Here’s the harsh truth. We aren’t all tech wizzes. Some of us are, as the current generation would say, boomers. Technology just doesn’t come easy for some. What happens when you have to rely on technology or the Internet for research and you don’t know if it’s not too outdated that the information given is basically null?
Simple. You look for the date of publication. However, some sites don’t show the date of publication. Don’t give up just yet. We’ll show you how you can check when the data was last updated. It’ll be quick and easy so don’t worry.
When you’re surfing through the web looking for reliable sources, one thing you’ll need to know is whether or not the information you’re reading and absorbing is still relevant in today’s society. Is it outdated?
To figure this out, we’ve got an easy fix for you and we’ll show you how. Here’s everything you need to know about alert(document.lastModified), what it is, how it works, and how you can use it.
What does alert(document.lastModified) mean?
For you to understand this better, let’s break it down. The “document” part of the code is an interface and the “lastmodified” text is a property of said interface.
All these work together to return a string containing information stating the date and time of a certain document’s last modification. It basically tells your computer to alert you of the date and time a document was last modified.
This is a very helpful command that goes hand in hand with research and making sure all your sources are still relevant, aren’t outdated, and can still be used while ensuring the credibility of whatever it is you’re writing or researching on.
It doesn’t stop with the definition, however. To fully understand this code, you’ll need to know both what it is used for and how you can use it. Ready? Let’s continue.
What is alert(document.lastModified) used for?
Say you’re looking for credible sources to use for your thesis. This thesis will make or break your grade so, you need to take this seriously and get this right. After hours of research, you come across this amazing document that tackles almost everything about your topic.
Here’s the catch. You have to make sure this document has recent information, information that is at most 5 years old. However, the document does not give up the date it was last modified. What do you do? Enter alert(document.lastModified).
This code is used to find out when a document was last modified or last updated to make sure the information you’re reading isn’t outdated or irrelevant.
This simple command will give you this piece of information and you don’t even need to be some coder whiz to use it. Now that you know what this command is used for, it’s time for you to learn how to use it.
How do you use alert(document.lastModified)?
Open your web browser and go to the page you want to check. Once that page is open and you’re currently on it, type this command into the address bar of your browser: javascript:alert(document.lastModified).
For those who use the Chrome browser, please cut out the “javascript:” part, or else the command will not work. Once you’ve typed that in, press enter or go.
After you’ve pressed enter, a JavaScript alert window will open. This window should display the date and time the page was last modified. Once it does that, you’ve achieved your goal. Congratulations!
What if this doesn’t work? Is there an alternative method?
Some of us might be a bit confused and are looking for an alternative method. Not to worry. We have an alternative method you can use to get the same result. Two words. Internet Archive.
The Internet Archive, otherwise known as the “Wayback Machine”, is something you can use to find the approximate date a document was last updated. Note that this is approximate.
Oftentimes, you won’t find an exact date. Instead, you’ll be given the approximate idea of when a document was last updated.
To use this method doesn’t take much work. Take note that you need to have the address of the webpage you need. Go to the Internet Archive. Navigate towards the search bar. Enter the full address of the webpage you’re investigating. Hit go and check the results. Again, the results are an approximate idea of the date and not the exact date.
The Takeaway
Now, you have everything you need to know to find out when that document was last modified. Take research to the next level and check the credibility of your sources through the steps mentioned above.
Keep yourself posted on current and relevant news with this quick hack to figuring out when a page was last modified. We hope you found this to be helpful. Have fun, Internet surfers!