May 10, 2013

1. Searching for information on Google is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Is that true? Was the library of the 19th century more efficient? Explain
As I read the section in chapter six of the course material that specified about Google, I was fascinated with how the website works. When a viewer goes on Google and types in a topic that they want information on the website has “web crawlers” that search through the internet for that specific topic. Using key words that were typed in the search box they take what websites have the most information on that specific topic. Just as the material stated it is as if you were to look in the index of a book for a certain word, this index is just much bigger. I personally do not feel that trying to find information on Google is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With the right use of words on the topic and the knowledge of credible websites a viewer should be able to use this website as a tool to finding different websites. The library of the 19th century was more straight forward rather than researching the internet. Books were still the main source for research so finding something on a topic was much easier and not so complex. Another advantage was books often needed to be copyrighted, proof read, and published. That might mean that most books were credible and was not just information someone posted on a blog. If a viewer is going to research something today I would suggest they first learn what websites are credible and also not just use the internet as the only works cited. Look into books, newspapers, articles, etc. 2. Social networks allow people to connect for a variety of reasons in a digital environment. You might join LinkedIn to meet business contacts, MySpace to find a band member, or Facebook to see pictures of old friends and meet new ones. Whatever environment you decide to be a part of, posting information about you has become an issue of concern. What are those concerns? I mean what is the big deal about privacy?
There are numerous concerns when an individual puts information on the internet. Future careers might research you and find a piece of information that they do not want to represent them so they could deny you a position or terminate you. You could also put your location, social security, or banking information online giving another individual the opportunity to steal your identity. Another example could be that individual may be young and not at the best decision making point in their life. With the standards that society portrays young adults post inappropriate pictures of themselves allowing others to take advantage of them or even bully them. Even a simple delete button does not guarantee that the picture or post is gone. There have been numerous cases in the recent past of