Alternative to Google for specific information

Google is a big help, but sometimes, no matter what keywords you use, you can't find the right information you need. It happens, no matter what specific keywords you use, the topic you are researching might have too common words to find good results.

So what do you do when Google just isn't cutting it? You find a topic specific forum/board. Want to know something about a specific aspect of a computer that's hard to explain to google? Talk to a human on a computer-related board. You might be surprise to know how very knowledgeable, technical and eager to help these people are on forums.

Google might misunderstood your query, but a forum member will know what you are talking about, and even if you're question is confusing, you can explain it in more details to get the message across.

The first time I joined a forum was for a different reason. I just learned touch typing and I needed a medium to practice it more till I became comfortable enough. So I joined the now defunct One Manga Forums. 

I learned plenty from OM that casual Manga readers don't even know. For example is that there's no releases on a certain holiday in Japan, Categories and sub categories and what suits you. What goes into making a manga like assistants, Mangaka's (that's what they call Manga authors/creators) health affecting the artwork and production of a certain manga, who dead, dying, and died. The politics that went into what Manga gets published from what gets cut.

Another benefit you get from forums, specially if the forum is localized geographically is that forum members might know where you can locate a specialized vendor selling an item cheaper. For this my example is PinoyPS, a forum for Playstation fans and enthusiast. Members recommended (without even me asking) an online vendor that sells PSN cards cheap. I wouldn't have found it on my own, and even if I did, I would have considered it a scam for selling it so cheap. But it was mentioned and recommended repeatedly by different members. There's the risk, but can't go wrong when alot of people are recommending it.

So in need of answers, information, technical help, cheaper parts, trusted online vendors? Look for the right forum. Knowledge is power and people in forums love to empower people.