miscellany

There are some good reasons for using the DuckDuckGo search engine and even for making it the default search engine on your browser so you can just type search terms right into the location bar (address bar) at the top of your screen.

This post goes into just one reason: the bang command.

There are thousands of bang commands. Below are a few that may interest you and others wanting to know more about UCV from its website (vancouveruntiarians.ca) and from elsewhere. There are links to results of the bang commands here embedded in them so you don’t have to type them to try them out. Just click on them.

!bang / then scroll down (the spaced slash and the rest of the line are not part of the bang command)
!bang acronym / looking for a bang command that searches a website listing acronyms/initialisms
!acro UCV / for information on initialism UCV; the UCV on 49th at Oak is in <cough> the Acronym Attic
!bang UCV / looking for a !ucv bang command (and – spoiler alert – that was it, used just there)

!ucv / entering a bang command without a search term takes you to the home page
!ucv small groups / joining a small group is a good way to connect with people sharing an interest
!ucv principles for kids / for grownups too (see link in item found)
!ucv vision statement / !? “What it says on the tin.” / … as they say
!ucv core documents / then scroll down and click on link in large type

!? bylaws and rules (pdf) site:uua.org / seven principles, six sources on first page after contents

Even if you don’t make DuckDuckGo the default search engine on your browser, you can maybe still use it in the browser search box (also at the top of the screen) by clicking on the dropdown symbol there and selecting a miniature version of the featured image in this post after you have typed the search term.

Here are some more bang commands worth checking out:

!yt Vancouver Unitarians / YouTube

!gb “Singing the Living Tradition” / Google Books

!gr “Singing the Living Tradition” / Goodreads

!gt-french diverse beliefs, shared values / see Categories>Translation>Google (here)

!gt-chinese croyances diverses, valeurs partagées / ditto

!gt-chinese diverse beliefs, shared values / ditto

!? “What we wish people knew …” (pdf) site:cuc.ca / excerpts of letters from UU ministers

!i Vancouver Unitarians and Rev Dr Steven Epperson / then scroll down

!ucv technology / drop-in sessions, first Sundays, for help with any or all of this or other tech stuff

!ucv monthly e-newsletters / updates on what’s happening at UCV

The next bang command shows where to find the address on a street map. You can then choose to view a satellite map, zoom in with “+” … and try 3D.

Agnostics, gnostics, atheists, theists, … all are welcome every Sunday at 11am. / !ucv “a welcoming congregation”