Google has quietly introduced a search feature it calls "teleportation." They'd cottoned on to the fact that increasingly people don't bother learning and using a site's URL, but rather put the site's name into Google and use the result at or near the top to get to their destination. But often people who do that don't just want the front page of a site but need to find something on an inside page. So for some big-name sites Google has introduced a search box in the results that will let you search within that site. Here's a graphic of that feature for Xerox:

google_xerox.png

As I said, it's only for the biggies that this seems to work — Slaw, alas, not being one of those. The Google Official Blog says:

This feature will now occur when we detect a high probability that a user wants more refined search results within a specific site. Like the rest of our snippets, the sites that display the site search box are chosen algorithmically based on metrics that measure how useful the search box is to users.

Seems to me that blogs might be a special case. On the one hand, the new stuff appears on the front page and so the first step of flinging the blog name into Google might satisfy; on the other hand, a blog can be a large compendium of semi-organized information that, in the absence of a rational page structure, is perfectly suited to a "search within" box. I think Google should try teleportation for blogs to see if there's any take-up.

Simon Fodden is the founder of Slaw. He taught law at Osgoode Hall Law School for more than 30 years before he retired to focus on writing, publishing, and IT and law.
[click on the author's name for more information]

up

One Comment on “Google Teleportation”

  1. Don't feel too bad Simon. Disney didn't make the cut either.

SlawTips      

SlawTips Cash Flow Reports – Part 1
Thursday, May 17

Following on our earlier Top 10 Financial Errors posts, this is the first in a series of 10 posts dealing with Cash Flow Reports and in particular, cash flow management.… »»

Practice

SlawTips Just the Facts
Wednesday, May 16

Today’s research tip is about facts. When research is assigned to juniors (and librarians for that matter) it is important to share facts that are critical to the research. It … »»

Research

SlawTips Minimize That Darn Office Ribbon for More Room on Your Desktop
Wednesday, May 16

If you are using Office 2007 or 2010, The Ribbon is now a part of your life. Some of you will be happy about this – some of you won’t.… »»

Technology

noted on Slaw    

MLB Selected Case Summaries    

These summaries of selected recent cases are provided each week to Slaw by Maritime Law Book.
More information.

  • Aliens - Exclusion and expulsion - Power to detain and deport - Minister’s certificate - Review - Evidence

    In 2002, Harkat was detained pursuant to a ministerial security certificate issued under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) as a person inadmissible to Canada on grounds ...

  • Contracts - Formation of contract - Signing - Electronic signature

    The plaintiff expressed an interest in purchasing the defendant’s (vendor’s) condo. The parties agreed to carry on their discussions through e-mail. Following an exchange of e-mails, the plaintiff claimed that the defendant was contractually bound to ...

  • Barristers and Solicitors - Relationship with client - Confidential communications - General

    The petitioner was a Receiver appointed in March 2009 by a California court over the assets of GJB Enterprises Inc. (a “Ponzi scheme”) and its principals, the Berkes (the GJB parties). The court ordered ...

  • Practice - Costs - Funding before judgment - When interim or advance costs available

    The plaintiffs were “direct to home” satellite based subscription program providers. Rex and other defendants offered “grey market” services to Canadian residents to facilitate the unauthorized reception in Canada of the plaintiffs’ ...

TalkLaw/ParLoi    

This is a listing of a few upcoming events in Canada of interest to lawyers, law students, legal librarians, and others involved in the practice of law.

Clicking on any event in the list below will give you access to more information and to links allowing you to see the full entry and to add the event to your own calendar.

Click this link for a fuller version of the TalkLaw/ParLoi calendar of events and for instructions as to how to add events and calendars to your own calendar.