Living Online Living Online Lesson 4Lesson 4

Using the InternetUsing the Internet

IC3 BasicsIC3 BasicsInternet and Computing Core CertificationInternet and Computing Core Certification

Ambrose, Bergerud, Buscge, Morrison, Wells-Ambrose, Bergerud, Buscge, Morrison, Wells-PusinsPusins

The InternetThe Internet

• The Internet contains a wealth of The Internet contains a wealth of information. You can find information. You can find information on just about anything information on just about anything that you can imagine.that you can imagine.

• The Internet contains so much The Internet contains so much information that it can be difficult to information that it can be difficult to locate just what you need.locate just what you need.

The Key to a Successful The Key to a Successful SearchSearch

• Today, we live in the information age and the amount of Today, we live in the information age and the amount of information continues to grow at a fast rate.information continues to grow at a fast rate.

• It can be challenging to do an effective online search on a It can be challenging to do an effective online search on a particular topic because you can be overwhelmed by all the data.particular topic because you can be overwhelmed by all the data.

• A key to a successful Internet search is an understanding of the A key to a successful Internet search is an understanding of the many tools available.many tools available.

• There are two basic tools that can be used for finding There are two basic tools that can be used for finding information, information, search enginessearch engines and and subject directoriessubject directories..

• You use a search engine to search for keywords and you use a You use a search engine to search for keywords and you use a search directory to find specialized topics.search directory to find specialized topics.

• The primary difference between these two search tools is that The primary difference between these two search tools is that people assemble directories and search engines are automated.people assemble directories and search engines are automated.

The Key to a Successful The Key to a Successful Search (cont’d.)Search (cont’d.)

• No single web tool indexes or organizes the whole No single web tool indexes or organizes the whole Web.Web.

• When you are using an online search tool, you are When you are using an online search tool, you are searching and viewing data extracted from the Web.searching and viewing data extracted from the Web.

• The data has been placed into the search engine’s The data has been placed into the search engine’s database.database.

• It is the database that is searched, not the web It is the database that is searched, not the web itself. That is one reason you get different results itself. That is one reason you get different results when you use different search engines.when you use different search engines.

Why Search the Why Search the Internet?Internet?

People search the Internet for many People search the Internet for many reasons. Some examples are:reasons. Some examples are:

– Research for a paper due in classResearch for a paper due in class

– Finding information on a particular topic, such Finding information on a particular topic, such as “hearing loss” for yourself or a loved oneas “hearing loss” for yourself or a loved one

– Planning a trip and finding information on Planning a trip and finding information on places to stay.places to stay.

Introducing Search Introducing Search EnginesEngines

• A A search enginesearch engine is a software program that helps you locate is a software program that helps you locate information on the Internet. There are hundreds of search information on the Internet. There are hundreds of search engines throughout the Internet.engines throughout the Internet.

• Each search engine may work a little differently but they do have Each search engine may work a little differently but they do have some common search features. For example, all search engines some common search features. For example, all search engines support keyword searches.support keyword searches.

• The search engine tries to figure out what you mean and returns The search engine tries to figure out what you mean and returns hits on web sites that relate to keywords. hits on web sites that relate to keywords.

• Hits are the number of returns or web sites that are found based Hits are the number of returns or web sites that are found based on your keywordson your keywords..

• If you search for “video games”, the search engine may also If you search for “video games”, the search engine may also return hits on sites that contain Nintendo and Playstationreturn hits on sites that contain Nintendo and Playstation..

• Excite is an example of a search engine. It uses ICE ( intelligent Excite is an example of a search engine. It uses ICE ( intelligent concept extraction) to learn about word relationshipsconcept extraction) to learn about word relationships..

Keyword SearchesKeyword Searches• Keyword SearchesKeyword Searches let you search for keywords within a let you search for keywords within a

Web document.Web document.

• The web page author can specify these The web page author can specify these keywords keywords using using meta tags within the web page document.meta tags within the web page document.

• Meta tags are special tags embedded within the web page Meta tags are special tags embedded within the web page document. They do not affect how the page displays.document. They do not affect how the page displays.

• Many search engines use these tags to create the index. Many search engines use these tags to create the index. For example, if your web site is about Nintendo 64, your For example, if your web site is about Nintendo 64, your meta tag may look like this:meta tag may look like this:

<meta name=“keywords" content=“Nintendo 64, Mario, <meta name=“keywords" content=“Nintendo 64, Mario, James Bond, Donkey Kong”>James Bond, Donkey Kong”>

• If a web page author doesn’t specify meta tags, the search If a web page author doesn’t specify meta tags, the search engine evaluates the document and indexes “significant” engine evaluates the document and indexes “significant” words.words.

Keyword Searches Keyword Searches (cont’d.)(cont’d.)• How does a search engine find all of those web sites?How does a search engine find all of those web sites?

– The search engine program or software itself is the The search engine program or software itself is the main component. The program searches through the main component. The program searches through the millions of records stored in its database.millions of records stored in its database.

– The spider or crawler is a search engine robot that The spider or crawler is a search engine robot that searches the Internet for key words. It feeds the pages searches the Internet for key words. It feeds the pages it finds to the search engine.it finds to the search engine.

– When the spider finds a page, it submits it to the index. When the spider finds a page, it submits it to the index. Once a web page is indexed, it becomes available to Once a web page is indexed, it becomes available to anyone using that search engine.anyone using that search engine.

• When web developers register their sites with When web developers register their sites with search engines, they normally provide a list of search engines, they normally provide a list of keywords that will help get their site on a user’s keywords that will help get their site on a user’s search results list.search results list.

Popular Search EnginesPopular Search Engines

SEARCH ENGINESEARCH ENGINE URLURL

LycosLycos www.lycos.com

YahooYahoo www.yahoo.com

AltaVistaAltaVista www.altavista.com

GoogleGoogle www.google.com

InfoseekInfoseek www.infoseek.com

ExciteExcite www.excite.com

WebCrawlerWebCrawler www.webcrawlwe.com

AlltheWebAlltheWeb www.alltheweb.com

Northern LightNorthern Light www.northernlight.comwww.northernlight.com

Specialty Search EnginesSpecialty Search Engines

• There are specialty search engines, There are specialty search engines, sometimes called category-oriented search sometimes called category-oriented search tools that focus on a particular topic. Here tools that focus on a particular topic. Here are some examples:are some examples:

– Maps and Travel information- Maps and Travel information- www.expedia comwww.expedia com– People and Companies- People and Companies- www.yellowpages.comwww.yellowpages.com– Companies and Careers- Companies and Careers- www.monster.comwww.monster.com– World Data-World Data-www.worldbank.orgwww.worldbank.org– MusicMusic-www.mp3.lycos.com-www.mp3.lycos.com

Tools and Techniques for Tools and Techniques for Searching the WebSearching the Web

• Phrase Phrase searching-a phrase is entered using double searching-a phrase is entered using double quotation marks and only matches. quotation marks and only matches. – For example, if you are searching for information on For example, if you are searching for information on

baseball cards, type baseball cards, type “baseball cards”“baseball cards” and the results and the results will contain web sites with the words “baseball cards” will contain web sites with the words “baseball cards” adjacent to each other, instead of searches for adjacent to each other, instead of searches for baseball and cards.baseball and cards.

• Search engine mathSearch engine math-allows you to use math symbols to -allows you to use math symbols to enter a formula to filter out unwanted listings For enter a formula to filter out unwanted listings For example:example:– Put a plus sign (+) before the words that must appearPut a plus sign (+) before the words that must appear– Put a minus sign (-)_before words that you do not want Put a minus sign (-)_before words that you do not want

to appear. If you are looking for cookie recipes, you to appear. If you are looking for cookie recipes, you would type would type +cookies+recipes+cookies+recipes..

Tools and Techniques for Tools and Techniques for Searching the Web (cont’d.)Searching the Web (cont’d.)• Boolean searchingBoolean searching is another way is another way

that you can search databases. that you can search databases. – Boolean logic consists of three logical Boolean logic consists of three logical

operators: operators: ANDAND, , NOTNOT, and , and OROR. For . For example, if you are searching for cookie example, if you are searching for cookie recipes, you would type “cookies AND recipes, you would type “cookies AND recipes” or if you wanted to search for recipes” or if you wanted to search for chocolate cookie recipes without chocolate cookie recipes without coconut, you would type coconut, you would type “cookies AND “cookies AND recipes AND chocolate NOT coconutrecipes AND chocolate NOT coconut..

Tools and Techniques for Tools and Techniques for Searching the Web (cont’d.)Searching the Web (cont’d.)• Wildcard SearchingWildcard Searching• Title SearchingTitle Searching• Related SearchRelated Search

SpammingSpamming• Internet spam is defined as electronic junk mail or junk Internet spam is defined as electronic junk mail or junk

newsgroup postings, or even unsolicited e-mail.newsgroup postings, or even unsolicited e-mail.

• The unsolicited e-mail is most likely some type of The unsolicited e-mail is most likely some type of advertising or get-rich scheme.advertising or get-rich scheme.

• Spam is similar to receiving a postage-due letter. Even Spam is similar to receiving a postage-due letter. Even though you do not pay postage when it arrives, you pay though you do not pay postage when it arrives, you pay for it indirectly in the form of disk space connect time, or for it indirectly in the form of disk space connect time, or even long distance net connections.even long distance net connections.

• Spam is not illegal yet, but several groups are trying to Spam is not illegal yet, but several groups are trying to stop it. Several states are attempting to ban unsolicited e-stop it. Several states are attempting to ban unsolicited e-mails.mails.

• You can limit spam by contacting a service that exists to You can limit spam by contacting a service that exists to take complaints about spam, get spam-blocking and take complaints about spam, get spam-blocking and filtering services to get programs that hide your e-mail filtering services to get programs that hide your e-mail address form potential spammers.address form potential spammers.