CEdO 540 Post#5

It is amazing the wealth of knowledge that can be obtained through a few simple keystrokes. I think back to high school and how I searched for information by going to the library and finding hard copies of information. Now, individuals can find all the same information and more by connecting to the internet.
The annotated assignment revealed sites that offered information and data specific to searches, and sites that linked to resources that would provide the information. In many instances, significant time was needed to find what was being searched, but the process was still easier than physically taking a body to the information. As a parent, I like to know that my kids are in the best schools, and now that information is brought to me. I digest that information before making travel plans to visit the schools that my boys will attend. I like the fact that I can enter the walls of a school to see the culture and academic performance while sipping coffee in my pajamas. Although not the only means to finding information, many sites provide the starting point for gathering information about an area of interest, and provide additional outlets for further study.
The Google Trends assignment provided a analysis of a tool that could be a great starting point for research. Although the data lacks specific numbers indicating the scale of searches, it does provide numerous links to additional information about a subject. For instance, Trends can identify when searches increase in intensity (by year), and also shows the impact this information has in the media. Geographic data can be analyzed to show the frequency of a search specific to location. An event overseas may not get much attention in the U.S., or more specifically, Sheboygan, but data would show geographically where this event was important to users and when it became important. As I said, Trends provides a great starting point for information retrieval, but the vagueness of the data provided are somewhat limiting for serious use.