.

One of the great things about the World Wide Web is it's so wide.

Also, one of the worst things about the World Wide Web is it's so freakin' wide.

This was one of a series of canada.com advertisements which ran, I believe, in both the Globe and Mail and National Post. The ads were cheeky, irreverent, always a joy to read, and often hilarious.

The pie chart legend identifies the large gray area as "CRAP" and the thin sliver white area as "NOT CRAP"

The search tip in the ad above (which I realize is impossible to read) was sanitized in alter versions. The original tip that caught my eye and made me notice the series was:

Tip 1: Think Narrow

Be specific. Don't look for "beaver," look for "Canadian beaver." Trust us on this one.

The second tip in the ad above is also pretty funny:

... Or use the word "AND" to group things together, like "gullible AND ad writer AND bus pass." Only sites with all three keywords show up. This is called a Boolean search, named after Jim Boolean, inventor of the word "and."