Google cache'ing tool
Now that we have resumed a normal Internet service following a fault with the University network over the past few days, I got wondering about how people might still be able to read content even though our servers, or anyone else's for that matter, was unavailable.
Google have been cache'ing (storing a history of) websites for years, and I remembered that this might be useful for when sites are unavailable..... simply go to www.google.com and type in the following:
cache:[url of site]
e.g. cache:www.jonathansblog.net
If your site has been cached, Google will return the page as it was the last time Google crawled it.
There is a whole heap of Google Web Search Features, including calculators, language translators, dictionary definitions etc.
Comments
visitor
1 December 2004 - 6:23pm
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Linda H
Hmm might have worked for the Ultraversity site before it all got password protected, Jonathan - no good now :-( Furl still works as it saves a personal copy. My current favourite google search feature is google scholar, great for finding papers for assignments.
Jonathan
1 December 2004 - 9:43pm
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Jonathan
Yes, I agree with your thoughts about the Ultraversity site..... interesting that you use the terms 'password protected' (which it is) where as from a developers perspective, would say something like 'user differentiated' !
Our goal was to build a site that would provide information that was relevant to you as an individual.... so, as a cohort 1 reseacher, you'd find it easier to see content relevant to you. Of course in practice... this doesn't stop you from viewing all content (quite rightly) but not sure that we should have applied quite so much emphasis on building content specific tools. Interesting one.... certainly something that has got me thinking once again..... sounds like I never think....arrrgghhhh.... hope you got what i meant though! ;-)
Yes....but why does Google Scholar look soooo....boring!? .... is it because papers themselves look uninteresting too? Surely Google could come up with something a little more creative than a functional feature..... perhaps we just want functions and tools these days though?
visitor
15 December 2004 - 3:32pm
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Pete Bradshaw
Thanks for this... it may well come in useful, although as Linda intimates all the useful sites are probably too dynamic/protected for Google. Still one more tool...
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