Search+Strategies


 * Search Strategies **

I have occasionally use Yahoo, but not often. That’s only three sites but that is all I have used. ** However, to save time, I think I’ll put the topics I’m searching for in quotes from now on. **
 * 1. The search engine I used to use all the time was Ask.com. After that I started using Google.
 * 2. I went to [|http://www.teoma.com] and typed in the following topics: ** ** -renewable resources: without quotes - 2,686 sites **
 * with quotes - 896 sites **
 * (a more refined search) **
 * - macular dystrophy: without quotes – 110,000 sites **
 * with quotes – 110,000 sites **
 * (no difference) **
 * - **** maine **** coon cats: without quotes – 177,000 sites **
 * with quotes - 177,000 sites **
 * (no difference) **
 * - air pollution: without quotes – 6,210,000 sites **
 * with quotes - 6,210,000 sites **
 * (no difference) **
 * - natural resources without quotes - 43,000,000 sites **
 * with quotes - 43,000,000 sites **
 * (no difference) **
 * - bulging disc without quotes - 153,000 sites **
 * with quotes - 26,000 sites **
 * (a more refined search) **
 * Conclusion: I’m sure quotes often help, but not always. It just depends on what you’re looking for.


 * 3. The Boolean operators are helpful. I haven’t used those before either. I like the boolify.org website. It yields a limited number of sites which are helpful and manageable. **


 * 4. I haven’t had too much lick with [|www.easywhois.com]. When I type in a website the response is always, “This site is available for registration.” I never learn who posted the site to begin with. **


 * 5. Domains: **
 * .aero – reserved for aviation only **
 * .asia – reserved for Pan-Asia and the Asian community **
 * .biz - reserved for business sites **
 * .com – reserved for commercial sites **
 * .coop – reserved for co-ops and cooperative organizations **
 * .edu – educational sites **
 * .gov - government sites **
 * .info – information services **
 * .jobs – reserved for employment and human resource management **
 * .k12 – reserved for schools and school districts **
 * .mil - military websites and email addresses **
 * .mobi – used by mobile units (cell phones, etc.)to access the **
 * internet **
 * .museum - for museum websites and email addresses **
 * .name – reserved for personal use **
 * .net – host site **
 * .org – nonprofit **
 * .pro – professionals **
 * .sch – used as a sub-domain name to represent schools in some **
 * foreign countries such as **** England **** and **** Iran **
 * .tel – a single point of contact on the web (cell phone, blogs, **
 * emails, etc.) **
 * .travel – travel and tourism industry **


 * 6. **** I searched for a list of boarding schools in **** Kampala ****, **** Uganda **** and had some success. I then wanted to find out how much it casts to send a child to the Humble school in **** Mukono **** , **** Uganda **** . I had no luck at all. **


 * 7. **** I wanted to compare the number of museums in **** Rwanda **** with the number of museums in **** Uganda **** . I went to Google and typed in “museums AND **** Rwanda **** .” I found seven museums and six genocide memorials. I then typed in “museums and **** Uganda **** ” which yielded only one result and it didn’t give me the name of a single museum in **** Uganda **** . Now I wonder does **** Uganda **** really not have any museums? I find it hard to believe they don’t even have one. Why were my results so different? **


 * 8. **** A. I went to Google Book Search under reference tools and typed in the title of a book I had wanted to find for my daughter who is pregnant with her first child. I had the book when I was pregnant with her. I keyed in the title and the search engine found it on Amazon.com so I took time out of my studies to order it and have it sent to her. She will get it in three days. YEA. This assignment paid off in a very concrete way. :) **


 * B. I went to People Profiles. I shared this with my husband. We found my husband’s long lost friend from college who is currently an attorney in **** Arizona **** . We also found my husband’s ex-girlfriend who currently lives in **** Detroit **** . **


 * C. I went to maps and typed in my zip code. I found not only my street but I found a photo of the front of my house and I could view full circle in every direction! Very cool. I checked out my daughter’s house, my parents’ house, and my in-laws’ house. I shared this with my husband, too, and he got as excited as I did. He showed my where he lived, in **** Elizabeth ** ** City ****, **** North Carolina **** . And also three of his old houses in **** Weatherford **** , **** TX **** . **

F. I went to the area code window, typed in 214, and found that 214 is a Texas area code. I used to know that but had forgotten it.
== G. I went to the health conditions window and, since my daughter and son-in-law are planning a trip to Guatemala, I typed in malaria in Guatemala and found they need to get a typhoid shot and some malaria medication before they go. Good to know. J ==

== I showed my daughter, Annie, the Google Maps site and the people profilesand was expecting quite a bit of excitement. However, since she is a member of the digital generation, she was already familiar with the sites and was not too excited. ==