Google Is Worthless
 

When trying to search Google for specific information I have discovered that Google is about worthless. I hate the fact that I cannot focus my search to only include what it is I want. Google just keeps bring up the same old crap each and every time. God I hate google.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

AT,

Have you tried www.dogpile.com?

GB

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

What where you looking for? If you don't mind me asking

A lot of keywords often get over-run by spammers, black-hat SEO's and generally bad sites. You can also try reporting it to google via their web master forums and get some results.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Ive gotten pretty good at doing extended searches in google. Using quotes, OR, AND, NOT,

I also like Google Suggest (beta)
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1

or Google Advanced
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Basic Google search is worthless without the logic operators, but I only used the Advanced Search anyway, that's fairly good.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

I'll second GeorgiaBoy's recommendation of DogPile; I try that whenever Google fails me.

Choosing the right keywords for a search is a bit of an art. I hardly ever use the AND and OR logical operators, but I make heavy use of quotes, + (must include), and - (must exclude), as well as the define: and site: tags.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

I hear complaints all the time about the search here in the forums also. But I think its usually from people who dont know how to use a search.

One thing that I wish I would see more of is people doing their own search. Ive done it. Its not really that hard. There are open source programs to spider, index, database, and create a search service. It doesnt take much machine if you are not trying to do the whole internet. Specific subjects, specific sites, etc can be done pretty simply if people really need a better search engine.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Thanks guys. I wasn't able to find what I wanted which was information on how to defend my self in court against an ORS 811.315 citation.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

+defend +court +ors +citation
27,200 hits

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Okay, so I just got to know after looking up that code...how slow were you driving and what was the circumstances that someone actually gave you a citation for driving slow and not being in the right hand lane? lol

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

I was east bound on I-84 in the left lane traveling at the posted speed limit of 65 mph. I had just passed several slower moving vehicles and was approaching two semi trucks that were moving slow in the right lane. I opted to stay in the left lane to cruise by them. Unfortunately an Oregon State Patrol officer pulled me over and sighted me for "slow drive not moving to the right."

When I asked how fast I was going, he didn't know, he just chewed me out for not moving right. I knew how fast I was going because I had my cruise control on set to 65. I asked him what the speed limit was, he said 65. Then I asked him if I was driving 65 then how could I be considered slower traffic? He said it didn't matter, that the left lane is for passing only. The law does not state that, it only states that slower traffic must move right if they are obstructing the "natural flow of traffic" which I was clearly not doing. Given the fact that traffic was especially light, and I was passing traffic at the speed limit, I contend that I was the natural flow of traffic and thus did not need to move right given that I was passing cars on the left. Go figure.. OBTW, it isn't a cheap ticket either.

I am going to fight the ticket. I may not win, because OSP love to lie on the stand. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif (And the cops word is considered more believable than ours.)

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

I don't get how you did that. I only get a small handful and none of them are relevant to my situation. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Nobody expects a search engine to require the + delimiter on every term to get useful results, the way this forum's search does. Even knowing that, I often have trouble finding things here.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Ugh, good luck. I expected some sort of story how you were having car problems or something, but if you are going the speed limit and passing people who are to the right of you, I don't see what possessed him to pull you over, much less make it stick. However, as you said, if the cop shows up and argues the case he will probably get the benefit of the doubt, not you. Let us know how it turns out. Maybe you will get lucky and he won't show up to court.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

It is the consensuses of most of the people I have talked to that I was the targeted because I was an out of state driver. Given that he cited me over a 100 miles from home he opted to give me a ticket rather than a warning which is the SOP for such stops as these figuring that I would just pay it rather than fight it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Sorry I should have provided the link
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1
That is one of the lab/test links so it does provide different results.

I know that California has a law that says that you can be ticketed for going the speed limit if you are driving a very different speed than the traffic around you. Too fast because a situation has caused everyone else to drive slower, or too slow if everyone else is driving well over the speed limit. I can even be ticketed for driving in a surprise snowfall because I grew up in iowa and I know how to take a corner without a great big sliding swing which makes ME the dangerous driver.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Yep, that's probably it. He figured it was easy money/quota because you were out of state and would just pay it rather than go back to fight it. Again, good luck!

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Well I won.

I had originally asked to have todays trial date posponed but the court never issued me another date so I went ahead and drove the 150 miles to the Dalles. The clerk was surprised to see me and mentioned that my citation plea had been changed because I failed to appear for court today. I found that funny given the fact that the time I was too appear for court wasn't for another 30 minutes. (They lied to me. That flat out lied to me. They said that my case would be postponed but in fact it had not been. Instead they simply changed my plea expecting that I would not show.)

My case was called before the judge and the office was present. The judge did his thing and then the Trooper made his statement. The judge asked me if I had any thing to say and I asked him if I could ask the trooper some questions. He indicated I could so I asked the trooper how fast I was going. I said that he did not indicate my speed on the ticket so how fast was I going? The officer said he didn't recall. I then said, "Was I traveling at 65, 64, 63 miles per hour?" Trooper - "I don't recall."

I then asked him "Isn't it a true fact that I asked how it could be possible if I was traveling at 65mph with my cruise control on to be considered a slow driver? You stated that, and I quote you 'The left lane is for passing only.'"
Trooper - "I recall saying that yes."
ME - "Let me get this right. It is your interruption of ORS 811.315 that the left hand lane is for passing only?"
Trooper - "Correct, that is the law."
Me - "I see." I then turned my attention to the judge and said, "Your Honor I have here a copy of ORS 811.315 and with your permission I would like to read it to the court." The judge stuck out his hand and asked to see the document. I handed it too him. He read it for a moment and then told me to show it to the officer. I did. The officer just glanced at it and handed it back to me.

Me - "Now Trooper-" The Judge cut in. "Mr. Christopher, how fast were you going?" Me - "65mph with my cruise contro-"
The judge puts his finger to his temple and kinda started to rub his head. At this point I felt like I was about to loose my lunch. The then says "Trooper M****** please tell me that you didn't cite Mr. Christopher for driving 65 in a 65 mile per hour speed zone?"
Trooper - "No your honor, I cited him for slow drive failin-"
Judge - "I've heard enough." He had put up his hand palm out at the officer when he said that. Then he looked to me and said "Citation dismissed. Your free to go Mr. Christopher."
He then turned back to the trooper and said. "In the future Trooper M****** please leave the interpreting of the law to the court and stick with simply enforcing it.

The trooper acknowledged with a real pitiful "yes your honor."

I didn't know what to do... I had won. It cost me $60.00 in fuel to drive up there just to save $180.00 x 2 in fines. So I guess I can count this one in the win column for now.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

That court hearing story is priceless. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Congrats.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Good job. You should find some blogs on the subject and give them the story so that it can float around to inspire others.

One of my lines is...
"I know that the numbers on the white signs the minimum we are allowed to drive without getting honked at or fingered."

Gandalf Parker

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

That IS a great story - congratulations!

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

hell, submit this thread to digg.com or a similar site

Just make sure shrapnel can handle the server load. That'll get the word out

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

I went in thinking that I was going to loose and fully prepared to pay the fine, but when I won, I honestly didn't know what to do. I was just as surprised as the Trooper was. I guess the judge just couldn't accept that a Trooper would waste his time citing someone for doing the speed limit... slow drive not moving right my arse.... If 65, the posted speed limit, was to slow, then they should change the law to say so. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Actually, it sounded like the Cop offended the Judge in the judge's courtroom and wasted the judge's time (one of the best ways to piss off the judge aside from showing up late).

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

It's not like the judge could actually rule anything else, the text of the law being what it was. The trooper trying to give him backtalk and Atrocities having his stuff together eliminated any margin of ambiguity from it.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

"Google is your friend."

Ancient Chinese proverb

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Interesting, I thought this sort of thing happens only where I live. I had numerous experiences as Atrocities mostly because my last job involved lot of traveling. It's either picking on outsiders or just plain abuse of power. In our law a cop can simply issue a warning if there was no real danger for anybody, but in practice I have never, ever heard of such case. I could go on about my experiences and aggravation that slowly built up over time making me feel more like a victim of then a driver. Worst part is that I'm very careful driver. I mean, if you are on the road almost all the time, reckless driving means trouble for sure.

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

Two things. Google is not the ideal search engine, as results are influenced by the ability of some people to pay and boost their sites. Google is rich and you don’t pay to search, so where is the money coming from…

The other is about traffic tickets. In my old jurisdiction in Canada, the fine is automatically the maximum, but the judge has discretion to reduce it. A common strategy was to contest and hope the cop did not show up. If he does not, you instantly win, as there is no evidence to counter your testimony. Cops are only given so much time in court, the rest of the time is on the street. Very few tickets are actually contested, so this makes sense. Parking tickets never get defended by the cops, as it is just not a good use of resources.

If the cop shows up, you plead guilty, since the court will normally trust the cop more than you. Then you ask the consideration of the court to reduce the fine because you are a poor student, unemployed or whatever applies to you. Typically the fines are cut in half. If you fight and “waste the judges time”, you typically get hit with the full amount. However, if you really feel you must fight, quickly make your argument, like you have in the previous post, make your appeal for leniency and sit down. Don’t make the judge think you are wasting time or annoy them. Short and to the point, then let them move on to the other things in their day.

When you think about it, the judge really doesn’t see your moving violation as a big deal, one way or the other. Even if you were done wrong, it does not compare to a child abuse case or police brutality case, so don’t expect a lot of sympathy or time. They are busy, so respect that and you are more likely to get consideration from them.

In Atrocities case, it was the Trooper who wasted the judges time and got the tongue lashing. The judge didn’t even give time to read the law out loud, he read it himself to speed things up. Well done Mr. Christopher!

As for my current juristiction, you have to go to court for every ticket; there is no option of paying the maximum fine. However, they don't have speed guns, so speeding tickets are not a common problem...

Re: Google Is Worthless
 

You make a good point that hadn't occurred to me. The trooper wasted the the Judges time. That might have been the only reason I came out on top of this. My good fortune. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif