Name:Bare Bones 101
Brief Description of the Site:
They say we humans use only a small portion of our brainpower (and a smaller portion of our computer’s processing ability) And we also use a small fraction of the Web’s power to search for information. But this site can help…with Web searches, anyway. Created by the Head Librarian at the University of South Carolina’s Beaufort campus, this is a series of easy-to-read and easy-to-grasp lessons on Web searching and related topics. Just for its “Lesson 8: Boolean Operators†alone it is worthwhile, especially for anyone who wants to maximize the powers of the various search engines. Also eye-opening is “Lesson 4: Gateways and Subject-Specific Databases†which tells about “the invisible Web†(possibly 60-80% of all Web content) and how to access it. Also eye-opening is “Lesson 6: creating a Search Strategy†which provides little-known tips about entering keywords. There are also separate lessons on AltaVista, Google, Ixquick (a metasearch engine).
How to use the site:
For yourself, to brush up on things you probably perhaps once knew plus all those “gee, wow!†new things that you’ll be certain to try out. Seriously, when was the last time you used the Boolean Operator ANDNOT or the Proximity Operator FBY? You might, after reading Lesson 8. Another use is for your students. Although the Growing Up Digital generation probably thinks it knows all there is to know about the Web, some of them might gain from browsing, or even studying, this pleasant site.
