Using Web Browsers
1a. What is the title and URL of the web page you are defaulted to?
GMU Blackboard
1b. Why did this appear? How can you change the default setting so that another web page automatically loads when you launch the web browser?
It's the default page. To change the home page in Firefox, select "Tools" and then click "Options". A box will appear where you can change the home page.
2. Can you change the appearance of web pages within your browser (e.g., the font face and size)? If so, how? Why would you want to?
Yes. Select "Tools" and then "Options" again. In the "Content" tab, you can change the default font and font size. This would be beneficial for people who have a hard time reading smaller fonts.
What's the default search engine associated with your web browser? How do you get to it?
I believe it's google. A small search bar is located next to the address bar.
Searching the Web
4a. How many search matches did you get? Can you estimate how many actually relate to search?
About 314,000,000 total search results. Probably less than half.
4b. How many with quotation marks?
About 35,600. Probably more than half.
5. Are the number of hits consistent across search engines? If not, what do you think accounts for the differences? After looking at each of the above search engines, in what cases would you use a search engine that is not your current default (most likely Google)?
No, certain engines (Yahoo) come up with more narrowed results than others (Google). However, I think Google's searches try harder to include all of your search terms than other engines, which may explain why the result numbers are smaller.
6. Is this a search engine? If not, what would you call it? If you decide that it is, list the reasons that you would classify it as a search engine.
No, I wouldn't consider it a search engine, because it seems to only encompass providing definitions for the terms provided.
Using Metasearch Sites
7a. What is the main difference between a metasite and a regular search site?
It has links to other search engines right below its search bar.
7b. Do a search for learning to make web pages. How many matches did you get? How are the matches organized?
It doesn't really give an estimate of how many pages it pulls up, but they're all organized by how many key terms I entered into the search bar (most to least). You can toggle between images, websites, videos, news, etc. They also offer alternative searches on the left sidebar.
7c. Link to a couple of the sites in the search results list. Can you estimate how many of the searches actually relate to learning to make web pages?
8a. (On Mamma) Do a search for learning to make web pages. How many matches did you get? How are the matches organized?
There is no estimated number of results, but the first page shows at least 16 pages of matches. You can organize them by web results, news, images, and video from the sidebar on the top left.
8b. How do the matches on Mamma differ from the matches you found in search 7?
They seem to be organized the same way, but Mamma seems to give me more forums and blogs than the site in #7.
Finding Multimedia Elements
9a. Either head to one of the search sites we've already used or head to one we haven't yet used and explore the front page of the site. Is there a way to search specifically for multimedia?
On Mamma, there are limited options for searching multimedia on the front page.
9b. If yes, what specific elements can you search for? What are your options? (If not, try another site!)
I can limit my searches to videos or photos from the main page.
9c. Do a search for a specific element (e.g., your favorite song, a picture of Britney Spears). How many matches do you get?
I did a video search for Valentine's Day, but no results were listed. I tried again with an image search and was given a whole page of related images.
9d. Are there any warnings, disclaimers, or other information provided about using the results of your multimedia searches embedded in the search interface?
No.
Web Hosting Sites
10. Finally, do a search for web hosting sites. You'll want to explore cost, features, and the benefits of using a hosting service. Create a separate section in your module1.html web page and provide a bit of data that describes the web hosting site you would most likely choose if you needed to host a website.
Though not necessarily a webhosting site, I do enjoy Tumblr because I have a good amount of experience with its code, and I have a wider range of flexibility when designing and linking pages and content. It's most suited for blogging or filing purposes, which I believe my final project will entail.
Another option would be Weebly, though I'm not sure if I have to stick with preset themes or if I can make one of my own entirely from scratch.
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