Researcher/Archivist

Do you have nearly 15 YEARS of Internet experience, as I do?
(I have built web sites - both professionally, and for fun - for a number of years. I know what the requirements are. What the standards are. I have lived on the Internet for nearly five years now, running both a Chess {teaching} business, and a Computer-Consulting business, almost EXCLUSIVELY on the 'net! I have had subscriptions to "net-zines," or on-line Internet Magazines. I also know where they archive this type of information.)

I have already made dozens of lists for people to use on the Internet. 
(One of these was recognized in an online net-zine by a writer who also  often writes for the New York Times.)  See my  "Non-Chess Pages." 
 (This is a list of some of the better sites on the internet. Most notable are ones aimed at an "Internet/Technologies" Manager of a small-to-medium business. Hundreds of people have written me thanking me for this list.) 

Do you know what search engines to use? 
(What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the various major search engines? {They do NOT advertise this kind of information!}  Did you know there are literally hundreds of different search engines you could possibly access?)

Do you know where to start?  
(I do. Technical fields are better searched on several major search engines, medical fields on another, legal fields even have their own domains! You can spend a very long time just trying to find what you are looking for!) 

Do you have the specific knowledge of the Internet? Where to look, and how to limit the search?  
(Certain types of searches can be open-ended. Do you know the criteria for limiting these searches? And the correct method, or even the recommended method for using each of the nearly THIRTY major search engines? Do you know ALL their helpful hints?)

Have you frequented the INTERNET archives of dozens  (if not hundreds!) of Universities, as I have?  
Each one can be very different, and can require a great deal of time to familiarize yourself with.

Do you have the skills to properly conduct such a search? 
(Certain types of web-sites and search engines have their own language and terminology. Do you really have the time to learn a new skill?)

Do you have a knowledge of the five-to-six DIFFERENT types of Internet Protocols?  
(For example: FTP sites, or "file-transfer-protocol" servers have their own rules and different methods for viewing and extracting information.)

Do you have accounts on each one of the major search engines? 
(I have several accounts on each of many of the major search engines. Many of these are free, but can take an hour or more each to set up. This obviously represents a fairly major investment in time.)

Do you want to buy (or download)  the special software that you might need?  
(I have purchased hundreds of dollars worth of software for this. Additionally, I have spent many, many, many hours down-loading special software. ---> I have a philosophy ... NEVER DO WORK THAT A PROGRAM CAN DO QUICKLY AND MORE EFFICIENTLY!! The bottom line? You could do all of this work yourself, but it would take you a great deal of time!!!)

Can you read  VERY  quickly, as I can? 
(I am a certified graduate of several speed-reading courses and can read several thousand words a minute. With Internet searches, reading a fantastic amount of material in a fairly quick manner can be a fundamental requirement. It certainly doesn't hurt!)

I have many years of managing records and doing research. I started in the chess field and I am now a certified LIFE-Master. My main  chess site  is considered by many persons - including chess experts - to be one of the finest on the web. 

I was the flight records manager while I was in the Air Force. This involved keeping and maintaining intricate records. (I re-organized these and even received a letter of commendation for my work.)  After I reached the rank of E-4, I was also the flight APR (Airman Performance Reports) manager. (Three different bases.) 

I have been the Sales Manager of several different local computer companies. As such, I had to manage and maintain fairly complex databases of information.

I have done research for several local law firms and lawyers for several different cases they were involved in. This included finding background data on a whole range of topics on a variety of different subjects. 

I also aided one local Doctor - who was doing research on prosthetics - find what available data there was on this topic on the internet. This included visiting dozens of University web-sites to access what information they had on the subject.