Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Multimedia search engines
This first video features an interesting discussion related to the use of data by computer companies and its implications.
Then, we will analyze one of the most interesting future developments in the area of search engines consists in the capability to search for images, video, etc., based on pattern recognition. A futuristic application of search engines can be visualized in the following video: - Sixth Sense Demo
How will search engines evolve in the future? How close are we to some of the pattern recognition feats that are common in movies (i.e. automatically recognizing a person from a traffic camera)? What is the potential of real time searching? Will augmented reality change the future?
Find at least two articles that make reference to the future evolution of search engine and find one pilot site that does such searches. Post these articles, together with short comments, in your blogs, as well as relating your user experience of the multimedia search engine.
Google features
As you probably know, Google has many more features, apps and services than just the search engine itself. Some of them, like Google News or Gmail or Google Maps, are very well known, but other are truly interesting and useful and are not so popular.
Your assignment consists in:
Your assignment consists in:
- Find 5 Google applications that are not well known.
- For each of them, explain what their function is, how they work technically and give one example of its application, including a screenshot of it.
- Explore, on top of the 5 above, Google Now and Google+, and reflect on their applications and potential.
- Choose one of these applications and state how it could be used in the school to enhance anything we do in class.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
SEO SASS
As a way to practice SEO, we will first review our school page (www.sanandres.esc.edu.ar) with SEO analysis simulators, and then work towards suggesting specific actions to improve our visibility.
Steps include:
Steps include:
- Finding sites that analyze SEO information about a web page.
- Work with the Development Department to identify those queries that need addressing so that our school ranks higher in them.
- Utilize White Hat techniques to improve the visibility of the page.
- Have screen dumps before and after SEO with Google and other search engines.
The Filter Bubble
We will first watch the following video:
A site that makes reference to issues related to the Filter Bubble are:
We will then read the following article on privacy issues on the Internet.
Then we will complete the following assignment, working in groups of 2:
1- Login with your Google account (Gmail, Hotmail) and perform a search query individually. Then have the other members of your group do the same. Do you notice any difference? With what type of search query? Formulate your conclusions taking into account the content of the video.
2- Summarize some of the concerns regarding privacy for Google and search engines. Are they founded?
3- Investigate "who Google thinks you are" and post a comment on that.
4- Search for "how Target knew a teenage girl was pregnant" and comments on the implications to privacy.
Post your assignments on your blogs.
A site that makes reference to issues related to the Filter Bubble are:
We will then read the following article on privacy issues on the Internet.
Then we will complete the following assignment, working in groups of 2:
1- Login with your Google account (Gmail, Hotmail) and perform a search query individually. Then have the other members of your group do the same. Do you notice any difference? With what type of search query? Formulate your conclusions taking into account the content of the video.
2- Summarize some of the concerns regarding privacy for Google and search engines. Are they founded?
3- Investigate "who Google thinks you are" and post a comment on that.
4- Search for "how Target knew a teenage girl was pregnant" and comments on the implications to privacy.
Post your assignments on your blogs.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Analyzing Search Engines
During the video that we watched, several key issues related to the inner workings of web search engines are discussed, as well as how web engines process their indexes.
We will use this assignment to try to visualize in a practical way how search engines, in this case Google, have such a powerful influence in how businesses and even individuals fare in society.
Answer the following questions in pairs, and post the answers on your blog.
1) Suppose you want to find whether its is worth buying a hybrid car or not, so perform a search query on on Google and one other web search engine. Every time you access Google and the other search engine you should enter the same text. Please answer the following questions:
a. Which of the two search engines is better and why? What objective criteria would you use to compare them?
b. Analyze the results from the first search for both search engines and explain the reasons why you think the the first four sites appear at the top.
c. What can you conclude about each search engine’s ranking algorithms? Research the differences and similarities between both.
2) Explain what PageRank and SEO are and briefly outline how web site owners can utilize strategies to rank higher on search engines.
3) Conduct the following searches on Google:
- Arabian Gulf
- I can read Wikipedia
- Investigate what happened in 2014 regarding the search for "what time is the Superbowl 2014"
and, with regards to the above searches, explain what “Google bombing” is as well as its potential implications for individuals and organizations.
We will use this assignment to try to visualize in a practical way how search engines, in this case Google, have such a powerful influence in how businesses and even individuals fare in society.
Answer the following questions in pairs, and post the answers on your blog.
1) Suppose you want to find whether its is worth buying a hybrid car or not, so perform a search query on on Google and one other web search engine. Every time you access Google and the other search engine you should enter the same text. Please answer the following questions:
a. Which of the two search engines is better and why? What objective criteria would you use to compare them?
b. Analyze the results from the first search for both search engines and explain the reasons why you think the the first four sites appear at the top.
c. What can you conclude about each search engine’s ranking algorithms? Research the differences and similarities between both.
2) Explain what PageRank and SEO are and briefly outline how web site owners can utilize strategies to rank higher on search engines.
3) Conduct the following searches on Google:
- Arabian Gulf
- I can read Wikipedia
- Investigate what happened in 2014 regarding the search for "what time is the Superbowl 2014"
and, with regards to the above searches, explain what “Google bombing” is as well as its potential implications for individuals and organizations.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
How Search Engines Work
Our first topic for analysis and discussion is how search engines work. Search engines have become an essential component of everyday life and their influence is undoubtedly far reaching.
We will learn about the topic by watching the following video from a lecture by Dr. Marti Hearst at the University of California at Berkeley.
There is plenty of information available on the inner workings of search engines. Two such links include: - How Internet Search Engines Work at howstuffworks.
We will learn about the topic by watching the following video from a lecture by Dr. Marti Hearst at the University of California at Berkeley.
There is plenty of information available on the inner workings of search engines. Two such links include: - How Internet Search Engines Work at howstuffworks.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Validating sources
When we look for information on the web, we must first assess its validity. The following links provide information on how to evaluate the reliability of a web site:
Take two statements from the Terra 2050 Videos and, using web search engines, try to assess their validity.
In order to do this, you must write a short document citing the sources used and the reasons why you arrive at a certain conclusion.
All assignments should include:
- Statement.
- Annotated links with a short discussion on how they tend to prove or disprove the statement.
- A brief analysis of the validity of each source.
- A conclusion that sums up the above.
The assignment must be done in pairs, and published on each team member's personal blog before the end of the lesson today.
Criteria for grading include:
- Clarity of presentation, including summarizing.
- Quality and depth of the analysis.
- Use of valid sources.
Take two statements from the Terra 2050 Videos and, using web search engines, try to assess their validity.
In order to do this, you must write a short document citing the sources used and the reasons why you arrive at a certain conclusion.
All assignments should include:
- Statement.
- Annotated links with a short discussion on how they tend to prove or disprove the statement.
- A brief analysis of the validity of each source.
- A conclusion that sums up the above.
The assignment must be done in pairs, and published on each team member's personal blog before the end of the lesson today.
Criteria for grading include:
- Clarity of presentation, including summarizing.
- Quality and depth of the analysis.
- Use of valid sources.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)