Module_4

**Learning:**

 * 1.) What four major search engines can you think of?**
 * I can think of four major search engines that I use, Google.com, Ask.com, Yahoo.com and Bing.com. However, I also know of Dogpile.com, Webcrawler.com, Metacrawler.com and Lycos.com.


 * Activity #1:** Try a few of theses tools you've never heard of. List the ones you tried and your impressions of it.
 * I used four different search engines i never used before or haven't thought of in a long time (Vivisimo.com AllTheWeb.com Hotbot.com [|LookSmart.com]). I searched for the term "Education Technology." AllTheWeb.com and Hotbot.com returned the the same results, Vivisimo.com seemed to have searched bloging websites, most of the entries came from their own site. LookSmart.com just seems to sit there.

I typically use quotation to try to find an exact phrase on a website.
 * 2.) Why might you use quotation marks when conducting a serach?**


 * Activity #2:** Goto the Teoma search engine at http://www.teoma.com and serach for a phrase, such as renewable resources without quotation marks, then with quotation marks. Not the differences in the number of results.
 * I currently on hold with this activity as the website "Teoma.com" is re-directing to answers.ask.com

Boolean Logic, is the use of logical operators to help narrow down search results.
 * 3.) What is Boolean Logic, and how can it help me search better?**

I used Google.com and the term "Education Technology"
 * Activity #3.a:** Try a search using Boolean operators on your favorite search engine.

> Results 1-10 of about 122,000,000 for Education Technology. (0.19 seconds) >
 * __//Search with no Boolean operators//__

> Results of 1-10 of about 337,000,000 for Education AND Technology. (0.46 seconds) >
 * //__Search with AND Boolean operator__//

> Results of 1-10 of about 1,570,000,000 for Education OR Technology. (0.35 seconds) >
 * //__Search with OR Boolean operator__//

> Results of 1-10 of about 123,000,000 for Education NOT Technology. (0.33 seconds) >
 * __//Search with NOT Boolean operator//__

Using [|boolify.org] i repeated the steps above...
 * Activity #3.b:** Access the search engine Boolify (@http://boolify.org). You'll drag the puzzle pieces into the open space, and the search results show up at the bottom.

> Web: 161,000 estimated results >
 * __//Search with no Boolean operators//__

> Web: 85,800,000 estimated results >
 * //__Search with AND Boolean operator__//

> Web: 111,000,000 estimated results >
 * //__Search with OR Boolean operator__//

> Web: 57,300,000 estimated results >
 * __//Search with NOT Boolean operator//__


 * Activity #3.c**:How successful has this strategy been for you?
 * Well using the phrase Education Technology without any boolean operators returned the lest amount results on the google search, under the boolify.org website, i got even less results.

Sometimes, when i need to check the validity of a website.
 * 4.) Did you ever wonder who actually owned a particular website?**


 * Activity #4:** Goto www.easywhois.com and enter the URL of a site you wonder about.
 * Facebook.com - WhoIs record for Facebook.com
 * InvisionFree.com - WhoIs record for InvisionFree.com
 * Hulu.com - WhoIs record for Hulu.com
 * Netflix.com - WhoIs record for Netflix.com
 * NinjaVideo.net - WhoIs record for NinjaVideo.net

It would be simple to just type all this into Wikipedia, but I wouldn't really learn anything. I started by going to Google.com and typing in "Where can I find information on Top-Level-Domains."
 * 5.) Generic top level domains are the ".com" part of a URL.**
 * Activity #5:** Use your developing search skills to find the intended use of the following:
 * **.aero -** Aero is a generic top-level domain for aeronautics, first to be based on a single industrial theme
 * **.asia -** .Asia is the tld for the continent of Asia.
 * **.biz** **-** .Biz is a tld for business designed to help alleviate some of the demand of .com tld.
 * **.com** **-** .Com is the largest and most common tld. .Com is typically for commercial entries.
 * **.coop** **-** .Coop are typically used for co-operatives
 * **.edu -** .Edu is for education facilities only, typically higher education. (Okstate.edu, OU.edu, SWOSU.edu)
 * **.gov** **-**.Gov is for the United State Government and it's agencies. (CIA.gov, FBI.gov, NSA.gov)
 * **.info** **-** .Info is an unrestricted domain designed mainly for informational sites.
 * **.jobs** **-** .Jobs sites are intended to be registered by companies for job-searching related sites.
 * **.k12** **-** .k12 sites are designed for primary and secondary education institutions. (DeerCreek.k12, Stillwater.k12)
 * **.mil** **-** .Mil is for the United State Department of Defense (AF.mil, Navy.mil, Marines.mil)
 * **.mobi** **-** .Mobi are designed for websites that can be viewed via mobile devices (Google.mobi redirects to Google.com/Mobile)
 * **.museum** **-** .Museum sites are by museums. (Smithsonian.museum - redirects to si.edu)
 * **.name** **-** .Name is for people who want a website named after them.
 * **.net** **-** .Net was originally for ISPs but now is a common alternative to .com (Ninjavideo.net, Teacher.net)
 * **.org** **-** .Org was created for non-profit organizations, but the restrictions are not enforced. (RIAA.org, OMRF.org)
 * **.pro -** .Pro are for lawyers, doctors and other professionals in the U.S.
 * **.sch** **-** .sch are for primary and secondary schools in other countries. (St Annes Prep School, Takeley Christian School)
 * **.tel** **-** Designed for contact information not websites, .tel is for internet communication services.
 * **.trav****el** **-** Designed for travel business and airliners. (Ireland.travel redirects to TourismIreland.com, [|Turkei.travel)]

According Altavista.com, "AltaVista found 339,000 results" AltaVista.com
 * 6.) How would you conduct a search for the following: A list of websites of all the academic institutions in South Africa?**

> AltaVista found 3,760,000 results >
 * Activity #6:** Create your own search specific to a certain country and report the results.
 * host:uk Streaming Television -AltaVista.com

> AltaVista found 294,000 results >
 * host:ru Streaming Television - AltaVista.com


 * 7.) How would you conduct a search for the following: US higher education web sites that contain the word turtle?**

Yes, I have also used to convert measurements, define words, and check my spelling. However, I perfer Wolfram Alpha for most of my complex calculations.
 * Activity #7:** Create your own search specific to a certain top level domain and report the results.
 * host:edu + lego - AltaVista.com
 * 8.) Have you ever used Google as a calculator?**


 * Activity #8:** Try out at least five of the features and report them for this activity. (Google Features)
 * Google Weather: Glasgow Scotland
 * Google Earthquake: Oklahoma City
 * Google Package Tracker: 9102931490063534129933
 * Google Patent Search: D253711
 * Google Fill in the Blank: Ole Kirk Christiansen created *


 * Activity #9 and #10:** Share with two different people two different search strategies or tools you've learned in this module. Talk about this experience when you post to your wiki.
 * I know a lot about using web tools to find information, but I did find some new interesting information. For one, I did not know you can look up package tracking information via google, same with patent numbers. It was also interesting to to learn more about the top domain too. Upon researching however, you can see how a lot of top-level and second-level are becoming obsolete as different sites are merging and using the more common tld. It was also interesting to learn that I could create my own search engine.


 * Bonus Activity: Create Your own personalized search engine at: Google Search**
 * Here is my search engine. This search engine is designed to help find Lego information, including MOCs, Products, Instructions, and interesting Lego information.
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