Module#4

Organising Search Information
Choose the best three sources found in the previous task (and be aware all these sources and information can be contributing to your resource bank assignment!)
Using whatever software or tool you think appropriate, record the following information about those sites:
URL.
author,
institution,
blurb/ summary / screen shot (this can be a direct copy of an appropriate abstract or introductory paragraph on the site: but make sure you record and reference it as such)
Again, using any useful software you have downloaded, or utilising your existing software, record this information on your computer in the way that you think will be most useful to you in terms of preparing for your third assignment (that is, in terms of how easy you will find it to access, retrieve, understand, contextualise and recall why you saved it - and with what!).
Source.1.
URL: http://lii.org
Title: Librarians' Internet Index
Institution:The Califa Library Group
Summary: This site is a directory rather than a site, it featires lists of the best websites for particular topics or subjects. You are able to suscribe to receive a weekly newsletter as well as being able to browse the directory to help you find articles or sites you are looking for.
Source.2.
URL:http://informationr.net/ir/6-1/paper85.html
Author:Lee Ratzan
Institution:School of Communication, Information and Library Studies
Summary:This site is an information research paper, entitled "Making Sense Of The Web: a Metaphorical Approach" written by Lee Ratzan. The idea here is to enable people to use the web more effectively, thereby understanding how the web works, how metaphors are used to make using the web easier by relating tasks to objects or tasks we use in the real world, eg: "surfing" the net or using the information "highway".
Source.3.
URL:www.zdnet.com.au
Author:Brian Haverty, Editorial Director;Munir Kotadia, Editor;Liam Tung, Senior Journalist ;Alex Serpo, Reviews Editor;Suzanne Tindal, Journalist
Institution:ZDNet Australia
Summary:This site features, reviews, articles, newsletters, whitepapers etc on varying topics from technology to film and music. Helpful information is available on just about anything you're looking for, I found it particularly useful when researching internet security.
I stored these sources at diigo, I also use connotea, but found diigo more suited to my needs. It provides the option of adding sticky notes to the actual web page, highlights specific parts of the text, which I found easy to retrieve. One click and you can record your site/article in diigo with the addition of a great little toolbar. Once bookmarked, I can easily access my bookmarks again with the use of the toolbar. Being taken to my bookmarks page, brings up a list of all sites I have added, by clicking on the links, that site is opened and appears just the way you left it, sticky notes and highlighting still there.

IRONY

How Ironic
This past week has been a nightmare, and that's not an understatement! Living in a illness infested household was bad enough, but to feel well enough to get back into my studies and discovering my computer was infested with trojans and viruses brought me to tears.
It's ironic that up until now, I have never had trouble with any such problems, now that I am aware of all aspects of internet security, to find them lurking on my computer left me feeling defeated and deflated. Perhaps it was because I myself had been feeling unwell contributed to my deflation, I felt like giving up.

This week however, I am feeling much better and although I need a new computer (currently using my mum's) I thought about the options available to me and no longer feel like everything is too overwhelming. I was fortunate to come across a government initiative which offers computers at a drastically reduced price. I am in the process of waiting for a refurbished pentium iv with 40GB HDD which I was able to purchase for $350. Feeling grateful and looking forward to completeing this unit (and on time) ;)

Module 4

Boolean Searching.

For this task, I used Dogpile advanced search options, adding specific "keywords", which I thought appropriate to what I was looking for. I used this task to help me towards my concepts assignment, keeping this in mind, i typed in "Internet Metaphors" and added the keywords "communication" "differentiation" and "use" which gave me the results below:

As you can see, this search tells me which search engines the respective sites were found, but doesn't tell me how many hits there were. I decided to use Google advanced search options as well, here are the results:
This search brought about basically the same results, however, the search enginesw aren't noted, but there is a hit count. Boolean searching brings about more options for searches, by using specific keywords or in fact omitting some words enables a search to bring you closer to the exact type of article or site you are looking for. I already had experience with this type of searching, however didn't know it was called "boolean searching"

Searching the Web

Search Engine Task.

For this task, we were asked to do a search using words of our own choosing, using our regular search engine as well as a meta search engine and record the results.

My regular search engine is google, I did a search using the following words "Internet Metaphors", here is a screenshot of the results:

As you can see, there were many hits,1,920,000 to be exact. The first hit is titled "making sense of the web:a metaphorical approach"

Using a meta search program, specifically MetaCrawler, I conducted a search using the same words. Again I have a screenshot of the results:

Using meta crawler brought 54 hits, the first hit is the same as that using google "making sense of the web:a metaphorical approach" There are alot less hits using metacrawler, I think this is based on the fact that it is a more specific search. For me, at first glance, meta crawler provided the more promising of the two, from what I first saw, the information offered by the hits in web crawler seemed more relevant to my search.

MODULE 4 Tools for using the Web

Downloading Tools/Plugins
For this task, we were given a list of tools/plugins to download, ideally, tools we were unfamiliar with.

1. Adobe's pdf Reader:
I already had this tool downloaded. PDF stands for portable document file, and abode is the only tool capable of reading all pdf files.
2. Flash/Shockwave Players
There was a link provided to enable us to check if we had a flash/shockwave player, I clicked the link, knowing I already had a player installed on my computer. Although no the latest version, I do have Adobe Macromedia Flash player. This tool enables me to view Flash elements contained on some web pages.
3.Media Players:
Apple Quicktime- I have this player installed on my computer specifically for the kids i-pods and the synchronisation of those. It is not my default player.
Windows Media Player- I also have this installed on my computer, it is my default player, useful for not only listening to music i have saved to my computer, but I also watch alot of video tutorials for various programs such as blender.
Real Networks Real One- I don't have this player, although I do have Winamp, which was recommended by a friend. I use this player exclusively to listen to a music stream belonging to the same friend.
4. Search Manager/Combiner
I downloaded copernic, the download process was simple and easy to follow. This tool is quite helpful for not only providing an alternate search tool, but also for storing my searches in one place, easily retrievable.
5.Bookmark Manager.
I chose to download Bookmark Buddy for windows, I didn't even know these tools were available, it's going to be helpful with keeping track of the sites of visited and when, saving me the trouble of noting when I accessed the sites, valuable for the concepts assignment.
6.Offline Browser/Manager
I downloaded Pagesucker , what a great name. Anyway, this will enable me to view web pages without having to open IE. Great time saver.
All downloads were very straight forward and posed no problems.