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Web Search

"Zillions" of people are searching the Web every day, because it is soooo easy, but if you want to use your computer well as a tool, learning about searching is important.

If there are "zillions" of people, there are "quadro-zillions" (like that word?) of websites, some with pages and pages of information. Some are complex, intensive, and most are not. Some are good quality, and some are not. Some are accurate, and some are NOT. Anyone can write anything on the Web, so you have to judge whether the information is biased, or well researched.

Since there is SO MUCH material out there in "cyberspace".. you need a way to sift through it to find the information that you want. That's what the computer does best.
Your helper is a "search engine". There are several, all indexing information in different ways; so what you find on one list, probably will not be the same as what you could find with a different one.

How To

1. The first thing you do is open your Internet browser.

But since Google became a verb in our International computer language, most will just use Google. To use it you go to the web page, www.google.com.
2. There are several different ways to get to it.

  • Type the address, www.google.com, in the address box.
  • You may have already set your browser's Home Page to it.
  • You may set your Search Box to go to it.

Using different browsers:

In the latest version of Internet Explorer, it opens to a search page that looks a lot like Google. Just one big box in the middle of an page.It also has a search box at the top of the window.
If you are using Firefox as your browser, there is a Search box at the far right end of the address bar, which allows you to CHOOSE different search engines. On the left of the box, next to the G, there is a tiny, down pointed triangle. Clicking on this will give you options. When you have time, try the others: Yahoo, Alta Vista, Dogpile, Ask are just a few. See how they give different results.
With the Chrome browser (by Google), just type what you need into the Address Box, or use the Search box.

Generally, the Search box works the same, no matter which service you choose. What you put into it affects the quality of what you get out. (You've heard of "Garbage In, Garbage Out"?)
Whatever word you type into it, will bring back a listing of every site on the web that contains that word on a page somewhere! Believe me, that will be FAR too many for you to find what you want.

So there are "guide" rules to help the engine sort out a lot that you don't want. The idea is to narrow down the results, but not too much. Choose carefully the words that you put into the Search box.

Further narrowing might use the category filters.
    Web    Images    Maps    News    Shopping
To just find pictures of something, after you type the name into the Search box, then click on "images" in that category menu..
There are LOCAL search boxes too, such as the one which searches JUST THIS SITE, above to your right.
Another useful tool that not many use is this. If you'd like to know what a word or phrase means, type it in the Search box preceeded by the word define:(with a colon).

About Search Results

The results are ranked by what the computer thinks is the most relevant.. with the exception, of course, of ADS. Look carefully, and the first sites listed will say "Sponsored". That means they paid to be listed first.

Use the computer to find almost anything: Music, People search, Employment search. It never has told me where my keys are, though.


WIKIPEDIA

This is a good spot to talk about Wikipedia. This is one of the tools of the web that is changing society and it's access to information. This is an encyclopedia about everything in the world, (and out of it) designed to be written, edited and added to by anyone. Rather an interesting, different premise! While it was new, this was abused, of course.. but as it matures, there is more and more oversight, and corroboration by authorities. Just be sure to check it against at least one other resource.

FILTERS

Writing on the Web has no restrictions. This is both good and bad. There are some checks and balances, though.

  • A company or government can block the access to certain sites, or computers.
  • It is still up to each website as to whether the writing is "published" or not. Unfortunately, many "WebMasters" have very poor judgment as to what should be public. There are some very malicious people posting lies and due to the anonymity of the Web, it's very hard to stop.
  • Your computer can have a "filter" set to restrict what kind of content arrives to your browser, as most of our school sites have for children. However, if your computer at home does NOT have such a filter setup, any and ALL content can be seen by your children. It is a responsibility of the parent (AND GRANDPARENTS)to WATCH what your kids are watching.

Compare several at Top Ten Internet Filter reviews.

To get more information about Searching the Web look at these Web pages:

TIP: You can probably find your favorite magazine complete with articles and pictures right on the Web.

Grand Times  Logo for Grandtimes magazine

Eldr   Logo for Eldr magazine



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