GOOGLE IS A COMPUTER PROGRAM: LOGICAL AND PREDICTABLE LIKE A DOMINO SET - GET THE FIRST SEARCH WORD RIGHT AND YOU'LL SET OFF A WHOLE SET OF HELPFUL REACTIONS.
HOW GOOD A GOOGLER ARE YOU? TEST YOUR SEARCH SKILLS NOW!
STEP ONE:
Open up this WORD DOCUMENT
Key in your answers to the following questions. Save the document and print it out, or e-mail it as an attachment to your teacher or the teacher-librarian.
STEP TWO:
Click here to open up GOOGLE SEARCH.
Searching on Google is easy! If you know a few things.
Simply key in one or more search terms into the search box and hit the 'Enter' key or click on the Google Search button.
Try this - Key in Coquitlam, BC.
How many hits do you get?
Why do you think the computer listed the first site first?
What is listed 20th? Why?
TIP ONE
Choose very specific search terms and multiple search terms; if you're planning a vacation to Coquitlam, BC you'll do better with vacation Coquitlam, BC than with either vacation or Coquitlam, BC by themselves. And vacation Coquitlam, BC golf may produce even better (or, depending on your perspective, worse) results.
List 5 search terms you might use to find recreational things to do in Coquitlam. List them here:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Search one of the 5 and list the URL (addresses) of the best one.
Recreational activity I chose:
Search words I used:
Best Site I found
TIP TWO
Capitalization
Does GOOGLE care about capitalization of letters? Search Google for Dr. Charles Best Secondary and dr.charles best secondary. Do you get different lists?
Yes OR no?
TIP THREE
Google Automatically excludes common words such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single digits and single letters.
Why do you think this is so?
If you are not sure, check out this link, and scan for the answer.
TIP FOUR
What happens when you put quotation marks around phrases? Try it! Search for:
"Secondary Schools in BC" and Secondary Schools in BC
Do you get different lists?
If yes, why do you think they are different?
TIP FIVE
Word variations (stemming)
Google will search not only for your search terms, but also for words that are similar to those terms. If you search for pet lemur dietary needs, Google will also search for pet lemur diet needs, and other related variations of your terms
Test this out. Key in Coquitlam libraries
What kinds of hits do you get that are similar but not exactly the same words?
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AND FINALLY....
Search a few words such as: elephants Africa; marmot Vancouver Island
But Click "I'm Feeling Lucky."
What is the difference between this search and a general search?
Search your own name in GOOGLE.
Do you get any hits? If not try with quotation marks, or add more search terms such as BC.
Are you surprised?
Do you feel your privacy has been invaded? If so, get used to it - your name is likely to be there for a long time.
thanks to the Google Help Center
