Tutorial 3: Searching the Web

       The internet is a worldwide resource of information and one of the main reasons people use the web is in order to find specific information, such as text, pictures, music, and video. In order to locate this information on the web we use search tools. There are two types of search tools, which are search engines and subject directories.

Search Engines:
Search engines are helpful in locating information in which you don't know the exact web address or are not looking for a specific web site. There are thousands of different search engines available for use. Some search engines will search all types of information, and others you can specify what type of information you want, such as images, videos, audio, news, maps, people or business, and blogs. When using a search engine you enter a word or phrase that is called the search text, and it describes the type of item you want to find. Search engines usually respond with thousands of results, depending on the type of search and how broad or specific your search is. Some search results link straight to web pages or articles, well others results are media. Many times you will find that items that appear from your search results have little or no purpose to what you are actually seeking. You can eliminate this by carefully entering search texts that will limit the search. In this next link is a great example of ways you can make you search text in the search engine Google more limited.   http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=136861
The results of a search are more commonly called hits, and each hit in the list is linked to the associated web site or web page, that was returned from your search. Most search engines use a program called a spider. This program builds and maintains lists of words found on web sites. When you enter your search, the search engine scans the prebuilt list for hits.

Subject Directories:
A subject directory provides a categorized list of links arranged by a subject. When using this type of search tool you select a particular topic, then by clicking links at different levels you go from general to more specific. Once you click on one category link the subject directory displays a list of subcategory links, from which you then again choose subcategory links. You continue doing this until you have reached a list of web pages about your desired topic. A major disadvantage factor about subject directories is that users have a difficult time choosing the right category they want as they move through the menus of links.

Sources:
< Picture created by Ethan Ashurst in Paint, Copyright 2011 > 


< Gary B. Shelly and Misty E. Vermaat. Discovering Computers 2010. ch.2. pgs. 85-88 >

Database Project

    In the database project I learned ways of using Microsoft Access. I have never used it before so it was all new to me. I learned how to create tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports in Microsoft Access. I also learned how to import data into access and how to format and edit the data. This Project gave me a better understand of how a database can be very useful.
     One way I believe you could enhance the functionality of the database would be to create a query with age groups so that it would enable you to see what age group your gym most likely targets. I believe by doing this it would give the gym owner a better understanding of what age group they should target. If you set it up so it showed different age groups and also out of those age groups which had the most amount of end dates this would also be some helpful information. That's one way I believe you could effectively enhance this database.

Web 2.0 Presentation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoO9gktdthM


        In my presentation I used logical flow by explaining what the company does, how they use research to improve there company, what there strategy is after the research, how they have improved there company to achieve there strategy, then finally how they have completed and continue to improve there goals. It could be improved by maybe organizing the information, so it is more user friendly and easier to understand. I feel that I answered most questions that would explain the concept. There could be points in the presentation were you might have more in depth questions, but giving you all the little details would make the presentation long and boring and probably more confusing. I tried making the first two slides more interesting and general in order to grab attention quickly. I added a diagram in the second slide to make it easier to understand. I didn't ask many questions because I didn't feel that many people would know much about the company Zurich, so I mainly just explained what the company was all about. I tried to clearly and precisely explain the concept in order for the viewer to understand what I was trying to say. Any claims I made were believable and were backed up by facts. By making the slides simple and easy to understand I feel that it avoided any clutter and by not adding to many pictures to one slide. I attempted to make the slides very easy to read so the viewer would not be trying to read my slides and would listen to what I was saying. Also I didn't show everything on the slide at once, I put the information up as I was saying it.
        By critiquing someone else's presentation it helped me to be able to critique my presentation better. Also it also gave me new ideas and ways to better my presentation. I learned different techniques of doing things that I didn't think of doing before and it also taught me some things that are not good to do. Not only did it teach me new and better ways of doing things, it also helped me better understand things that you should avoid doing.
       Doing this project has taught me new ways of using web 2.0. Many of the tools you had to use to create this project were new to me and now I am more familiar with them. This project will be a big help when in the business world. I will now know how to create a better and more effective presentation and by being able to do this may help me achieve goals I may have within a company. Also by having this knowledge will make me more valuable to a business.