Derby in Derbyshire

First time users;

Test Drive A Google Custom Search Engine. Today!

Thanks to Google for letting Webmasters tweak and customise their technology, by way of; in this case local Derbyshire interests. It may take a little time to get the best from this site and find which parts suit your own interests most. Expect custom search to save time and by already being set to a specific interest the removing of some un-wanted results aiding the search for lower ranking websites. The exclusion of unwanted results shows more benefit as you use more pages of results.

Use the Derby in Derbyshire custom search to practice then find other custom searches with ‘CSE on CSE’ on the ‘Other Searches’ page, Menu bar page top.

Quick demo:

1. Enter a fairly common single word like “football” or “Computer” into the Derbyshire Custom Search.

Note how the returned searches are more localised to the custom search, [you could print the results].

2. Now try the same single term in an unmodified search; use your choice of search engine [Google UK is on each of the ‘Perch pages’], [you could print these results too].

Compare & see how they can save you time!

3. You could try the same word in all the other custom searches on this site.

If the gadgets are not working: The gadgets use Java scripts to communicate with Google, Java needs to be enabled on your Browser for the Derby-in-Derbyshire web page to call and receive from Google. Your Browser runs the web page & the web page communicates with Google [& other gadgets], you see will this on most browsers as the addresses of derby-in-derbyshire & Google show on loading/sending.

When is this useful to know?

-Because often Google is just too good, a Google custom search narrows things down, where less means more, as the search is more directional for a specific interest.

-If you are new to search engines.

-When experienced users are tired, it happens you forget to qualify your search.

-If you are doing repeated searches in the same area of interest that the custom search is prepared for; a custom search saves you typing qualifying words into every single search. “Derbyshire” is already in the Derbyshire search along with the Shire’s major towns, “Computer” is in the computer search along with some more computer terms.

-As all the custom searches on this website go on to search the whole www, and if you wish to always have your interest ‘up front’ you could use these for all your searches. So a Railway fan could use ‘Steam Engines and Railways’ custom search for all searches or flit from one search to another the choice is yours.

-If you like the Refinements on a particular custom search and as this site’s custom searches go on to search the www; you can search for anything on any of them just to use the Refinements. Though of course the customisation may at times get in your way.

When is Custom Search not so useful?

-If you are familiar with search engine methods and your/the subject, energetic and ready to type, then the best surfing can be had. But most of us will find custom searches useful some of the time, which is why the Perch Pages are set with the normal Google UK search for the times you want Google ‘AS IS’.

-For high ranking sites of Worldwide significance use Google ‘AS IS’.

• Sometimes it seems the Custom Search hasn’t worked; but there was nothing to report and it went onto the whole web and gave you those results.

• On this site all Custom Searches go on to search the whole web via Google, not all custom searches are the same. I have chosen to keep the same format for all custom searches on this site.

More detail;

Google Custom Search Engine

Refinements

Google Site Flavoured Search

Google Search

Google Maps

Custom Search Engine =CSE

Use it just like Google, this is built on Google’s search technology and the recent Oct 2006 Google provisions for customisation. In this “Google Coop” arrangement either Google gets local or Locals tweak Google. Enter multiple word searches etc, just like in a normal Google search.

How the Derby-in-Derbyshire web site functions with Google.

The CSE looks first in a selected site list of 1,000+ websites in and around the shire, then in the rest of Google’s WWW information [so it still searches all the web]. This saves the user some time as the returned results should be more relevant.

The advantages of this;

1- Much greater chances of finding the smaller sites [low ranking pages].

2- First results are websites which have some Derby or Derbyshire, or nearby connection -if any found.

3- Better chance of finding websites by name.

4- The refinement of searches, also tailored to Derbyshire.

5- Even the adverts that may appear, tend to be more Derbyshire related.

The benefit to a website;

A local website has less competition, your website might even be the only authority on a subject in the Shire.

I have chosen not to exclude on the grounds of competition, which a commercial interest probably would. I do not sell from this site or charge for inclusion.

I do not collect data from users of the CSE.

The Refinements which appear above your results, act as pre-typed searches. Use these to extract a bit more, needs a little practice but will save some typing.

The refinement “Local Village” is on a few sites which have a good mix of local information. After your first results click on; Local Village, and if one of the returned sites is labelled as such, it will be offered. Local Village is only applied to certain website and acts just as a label.

The refinement “The Rams” does just a little more, it also searches for football terms; as any website may mention them.

Full list of Refinements;

Government

Label & terms like government

NHS

Label & NHS websites & terms like; hospital or medical

Living here

Label & terms like; house sale, Estate agent, solicitor, doctor, dentist, school, child minder

The Rams

Label & terms like; pride park, the rams, derby county

History

Label & terms like; history, castle, archaeology, ancient

Jobs

Label & terms like; Job, vacancy, recruitment, temps, school leaver, salary

Sports

Label and terms like; sport or games

Tourism

Label & terms like; tourist, tourism, holiday, day trip, short stay

Contact

looks for terms like; Email, Address, Tel, Fax

Media

Label & terms like; newspaper, radio, television, rss

Heritage

Label & terms like; heritage, grade II, grade I, Country Estate, Country House, Historic House, tradition, custom

Academic

Label & academic websites

Nature

Label & terms like; Nature reserve, wildlife, wildflower, woodland, countryside, wild animals, SSSI, birds, wildfowl

activity groups

Label & terms like; club, society, institute

Local Village

only those sites so labelled.

When using both custom, flavoured and Full Google, you might find it useful to have a notepad open on the task bar, I do, otherwise we tend to forget things also the “cut & paste” preserves the exact spellings.

Remember you can,

Add words to your first search to fine tune your search to manageable numbers.

Clear a refinement and try another.

Visit sites and copy search terms into notepad.

Switch between custom, flavoured and full Google search.

As CSE is a new system, changes by Google may happen and probably all persons customising are in a learning curve. Expect this system to get better with use and time.

Google users can “add to Google” this puts the CSE on their homepage as a gadget.

Google Site Flavoured Search

The search here is flavoured by this website, the Google engine looks at this website “www.derby-in-derbyshire.org.uk” and flavours its search results to match. So like the CSE Derbyshire should show higher in results. As to which serves best, we will see over time.

Seems to run midway between Custom and Google UK.

Google Search

This is the Google search (UK version) unmodified by this website. Its here to make it available as a choice or comparison. Performance will be the same as Google UK if called from your browser etc, . If you use a full www search most of the time but like the Derbyshire searches above, you could use Google UK on the Perch pages and switch to the special searches as required -you could make this the page your browser loads first.

Please note the distinction between Google UK Search and the modified CSE & Flavoured search. Google Search ‘as is’ is a trademarked product of Google inc. Although CSE & Flavoured are dependant on Google and both use the full power of Google, these are modified locally and do not therefore represent the settings of Google search. These alterations in performance can benefit users interested in the Midlands of the UK, and for users interested in other geographic areas may not give representative results. Hence an unmodified Google search on this site.

The CSE & Flavoured are full Google searches but with a bias to Derbyshire & surrounds, when you want the bias to Derbyshire & surrounds then you can use them, for all your searches should you wish.

Google Maps

These are Google maps supplied by Google as the page loads, these may save you some keystrokes finding places and magnification keystrokes.

You may find the following useful;

1-These maps are active, you can move in or out etc. try

2-Some have additional local information on the page. try

3-There is space for you to write notes if you print a copy. Still keep your road maps, but don’t scribble on them, print one for notes.

4-Some are in aerial view; try

5-Some maps of general use. try

Always take care on the Internet.

Use a Firewall even a free one.

Do not use your credit card or give personal information, until you know you can trust the site.

If you wish to know more about CSE by Google or the full terms and conditions, click on here.

In simple terms: no charge - its free, but use at your own risk.

Got a Website, Webmasters.

If you would like to put a search box for Derby in Derbyshire on your site, Google will let you have the code [Google terms apply, it's their technology].

You can even choose some of the colours.

Get the Code from Google.

Please remember to send me URLs of interest as the site list is added to “by hand”. I visit each site and enter suitable ones into the site list.

Enjoy.

Feedback

Email: webmaster@derby-in-derbyshire.org.uk

A Google Custom Search which will seek to answer your question from Derbyshire before the rest of the World.

New nifty gadget if you live or are interested in Derbyshire.

Still searches the entire web but Derbyshire just comes first.

And .......

many more Google Custom Searches are available.

Find out more on this website.