Searching Pages on the Web   The best thing about the Internet is also the worst thing about the Internet: it is instant. Information can be published in seconds for the entire world to see; in seconds that same information can also be moved, or removed, causing a problem if you're relying on something being there. URLs (Web page addresses) change often as sites are redesigned, merged with other sites, or implement new technology. Here are tips for online detectives searching for pages they know are there somewhere. Use navigation tools. Website navigation tools are maturing to help users find their way across an entire site at a glance. Look for Sitemaps, Text-Only versions, Search pages, page bottom links, and other navigation aids that are common throughout an entire site. Mind the Address bar. Watching the URL pathways to pages you regularly visit helps you become familiar with the layout of a website. It offers clues you may need for finding pages later, for instance, if a site uses dynamic (changing) URLs that you can't bookmark for later use. Move up the hierarchy. If you're starting with a previously functional URL, you may have luck with backing up in the address one directory at a time. If your previously functioning page was called www.va.gov/one/two/three/pagename.html you may try backspacing over some of the rightmost characters to the previous slash (/) mark and hitting the Enter key: www.va.gov/one/two/three/ might get you close, www.va.gov/one/two/ might also work. Try before you buy. Holding your mouse cursor over a hyperlink lets you see the potential URL of the page in the lower left pane of your Web browser. Something that sounds great in the hyperlink can be something truly different than what you want. Loading Web pages takes time: don't even click the link if the URL hints that it's probably not where you want to go. Try a variety of search engines. One search service may contain a more recent indexing of the Web over another. Back to Tip of the Month

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