• About
    • About the FIA
    • Priorities
    • Our Team
    • Brainstorming Board
    • Partners and Affiliates
    • Contact Us
  • News + Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • @FIAumd
    • In the Media
  • Spark Grants
    • Spark Grants Overview
    • Spark Grants FAQ
    • 2012-2015 Seed Grants
    • 2012-2015 Seed Grant Winners
  • Special Topics
    • SearchReSearch
    • Curated Topics
FIA

SearchReSearch

SearchResearch Challenge (8/8/18): How to find difficult to find web pages? (Part 1)

Dan Russell • August 8, 2018
 SearchReSearch
Republished with permission from SearchReSearch
SearchResearch Challenge (8/8/18): How to find difficult to find web pages? (Part 1) Dan Russell


Every so often you know a web page exists, but it's tough to put your finger on it.

This last week I had several search Challenge pop up in my work. Here are a couple of questions I found myself asking, and was ultimately able to resolve. Can you?

This is Part 1 of a series of "Difficult Web Page" search Challenges. These first two aren't so hard--Part 2 will be more challenging. Each of these Difficult Web Page SearchResearch Challenges is intended to highlight one particular method for doing your web searches with precision and skill.

A black racer rising up out of the grass.
Thanks & P/C Continis on Flickr.



1. A while ago I remember reading an article about a famous US author that was having some difficulty editing his own Wikipedia page. As crazy as it sounds, they wanted to have independent verification of what he was saying. I found myself wanting to re-read that article so I could refer to it in my writing. I needed to find it to confirm details. This was my Challenge:
Who was the famous US author that was involved in a dispute with Wikipedia over the accuracy of the entry describing his novel?

2. See that image above? That's a black racer snake. I happened to see one the other day, and I remembered that the state of New Jersey had a few articles about snakes in their state, and I remember one about black racers in particular.
Can you help my fading memory and find an article about the black racer snake that’s published by the state of New Jersey as part of their educational outreach program?

To answer these requires a bit of Search Engine Jedi-level skills. Can you answer both of these Challenges?

When you do, be sure to tell us how you did it in the comments!

Good luck in your quest.

Search on!



Share

Comments

This post was republished. Comments can be viewed and shared via the original site.
25 comments

About the Author

Dan RussellDan Russell

I study the way people search and research. I guess that makes me an anthropologist of search. While I work at Google, my blog and G+ posts reflects my own thoughts and not those of my employer. I am FIA's Future-ist in Residence. More »

Recent News

  • Deepfakes and the Future of Facts
    Deepfakes and the Future of FactsSeptember 27, 2019
  • Book cover for Joy of Search by Daniel M. Russell
    The Joy of Search: A Google Insider’s Guide to Going Beyond the BasicsSeptember 26, 2019
  • The Future of Facts in a ‘Post-Truth’ World
    The Future of Facts in a ‘Post-Truth’ WorldMay 15, 2018
  • The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Storytelling
    The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive StorytellingJune 6, 2017

More »

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events scheduled. Please check back later.
Event Archive »
Video Archive »

Join Email List

SearchReSearch

  • Answer: What do these everyday symbols mean?
    Answer: What do these everyday symbols mean?March 15, 2023
  • SearchResearch Challenge (3/8/23): What do these everyday symbols mean?
    SearchResearch Challenge (3/8/23): What do these everyday symbols mean?March 8, 2023
  • PSA:  Read Clive Thompson’s article about how he does research
    PSA: Read Clive Thompson’s article about how he does researchMarch 3, 2023
  • Answer: World’s largest waterfall?
    Answer: World’s largest waterfall?March 2, 2023

More »

University of Maryland logo
Robert W. Deutsch Foundation logo
Google logo
Barrie School
Library of Congress logo
State of Maryland logo
National Archives logo
National Geographic Society logo
National Park Service logo
Newseum logo
Sesame Workshop logo
Smithsonian logo
WAMU
© 2023 The Future of Information Alliance, University of Maryland | Privacy Policy | Web Accessibility