Alternative Views

Based on some of the search tools we experimented with this week I believe in ten years searching will be very unique. Almost everything would be found through Google, Yahoo, Dogpile and other search engines. While school search engines like Google Labs, Academic Search Premier, and Credo Reference will probably allow you to do a full research without having to use any other references. Searching will be most likely be so advance majority of students, middle aged and elderly will probably have a hard time searching the things they need to know. However, in 15 years searching will most likely have archives filled with info about topics you wouldn’t believe that will allow you to   be updated at your own convenience. Almost like search tools now that updates every couple of hours or so but not as often is it will be in the future.

Web 3.0 and semantic web is another unique way of searching that combines the web into one database. In this web machines will be able to read better, understand and process all the data roaming through cyberspace. It is said to do almost anything from booking your next vacation to researching a term paper. The most significant thing that stood out about Web 3.0 is that its standards are already set high as they will try to turn the web into one big database. Other quotes that were very interesting to me was that “in the future the web will be one big alternative universe reminiscent of Second Life and There.com.” I agree because the web will soon be an alternative to finding anything we need as they say which will be our Second life.  While some say Web 3.0 is “nothing more than a parlor game” ,”ideas being tossed out here and there.” So I believe the best thing for everyone to do now is get familiar with the use of the internet because we are going to be turning to the Web as back up more often than we think in the next 10 to15 years.

NEWs HABITs

When keeping up with the news there are many different methods I use to keep up with what is going on around me. When I am at home and I want to see the news the first thing I do is go online because majority of the time I don’t have time to catch the 10 o clock news on UPN 9. So, I use CNN.com looking for the most important points in the news for the week or for that day. Sometimes, I even find myself buying the Daily Newspaper right before I go to school to keep me company on the ride. I use the Daily News most frequently because it seems like that’s the easiest paper to find rather than any other paper .Besides, the fact that that paper is very popular and everyone wants the Daily News first thing in the morning the stack is usually low. However, for entertainment use I always watch MTV, VH1, sometimes BET network to keep up with the latest stars and most importantly fashion. I even catch myself going on MTV.com and or VH1.com when I no I missed some important entertainment news on TV because usually online has more about the topic than when it is talked about on TV. Unfortunately, I feel YOUTUBE.com is the most helpful because that website seems like it’s updated immediately as soon as something happens in entertainment or with any political issues. Youtube.com is also very helpful for me because it is something visual just like the TV rather than having to read. Lastly, for sports I rarely use any method to keep up with what’s going on unless, it is the end of the basketball season and I want to see the final scores I’d look in the back of the Daily News.

LRC 103

McCain

1. Site (the site the information came from)

The site my information came from www.usatoday.com

2. Publisher (who created the information; this is not always just an author)
The information for this website was created by USAtoday by Jill Lawrence.

3. Audience (who is this information for)

This information is similar to Obama’s article because it basically targets people who are into politics and the Obama vs. McCain campaigns.

4. Timeliness (when was this written; is it too old?)

This article was updated on USA today on August 13, 2008.

5. Sales hook (is this site or article trying to sell me an idea?)

Yes, I do believe this article is trying to sell me an idea because it is basically saying that John McCain has aired negative ads during the Olympics, saying that his opponent Obama will raise taxes on low-income families. The article also states that Obama campaign has said the McCain ads will backfire because Americans expect unity and inspiration during the Games. So, this article is basically going back and forth about Obama and McCain campaign causing any reader to choose sides.

6. Also, for each article, briefly explain how you found it. What words did you use? Which search tool?

I found this article by using Google as my search engine by typing in McCain and the keyword was McCain’s ads.

LRC 103

OBAMA

1. Site (the site the information came from)

The site my information came from was www.cnn.com

2. Publisher (who created the information; this is not always just an author)
The information for this website was created by CNN Politics.

3. Audience (who is this information for)
This information is for people who are interested in politics and following the  CNN’s cover stories of Obama and how he speaks out on specific issues during the campaign or against McCain.

4. Timeliness (when was this written; is it too old?)
This article was updated on CNN’s website as of Sunday Oct 5, 2008.

5. Sales hook (is this site or article trying to sell me an idea?)

Yes, I do believe this article is trying to sell me an idea because Obama is saying that McCain is trying to use distractions instead of addressing the country’s problems because he knows he is out of touch and running out of time. Obama also is saying that Mc Cain’s health care plan is radical and out of line with the country’s basic values. So, basically this article is trying to say that McCain isn’t using the right tactics in his campaign because any one reading this article wouldn’t want to vote for McCain or probably would make any reader have a tough time choosing.

6. Also, for each article, briefly explain how you found it. What words did you use? Which search tool?

I found this article because it was one of the main cover stories on CNN website. I also found this article by using Google as one of my search engines and typing in Obama.

LRC 103

Future Reading
           

            Future Reading wasn’t your ordinary New Yorker article it showed how the computer and internet has changed overtime which helped Alfred Kazin when he began working on his first book. Alfred Kazin started writing his first book in 1938 where he used the New York Public Library as home to write “On Native Grounds”. At the time Google Book Search was striving to accomplish many goals such as “building a comprehensive index of all the books in the world” says Anthony Grafton which allowed you to see the full text of a book that wasn’t covered by copyright. While on the other hand, Google Library Project was digitizing as many books as they could collaborating with extraordinary libraries all over the U.S. It was said at the time by Kevin Kelly that all the books in the world would become a single fabric of interconnected words and ideas. Whereas the electronic library would be able to bring together all material and texts from the past and present on a certain subject allowing users a clearer understanding of what humans do know or do not know.

            However, as time was moving along in B.C. The Mesopotamians began to take over systematic shelving which was used as a faster way to identify texts which was similar to the Google book projects. As a result, too many scrolls were being reproduced by the Mesopotamian until they were being confiscated and taken to the library where a new method of organization was forced to come about. Soon these works were alphabetized and the rise of printing had begun causing many books that were being published lead to the increase of sales. Soon “Search was Everything” even scholars were teaching their students how to condense and organize their works by headings. While the creation of the Dewey Decimal system was being used, material was starting to multiply. So, microfilm was a suggestion to end this problem but the people started to realize that many readers didn’t have access to microfilm readers, whereas many had access to a computer. Therefore, they figured digitizing was a better way for the material to be obtained, where they could also use different search engines when having access to the internet. Google was one of the first search engines everyone started using where they were able to use key terms which allowed Google to characterize certain books. As a result, some believed Google wasn’t helpful at the time because of the specific keywords you had to use to access certain material. Google would also scan these books and make the ones that are covered by copyright available in a limited portion, while Microsoft only gave you the books that they were officially legal to disperse through the internet. However, users believed as soon as certain material came from under the copyright protection readers will have access to information they never heard of before.

            As time kept moving technology not only started changing more and more but started to improve, for ex. search engines like Google and Hotbot. While on the other hand, informative sites like JSTOR and scholarly journal articles had to be asked a question to find certain information that was buried in so many documents. As a result, Alfred Kazin used all this helpful information to help guide him in the right path to completing his book. However, technology and libraries not only shaped future readings but it also welcomed everyone as a whole.