This is one method to use when trying to find information using the google search engine. It is elaborated in step by step instructions that is simple and easy to understand. [This is not for the experts]

Requirement:
We are trying to locate a tutorial for GIS on google.

We do a search on google and land on the following link:
http://www.pasda.net/tutorials/arcgis.asp

(This technique could be used on any search engine, but google has the reputation to home in on even seemingly inconsequential words, not leaving anything out of its index)

Before starting with the tutorial, it tells us to go to the prep page:
http://www.pasda.net/tutorials/arcgis/prep.asp

This page tells us that we need sample data which can be downloaded from here:
http://www.pasda.net/tutorials/arcgis/find_files.asp

Here, we are asked to click on the link below to download data:
ftp://pasda.cac.psu.edu/pub/pasda/education/arcview

Problem:
We hit a road block here. The directory does not contain any data. It is empty.

We are stuck. What do we do? We cannot proceed until we get hold of the data.

Solution:
Let us analyse the “findfiles.asp” page. It tells us that the directory contains many files. We will try and hit a search for one of those files.

We open another window, go to google.com, type activerr.zip and hit the search button.

What do we get?

In the first page itself, we get to see a file called “activerr.zip”. We click on a link that shows as “www.pasda.psu.edu/data/compendium”

Activerr.zip google search result

Great. It does contain the file “activerr.zip”. But, what about the other files? We have to find the other files, we need the entire bunch.

content of data/compendium directory

Let us try and find out if the files are here. Let us click on the “[To Parent Directory]” link [see pic above].

On analysis, looking at the ftp: link above [under title "Requirement:"], we see folders like “education/arcview”.

Do we see “education” in these links here? Yes, we do. We seem to be on the right track.

Click on “education” link. The sub-directory that shows contains “arcview”. Cool.


Let us click on “arcview”

Bingo! All the files are here.

Right click on the links, “save link as” or “save target as” and save them all.

This was just a sample of how using a search engine and some elementary logic, you can find things easily on the Web.

http://chanakyageo.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/07/a-googly-on-google.htm