Comment 8: Are You Even Google Dorking?
Yes, “Google Dorking” [I’m just going to use GD] is a legitimate term though there is some controversy about what it means. Some people say that it is a form of hacking, which can be technically accurate depending on the intent of what you’re doing. Others say that it’s more akin to using advanced search and filter options in Google. Whenever I work with Scholarly Writing students I always introduce them to some GD techniques that will help them in their research, and I thought that readers here may also benefit. I’m mostly going to show techniques that are focused on filtering and targeting a search.
First, GD techniques are used in the search bar and if you’re familiar with Boolean searching you’ll already understand the basic of formatting; however, if you need a refresher on Boolean then keep reading.
Boolean Search
| Command | Use | Example |
| AND (or &) | Limit the search by asking for multiple keywords | major cities AND ohio |
| OR (or |) | Expand the search asking for any keywords | major cities OR ohio // major cities | ohio |
| NOT (or -)* | Ignore keywords in your search | major cities NOT ohio // major cities -ohio |
| “” | search an exact phrase | “he said ope” |
| () | used like algebra to organize complicated searches | “he said ope” (major cities AND (ohio OR indiana)) |
*When looking at the example you may notice that there is no space between ‘-‘ and ‘ohio’. This is intentional and correct spacing is important when using techniques like this with Google.
Basic GD
| Command | Use | Example |
| site: | limit a search to websites or Top Level Domains (TLD) | cfaa site:cisa.gov // cfaa site:.gov // cfaa site:(.gov | .org) |
| type: (or filetype:) | search for a particular filetype | cfaa site:cisa.gov type:pdf |
| before://after: | setting a date range or limit for your search | filetype:pdf & (before:2000-01-01 after:2001-01-01) |
| intitle: | search in the title of your target for the keyword | intitle:cfaa |
These commands can be used to make your searches more useful. For example, limiting to certain TLDs [I usually recommend gov, org, and edu with students] will cut out websites with a higher likelihood for garbage or websites trying to sell things. As an added bonus it tends to block ads, suggested sites, and AI summaries.
Let’s consider a potential dilemma that can come up when searching. I’m vaguely remember a court case involving Google but the only details I remember are that Google was involved and it was before 2016. Using what I know about searching with Google and digging for cases I come up with the following:
“case” & prosecutor title:google & site:gov before:2015-12-31
| String Component | Rationale |
| “case” | I think it’s a court case but I’m not sure, this is priming the search. |
| & prosecutor | Cases usually have prosecutors and it’s a term that is tied heavily to court cases. I debated using judge, but judge shows up a lot outside of court. Using & makes sure it modifies “case”. |
| title:google | I know Google is involved so it’s bound to be in the title on a website, document, or press release page. |
| & site:gov | Court websites, prosecutors’ offices, and government offices all use the gov TLD. I’m guessing they may have what I’m looking for and that other TLDs may not. |
| before:2015-12-31 | I think this occurred before 2016. |
The first result after running the search is a webpage from the Anti-Trust Division of the DOJ. The page has the documents for the case US v. Google Inc. and ITA Software Inc. (8 Apr. 2011 – 5 Oct. 2011). This may not be the case I remembered, I’ll need to check it out. But a traditional Google search would have drowned me in every court case involving the company and, as an added bonus, I didn’t need to rack up any charges in a paid database or by asking an LLM!
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The ABA Rules of Professional Conduct, Model Rule 1.1 Comment 8 requires, “To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer shall keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” To that end, we have developed this regular series to develop the competence and skills necessary to responsibly choose and use the best technologies for your educational and professional lives. If you have any questions, concerns, or topics you would like to see discussed, please reach out to e.koltonski@csuohio.edu with “Comment 8” in the subject.
