Tao of Google (was: Apache environment strangeness)

Ben Scott dragonhawk at gmail.com
Fri Apr 27 14:55:42 EDT 2007


On 4/27/07, Paul Lussier <p.lussier at comcast.net> wrote:
> I think one of the most important techniques to using google
> effectively is understand that the links it returns are often just
> better indicators of where else to look rather than links which
> actually contain the answer you're looking for.

  Good observation and technique.

  Some more tips:

  Remember that you're searching the web.  You're not searching an
answer machine, you're searching *the entire web*[1].  So try to craft
a query that not only matches what you want, but does not match what
you don't want.  For example, if you just Google for "REMOTE_USER",
you'll find every document about how CGI works.

  Know how Google works.  It ranks pages by how other pages link to
them.  It gives more weight to the link's anchor text, and to things
like titles and message subject lines.  If search words occur near
each other, they match more strongly.

  Think about your problem.  Try to identify what makes it unique.
Also try to identify what is irrelevant.  Pages that don't match one
or more search words get ranked lower, so don't include a search word
just because it might apply.  Include only search words that are
likely to help your search.

  Based on the original problem description, I note that PHP doesn't
seem to have anything to do with the *problem*.  PHP is working fine.
It's the other languages that are not working.  And more than one of
them.  So it's not language specific.  The author didn't mention
anything about other variables being missing.  So it's not a problem
with all of CGI.  The common factors appear to be Apache and the
REMOTE_USER variable.

  Given the above, I just tried this search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=Apache%20REMOTE_USER

  The first match is the FAQ, with the snippet being the question
you're trying to find an answer to.

  I didn't include "CGI" as a search word because "REMOTE_USER"
implies we're using CGI.  Likewise "variable"; REMOTE_USER implies
that as well.  The document I was looking for might not mention
"variable" or "CGI", but it would have to include "REMOTE_USER".

  Of course, I've got the advantage of hindsight.  I've already seen
the answer, which likely helped my thought process, even if only
subconsciously.  Just like I always know what to do when watching
those TV poker shows where you can see everyone's hole cards.  ;-)

  Hope this helps (in the future),

-- Ben

[1] Well, all of the web Google can see, which is largely the same
thing as far as I'm concerned.  :)


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