Times are risky. Homeland Security has become a major American interest. And the details are confusing. News assessment reports are not sufficient. As a nation of nervous people, we seek less propaganda and more facts. We want to know where the wheels actually roll, what truths are being left out, and who can be trusted.
Most people start out with a simple Internet search method. They ask, in more or less direct terms, for exactly what they seek. Here is an example of a straightforward Internet search input: “department of homeland security video report.” From the top, that might seem the right approach. But look at the results. Passing this query to one particular search engine returns over sixteen million viewing options. Base news stations, video sites, comedy skits, and government web sites pop up mixed as one with no valuable sequencing.
The people that sell Internet advertising through information know the general search patterns. The authors that write SQL text know how to get their client's name at the top of search list. But we are not seeking the biggest sales force; we want homeland security documents, homeland security plans, and homeland security incidents.
So let us begin with a tighter search. Start by using the quote, the plus, and the minus signs. Try reshaping your Internet search so that looks more like one of the following:
- "Homeland security" +video +report +org +us
- "Homeland security" +video +report +org +us -".com"
- +Video +"homeland security report" +org +us -".com"
- +Video +"homeland security report" +org +us -".com" -cartoon
Note how the first search drops our returned results down to slightly over six million. Though still a huge number, this is a major improvement over the original figure of sixteen million. But look at the returns of the second search sample: less than one and one-half million returns. Both method one and method two are good, but notice how the third search query rearranges the primary sequence and grouping of the search words. The returned results drop down to a mere 1250. Yet this is still a large number.
Upon a quick preview, I notice that the word “cartoon” often shows its face. Thus the last of my sample Internet queries seeks to block all returns that contain the word “cartoon”. This knocks out another 250 results.
These quick search methods often return a choice viewing site, but remember that most search engines include an advanced search option. Extended search controls include date ranges, domain ranges, file formats, content filters, acceptable languages, and more. You now have sufficient training to be able to quickly and efficiently pinpoint most any Internet video or report.
Here are a few key links that will get you started:
Links to government releases:
Links to current activities and opposing views:
Have at it.
Delicious
Digg
Google
Yahoo
