How search works - sort of

Google has put together a site showing how Google search works (http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/). The main page is a scrolling animated graphic that just gives you some elementary facts but there are links to more detailed information and videos on the main topics of crawling and indexing, the searching and ranking algorithms, fighting spam and Google's general policies. They are a useful set of pages for anyone who does not already know the basics of how Google works, but if you are looking for something that tells you how to get sensible results from Google you'll be disappointed. As Phil Bradley says:

".... boils down to 'we find some stuff, do magic to it, filter out the crap that our magic didn't get and then give it to you.' Yes folks, an entire site to say that. Wasted opportunity."