Please Note : It is a good idea to print this assignment before following the screen directions. Another way to do the assignment is to have two browser windows or two tabs open and do the steps in one and switch to the other for entering your answers. I suggest you try this.

Open your browser. Answer the following questions.

Activity #1 - For the following questions please use both Yahoo! and AltaVista search engines.
http://www.yahoo.com/
http://www.altavista.com/

In the search box type garrison.

1. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
Yahoo!
AltaVista

2. What types of subjects were returned? Were the top matches different between the two search engines?

In the search box type garrison hearst.

3. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
Yahoo!
AltaVista

4. What types of subjects were returned? Were the top matches different between the two search engines?

Next to the search box you will find a link for Advanced Search at both Yahoo and AltaVista (some search engines call it More Precision). Click the links. In the search box that says include all of the words: at Yahoo and All these words at AltaVista, leave garrison hearst.

In the box at Yahoo that says exclude these words: and the similar box at AltaVista that says and none of these words type 49ers.

5. What phrase now appears in the search box instead of garrison hearst?

6. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
Yahoo!
AltaVista

7. What types of subjects were returned? Were the top matches different between the two search engines?

Go back to the basic search window in AltaVista by clicking on the link next to the FIND button. You probably don't need to go back in Yahoo.

Type the phrase "garrison hearst" +Bengals.

8. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
Yahoo!
AltaVista

Activity #2 - For the following questions please use the HotBot search engine.
http://hotbot.lycos.com/?query=

In the search box type "Martin Luther" AND NOT "Martin Luther King".

9. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
HOTBOT

10. What types of subjects were returned?

In the search box type "Martin Luther King " AND ("I Have a Dream" OR "Letter from a Birmingham Jail").

11. How many hits did you get? (note: Look for the Web Matches not the Sponsor Matches.)
HOTBOT

12. What types of subjects were returned?

Activity #3 - For the following questions please use any search engine or method you like. Perhaps Google. http://www.google.com

President Bush recently pushed through legislation to create a Cabinet Level Homeland Security Department. One branch of the new department is the United States Secret Service department.

Perform a search to find the URL for the United States Secret Service.

13. Describe your search, identify the search engine you used, indicate the search phrase or words that yielded the result and list the URL for the United States Secret Service.

Find what other departments and branches will fall under the new Homeland Security Department.

14. Describe your search, identify the search engine you used, indicate the search phrase or words that yielded the result and answer the question regarding what other departments and branches will fall under the new Homeland Security Department.

15. Advanced search modes particular to some of the search engines.

15A. Go to Google

Click on Advanced Search -- it's over to the right of the search box

Search for Web pages that meet these criteria:

You want information about best bike trails in Santa Cruz

You want Web pages updated within the last 3 months

You want Web pages that only come from educational domains (i.e., have .edu in their domain name) (You figure those college kids would know more than others about great bike trails)

What did you find?

15B. Go to AllTheWeb. Click on ADVANCED SEARCH.

Search for Web pages that meet these criteria:

• You want information about the best places for surfing in Santa Cruz
• You want Web pages that include images
• You want Web pages updated after 1 January 2001

Try again, for a different subject if you like, but add some other advanced search criteria such as:

• Results in a language other than English
• Results from a specific geographic region
• Results using the Domain or Word filters to exclude something

What did you find?

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