You know the information you want is on the Internet somewhere, but with BILLIONS of Web pages and Web sites out there, how do you find exactly what you want? Here’s some help:

If entering specific names such as catbreeders.com or camerarepairs.com in the browser address window doesn’t find what you want, a search engine (specialized Web sites where you enter words or phrases related to what you want) such as Google.com, Yahoo.com or ask.com almost always help. The search engine will scan its massive index of Web pages and display a list of Web sites that match or include your search words or phrases.

Each search engine has its own set of rules for indexing and cataloguing Web pages, so you won’t necessarily find the same results from each and may need to try more than one search engine to find exactly what you want. Meta search engines such as Metacrawler.com or DogPile.com simultaneously search several individual search engines.

You can refine your search in one of several ways:

* Use phrases in quotes so the search will include the whole phrase rather than individual words.

* Use the + or - signs to include or exclude specific words. Monty+definition lists pages in which both words appear; Monty-python excludes pages with references to the snake.

* Use Advanced Search in Google to further refine your search by specifying languages, file formats and other parameters.

* Use a wild card symbol (*) when not sure of word ending. Using environ* will find environs, environmental, environmentally

* Use Natural Language in your search. Example: My computer locks up when I try to save a Word document to a thumb drive.

Some search engines let you limit your search to specific categories, such as MP3 music, auctions, sports or shopping. Some provide parental controls, and AskKids.com provides safe searching for children 6-12. If you prefer not to have adult sites included in your search results, activate SafeSearch on the Live Search settings page or on Google's advanced search page. While not 100 percent accurate, this function will eliminate sites that contain explicit sexual content.

Each search engine has help available to show you ways to modify and focus your query for best results. If one set of keywords or phrases doesn’t work, try similar ones that mean the same thing. Be patient and persistent, and you’ll get results.

If all you want to do is explore (surf) the Internet for interesting, fun or just plain weird stuff, that’s pretty easy. Start with www.website-awards.net for listings of Web sites that have won awards because of their good design and useful content. Most ISP (Internet Service Providers) home pages will provide you with links for news, weather, shopping and much more. This kind of exploring is fascinating, entertaining, intriguing and addicting; however, be sure you have up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware installed before surfing.

Finally, for a comprehensive listing of search engines go to www.search-engine-index.co.uk.