Monday, January 11, 2010

Improved Oracle searches on Google

Often when searching for information on Oracle via Google, the first links that show up are sites that lack any depth or rigor and I often wish I had a way to filter them out automatically. Well, finally someone has done this at Miracle consulting in Finland!
They put together a web page for more productive searches on Oracle questions:
This page filters out sites that lack rigorous content about Oracle and promotes sites that have solid, insightful content on Oracle.

13 comments:

  1. websites promoted on this search
    antognini.ch/blog
    asktom.oracle.com
    blog.mclaughlinsoftware.com
    blog.miraclebenelux.nl
    blog.tanelpoder.com
    carymillsap.blogspot.com
    db-optimizer.blogspot.com
    download.oracle.com/docs
    hoopercharles.wordpress.com
    jamesmorle.wordpress.com
    jonathanlewis.wordpress.com
    joze-senegacnik.blogspot.com
    kerryosborne.oracle-guy.com
    kevinclosson.wordpress.com
    method-r.com
    optimizermagic.blogspot.com
    www.oracle-developer.net
    oracledoug.com/serendipity
    www.oracle-internals.com
    oracle-randolf.blogspot.com
    oraclue.com
    rafudb.blogspot.com
    richardfoote.wordpress.com
    structureddata.org
    timurakhmadeev.wordpress.com
    tkyte.blogspot.com
    thehelsinkideclaration.blogspot.com
    wedonotuse.blogspot.com
    www.adellera.it/blog
    www.centrexcc.com
    www.evdbt.com
    www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l
    www.ixora.com.au
    www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk
    www.juliandyke.com
    www.miracleas.dk
    www.orainternals.com
    www.petefinnigan.com
    www.pythian.com/news/author/alex

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  2. excluded sites

    dba-oracle.blogspot.com
    www.dba-oracle.com
    www.fast-track.cc
    www.praetoriate.com
    www.rampant-books.com
    www.remote-dba.net

    www.experts-exchange.com/*
    www.rampant-books.com/*

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Geeze Don, why don't you tell us how you really feel?

    Kyle may be referring in part to the seemingly endless pages of "content" from your websites that appear when doing a search for say, an error message. Or maybe just some examples of syntax.

    Many hits for Burleson sites appear where the content has obviously been cut and pasted from the documentation, simply to get hits on your site. Occasionally I have seen and article on on or your sites that was helpful for whatever topic I was interested in at the moment. Quite often though I just get noise.

    People aren't filtering your sites because they don't like you, they are just trying to improve the Signal/Noise ratio.

    I don't as a rule air negative public opinions about other folks sites and/or opinions as a rule, but your comment is way out of line and demands rebuttal.

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  5. Kyle,

    I appreciate the link with the filtering very much. I've had to educate developers and dba's about avoiding inaccurate or incomplete content they found on the web, and having a tool to help them find good content easily has been useful. Once they've found sites with solid information, they realize what they've been missing, and are better able to find the real information even on standard google.

    Education is always an ongoing requirement but this tool gives them a jump start. I've seen people damage databases in the past by following out of date instructions on web sites that are blocked by this search tool. People learn that way too but it's good to have a less painful teaching method available :)

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  6. Hi Kyle,

    I've been using a very similar filter for my own searches for a couple of years now - and I am really happy with the increase in productivity (and decrease in frustration) when searching.

    The issue of our times is coping with the huge amount of information available; being able to rate site by quality is a huge advantage today, a necessity tomorrow.

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  7. Kyle never said he was filtering out Burleson content - he said he was filtering out content that lacked depth and rigor...

    If there's an overlap....well, that surely isn't Kyle's fault

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Don, thanks for visiting the site.
    I take it the first comment was from someone who hacked your site or was posing as you since it get deleted and contained derogatory language.
    I know you have invested massively in putting up lots of web pages and working the Google rankings. Unfortunately it's not the kind of information I'm looking for when I search on Google. On Google searches I'm looking for solid information that goes beyond the documentation. Your pages overwhelm my searches and cost me time and energy. I'm sure you can understand. I don't mean to demean your work but rather than ask you to change what you are doing, I am sharing a link from Miracle Finland that provides myself and others with a means to take a deep dive into Oracle without alot of noise. Again apologies if this seems to damage the work you've done, but at the same time you have to understand.
    You've also used content verbatum from my powerpoint presetations on your web pages without credit. Maybe an oversite.
    You are an awesomely fun speaker - look forward to seeing you out at the conferences

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  10. The internet is information anarchy. Anyone, anywhere, anytime can post anything. If Miracle Finland wants their search portal to be restricted to sites they trust, that is certainly there perogative. If you don't like their inclusion/exclusion list, then don't use the site...and don't resort to Ad hominem abusive attacks.

    You, and anyone else, is free to create your own restricted search portal. But, Don, you already know this as you host one on your site...

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  11. Well "Don", I have to congratulate you, as you have learned how to use whois.

    I say "Don" in quotes because I have met him, and attended a couple of his presentations, and thought him fairly competent.

    It seems that whoever you are, you have hijacked Don's Google account, and are taking advantage of the situation to make inflammatory remarks in an attempt to ruin his reputation.

    There's not much point in further comment on this.

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  12. If you want to go beyond the documentation, then why does the search seem to be 90% documentation hits from that site? I can easily search the docs myself...

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  13. Hi Mike,

    The search promotes the sites I have found to have the most comprehensive, in-depth and insightful information on Oracle from people like Jonathan Lewis, Cary Millsap, Cristian Antognini, Steve Adams,etc. These people are an amazing gift to the Oracle community. By promoting these people's sites, I find the information I'm looking for faster. That is my personal experience.

    Best
    Kyle

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