Todays Tech Tip is concerned with research and we will be dealing with a specific area in research. Now we are focusing on discovery alternative software's online.
I know almost every reader here will be familiar with Google search engine, YouTube, Vimeo. Now when you get on this search engine, theres so much ways you could gain what you want but what you input into that search engine really determines how fast you will get the required results you are looking for. Now I am going to state some personal methods I use to acquire results fast using google search engine, youtube or wherever you might require some information from.
Example One: When I have a software and I think there might be other softwares that might be powerful than what I am using and perform extra functions. Well I might not know of the name of any software in particular but I have a feeling there might be one powerful one out there. I go to the Google search engine then I type the name of the software plus alternative ( eg. windows media player alternatives). Now with this, numerous results will pop up and everything will be exactly what you want. Most of the websites out there might not contain the resource you need but might just be bait to get you to click on ads so they make money. To prevent all these bait like websites, I would like you to pay attention to one particular website called alternativeTo. This website will give you every alternative software you are looking for. The best thing is, they even give you alternatives to any alternative software you select to view, they also give you a link that leads you to the website where you can get the software, some of the results will have screenshots of the main software attached to it so you even get to see what you're going in for even before you get there.
So now you have the easiest way to get new softwares and even get their alternatives and the alternatives alternative...if you get what I mean?
Example 2: Now when it comes to search with videos, many people are very used to YouTube and Vimeo. I mostly use YouTube. When I get on YouTube, I don't speed up just to go ahead and search. YouTube has a nice way of monitoring your trend of searches and then provide you with similar video suggestions on that area of search on your timeline. So before you speed up and search for something on YouTube, take you time and look through the video suggestions they have provided on your timeline, it might make your work easier. Next is when you don't find what you are looking for, then you go to the search bar and be specific when you are looking for something. An example is you don't type Dexter and expect to see videos of Dexter's Laboratory on the first ten results that pop up. Instead be specific like Dexter's Lab or Dexter's Lab Cartoonnetwork that's when you hit the jackpot but hey that might not even be the best result if you are looking for full episodes. You might end up getting vine videos or memes or fan made mashups a fan has made so for best results on full episodes just type Dexter's Lab Cartoonnetwork full episodes and bam, you will have your best results. One final tip I want to add is, on video search websites like YouTube, pay more attention to the descriptions of the video you are playing. For example with the Dexter's Lab reference that I made, someone might even drop a link to a website where you can have access to all full episodes of the cartoon and then you struck gold.
In conclusion, be specific when researching online no matter what it is, these two simple methods I have you used has helped me gain more results than I bargained for. Most importantly pay attention to the little things, take your time and read descriptions. You might end up gaining more just because you took your time and did your research.
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