What was life like BG? . . . Before Google

So there has been much debate and bantering about the use of Google and its validity in my recent grad course. It got me thinking. I have not been a proponent of Google per say, but I have found myself more of an admirer lately and I have to stop and think why, and is this really good?

Am I just using Google because it is the easiest way to find something or are there some other reasons that draw me to that URL? This will require some thought. The first thing I noticed about the Google search engine, way back when (1998) was the lack of clutter. Being a digital immigrant who is somewhat comfortable with technology, I am distracted by the clutter on other search engine pages. I like the simple straight forward look of Google. I can get in, get what I want without being distracted and drawn to other sites. Does this make me ADD? I am not sure, I will have to research that question later!

After my initial experiences with Google, I have started to appreciate the assortment of tools and gadgets offered by Google and the possibilities it presents. Google Scholar, Maps, Reader, Earth, Calendar, Documents and Gmail have become some of my latest favorites. I see the value in such collaborative tools for the educational community. Twitter and Blogs are full of great tips and ideas for educators Barely a day goes by without seeing someone twitter or blog about the latest, greatest uses of something Google related.

So what is wrong with using Google? If you are looking for credible, information that is research based, you might have to look deeper. Google gives results by popularity of a site, it is therefore not always the best tool to use. Sometimes when you are looking for something specific, it it better to go to a smaller specialty store, the same can be true for search engines.

If you are looking for what search engine to use under different circumstances the best resource I have found is NoodleTools : http://www.noodletools.com . Here you will find recommendations on what search engine to use under a variety of circumstances. Whether you need to do research in a specific area, find the best primary sources, or find timelines, NoodleTools will lead you in the right direction. The list of research options seems limitless.

So is Google good or bad? I will have to leave that up to you.