In trying to understand and maximise my time spent on the web I'd like to ask you about your searching habits.
1) Which search engine do you use by default?
2) What's your back up engine if the first one lets you down?
3) What protocol do you use for search terms (annotation of search terms, order of terms, single keywords, sentences etc.)
4) Tips I have missed.
Thanks.

15 Comments
silvertje
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1. Google
2. Yahoo (provides more inlinks)
3. I always use "" and I often use link: to search for inlinks and references
4. I often use Wikipedia as a search engine
Gnorb
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1) Google
2) Yahoo, Ask, IceRocket, ZabaSearch if I'm searching for a person.
3) (I only know annotations for google) -- "site:" "define:" are my two biggest ones.
4) I'm with silvertje: I always search wikipedia.
Oli
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
rjc29
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1. Blingo (Powered by Google)
2. Google
3. site, quotes
Ozone42
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
Cas
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
During work:
1) Google
2) Give up (or try yell.com if it's a contact enquiry)
3) putting terms between ""
At home:
1) Google
2) Wikipedia (though taken with a grain of salt) or yahoo
3) ""
maryann
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1) Google
2) Doesn't let me down
3) I do "" and -, that's it really
4) Nothing sparklingly original but I like the way it often figures out what you're looking for and gives you maps, event listings etc.
LorriM
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1. Google
2. Google
3. I use keywords or phrases
JPhill
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
I basically only use Google. I don't think I've ever been unsuccessful while searching multiple queries for a topic. So, normally I don't have to use another search engine.
estarla
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1) Google
I never really make it past that. Am I missing a whole lot?
superrats
Written Sep. 14, 2007 / Report /
1a) For articles: Google
1b) For images: Live Search -- Images
2) Looksmart if I'm looking for an in depth article. Sometimes I should be using this first but out of habit use Google first and then say to myself wtf am I doing wading through Google?
3) I use all of those methods depending on what I feel like and I like to use the advanced search to trim down the list I get back.
affisch
Written Sep. 19, 2007 / Report /
I normally use del.icio.us but I also like Lijit.
wrttnwrd
Written Sep. 19, 2007 / Report /
Google, then del.icio.us.
Then I ask someone else in the office...
Josh
Written Sep. 20, 2007 / Report /
1) Google
2) If Google can't find it, it doesn't exist.
3) site:, define:, "", - (i.e., minus sign to weed out results I DON'T want)
Pavlusha
Written Sep. 30, 2007 / Report /
Ask,Yahoo,Google,MSN,Yandex,Webalta