Today we discussed metadata in many forms and structures: hierarchical taxonomies, user-generated folksonomies, subject-specific thesaurii such as MeSH, and the revealing patterns created by analyzing our personal metadata, such as that generated by emails. On Wednesday, March 11 we’ll discuss the mechanics of searching, including how search engines work. We’ll also address databases: what they are and what’s in them.
For Wednesday, please read the following:
Badke Ch. 3, “Database Searching with Keywords and Hierarchies”
Liddy, How a Search Engine Works
Your blogging assignment is one reading response blog post.
~Prof. L.
Looking at the Idea of a Search Engine.
Information. We seek it, for we need it, and the search engine will help it emerge from the depths of the world wide web. We use the most abstract words to help specify what we want. That includes quotes, and even unique codes to help specify things. And behold, what was once sought out summoned itself before us. All thanks to search engines. I mean, have anyone questioned that reason why certain search engines are so effective at their job, despite their “abnormalities”. For instance, when we type up something, why is it that we are quick to anger when the results unveiled are useless to us, but as equal swift to shift our perceptive when the results appeal to our satisfaction? Wait. Lets try this. Why is it that what we find that is the most popular, or is connected to past searches, manifest itself before us, subliminally as advertisement, or results that have nothing to do with what we are looking for? In Elizabeth Liddy statement “Actually consumers would really prefer a finding engine, rather than a search engine” is an inclination that is worth the readers attention. Why a search engine, and not a finding engine? Two similar phrases, that can mean completely different things.