Google Daterange: Syntax -- Duh

As longtime readers know, sometimes I can be a bit thick. On these occasions, you have to speak slowly and use short words, otherwise I get wildly confused and type "Duh" like, a hundred times.

When I first heard from a reader that Google didn't "support" the daterange: syntax, I thought my thickheadedness was catching up with me again. To me, "support" means it doesn't work. For example, Google does not support a meta: syntax to search only meta-tags. That's what support means to me.

Well, duh, apparently. According to Google, "support" means that it may function but they don't stand behind the results. Google would rather you use the date options on its advanced search page. Google's advanced search is at http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en , and its date search options there allow you to restrict your search results to those pages indexed in the last three months, six months, or one year.

Struggling to understand, I asked why, if Google didn't "support" the daterange: syntax, they so clearly documented it in their API reference, where I found out about it. (What, do you think I'm James Bond or something? I read the API reference!) I was told that's because
Google's API is a beta.

So here it is as I understand it:

1) Google documented their daterange: search in their API reference.

2) In every experiment I ran, a query with a daterange: syntax run from an API program and via the Web-based interface got exactly the same result.

3) Google would rather you not use the daterange: syntax from the Web-based interface. Use the advanced search instead.

4) If you want to use GooNow ( http://www.researchbuzz.com/toolbox/goonow.txt ) be sure to remember that it's a Beta and Google can't stand behind the results.

So confused... brain frying... must... reach.... utility belt.....Duh. Duh. Duhduhduhduhduhduhduhduh....

Posted to Search Engines-Google