About Me
- Brendan
- I am a professional educator by trade, but by my definition, I am much more than that. I wear many hats; including, but not limited to, Father, Husband, Son, Step-Father, Ex-Husband, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Super Geek (love technology), Trainer, Coach, Student, Writer, Dreamer, and Leader. For fun I am an avid golfer and consider myself a blessed individual because I have the greatest wife in the world that loves to golf with me.
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Thursday, September 8, 2011
Lesson 10 Using the Internet to Support Your Speech
The purpose of this lesson is to help you use the Internet to find supporting material for your speech.
Using a Good Mix of Sources (Print and Internet)
Using a variety of sources will enhance the credibility of your speech. Although the Internet is considered an integral part of our life, it still carries a stigma of not be credible.
Why? Well there is so much information on the Web and most of it comes from unreliable and/or undocumented claims. It's okay to use the Web for some of your research, but not all of it.
Now I am going to confuse you. A majority of what we call "printed material" can be accessed online, but is not considered to be the Internet. Printed material can be thought of as material that is found somewhere on a shelf or database. Printed material is often well documented and researched based. A medical journal that is online can be considered printed material, but medical advice on someones blog or website is Internet material. Comprende? Good, let's move on.
Starting at the Library
Physical libraries or a library portal is a great starting point. As stated in Lesson 9, libraries have access to large amounts of printed material and databases.
Here's another great resource- Virtual Libraries
www.vlib.org
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking has been described as "purposeful reflective judgment concerning what to believe or what to do." This will play a role in gathering resources for your speech.
It's a good habit to ALWAYS question the credibility of a source. Here are some good questions to ask:
What's the Deal with Search Engines
Let me get a little techy on you with search engines. Currently Google is the God of all searches engines and everyone wants to get ranked high so their site comes up first. Well those geniuses at Google (who I envy very much) have developed a fancy algorithm called PageRank (named after the co-founder Larry Page) to determine who gets listed above somebody else. I will not go into great detail here, but just know it's not always the most credible and relevant information you searched for.
Now the boys at Google are always working on making searches more relevant, and with the growth of social media there is going to be some more changes of how search results appear. Just know that you must use your critical thinking skills when clicking on any web site.
Here is something that will help you though. Any site ending in .edu or .gov has to go through a special process to get that extension. It's safe to say that a .edu is going to be a educational institution and .gov will be government.
Anyone can get a .org or any other domain extension.
Search Engine vs. Subject Directory
A search engine can be defined as a program that searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. Although search engine is really a general class of programs, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google, Alta Vista and Excite that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web and USENET newsgroups.
Typically, a search engine works by sending out a spider to fetch as many documents as possible. Another program, called an indexer, then reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document. Each search engine uses a proprietary algorithm to create its indices such that, ideally, only meaningful results are returned for each query.
A subject directory can be defined as a directory that is comprised of links organized into subject categories by human beings. Subject directories are intended primarily for browsing; that is, the searcher may peruse a subject hierarchy in search of information. Many also feature a search program.
Common search directories include:
DMOZ (www.dmoz.org)
Yahoo! Directory (dir.yahoo.com)
Academic Info (www.academicinfo.net)
There are also meta-search engines that scan a variety of individual search engines simultaneously. Meta-search engines run "wide" but not necessarily "deep." Some example of meta-search engines include:
Dogpile (www.dogpile.com)
Metacrawler (www.metacrawler.com)
Ixquick (www.ixquick.com)
FYI: I use Metacrawler quite frequently!!!
"Tainted" Searches
Here's the quick and dirty with what I call "tainted" searches. All search engines make money of advertising. You will find that anytime you do a search there are two to three search results at the top (usually highlighted in a different color) that paid money to get there. Just because someone paid to get to the top, doesn't mean they are the best.
Advertising is big money and I'm all for it. In fact all the advertisements on my site are paid advertisements. Because I am listing them on my site, I get a portion of the money when someone clicks on an ad.
Many of these ads are great in what they offer and the information they give. As with all things, you just need to use your critical thinking skills when viewing a site.
If you are on a site and you see an ad that interests you, go and click on it. There just might be something that interests you and you are helping someone out financially.
Good Search Commands
There are a few tips that will help you find what you are looking for. Sometimes it is good to be very specific in your searches and sometimes it is good to be general.
If you are needing to be specific or need to refine your search because there is a billion returns on your inquiry, you can do the following:
Citing Your Sources
I use this site.
http://www.citationmachine.net/
Questions
Using a Good Mix of Sources (Print and Internet)
Using a variety of sources will enhance the credibility of your speech. Although the Internet is considered an integral part of our life, it still carries a stigma of not be credible.
Why? Well there is so much information on the Web and most of it comes from unreliable and/or undocumented claims. It's okay to use the Web for some of your research, but not all of it.
Now I am going to confuse you. A majority of what we call "printed material" can be accessed online, but is not considered to be the Internet. Printed material can be thought of as material that is found somewhere on a shelf or database. Printed material is often well documented and researched based. A medical journal that is online can be considered printed material, but medical advice on someones blog or website is Internet material. Comprende? Good, let's move on.
Starting at the Library
Physical libraries or a library portal is a great starting point. As stated in Lesson 9, libraries have access to large amounts of printed material and databases.
Here's another great resource- Virtual Libraries
www.vlib.org
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking has been described as "purposeful reflective judgment concerning what to believe or what to do." This will play a role in gathering resources for your speech.
It's a good habit to ALWAYS question the credibility of a source. Here are some good questions to ask:
- Is it well documented?
- How long ago was the research done? (As we all know, research findings change. If you go back far enough in your research you can find where smoking was good for your health. Crazy)
- How long ago was the site updated?
- Will my audience accept the source(s) I am using?
- Is there similar information/data that can also be found relating to this information?
Ask a better question and you will get a better answer.
What's the Deal with Search Engines
 |
| Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google Founders) |
Now the boys at Google are always working on making searches more relevant, and with the growth of social media there is going to be some more changes of how search results appear. Just know that you must use your critical thinking skills when clicking on any web site.
Here is something that will help you though. Any site ending in .edu or .gov has to go through a special process to get that extension. It's safe to say that a .edu is going to be a educational institution and .gov will be government.
Anyone can get a .org or any other domain extension.
Search Engine vs. Subject Directory
A search engine can be defined as a program that searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. Although search engine is really a general class of programs, the term is often used to specifically describe systems like Google, Alta Vista and Excite that enable users to search for documents on the World Wide Web and USENET newsgroups.
Typically, a search engine works by sending out a spider to fetch as many documents as possible. Another program, called an indexer, then reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document. Each search engine uses a proprietary algorithm to create its indices such that, ideally, only meaningful results are returned for each query.
A subject directory can be defined as a directory that is comprised of links organized into subject categories by human beings. Subject directories are intended primarily for browsing; that is, the searcher may peruse a subject hierarchy in search of information. Many also feature a search program.
Common search directories include:
DMOZ (www.dmoz.org)
Yahoo! Directory (dir.yahoo.com)
Academic Info (www.academicinfo.net)
There are also meta-search engines that scan a variety of individual search engines simultaneously. Meta-search engines run "wide" but not necessarily "deep." Some example of meta-search engines include:
Dogpile (www.dogpile.com)
Metacrawler (www.metacrawler.com)
Ixquick (www.ixquick.com)
FYI: I use Metacrawler quite frequently!!!
"Tainted" Searches
Here's the quick and dirty with what I call "tainted" searches. All search engines make money of advertising. You will find that anytime you do a search there are two to three search results at the top (usually highlighted in a different color) that paid money to get there. Just because someone paid to get to the top, doesn't mean they are the best.
Many of these ads are great in what they offer and the information they give. As with all things, you just need to use your critical thinking skills when viewing a site.
Good Search Commands
There are a few tips that will help you find what you are looking for. Sometimes it is good to be very specific in your searches and sometimes it is good to be general.
If you are needing to be specific or need to refine your search because there is a billion returns on your inquiry, you can do the following:
- Use quotation marks around the complete phrase your are looking for. The search engines will return results that have the complete phrase together. Example- if I type in mad cow in the search box I could get back anything that has the word mad in it and anything with cow in it. If I enclosed the words "mad cow" then the search engine will only return results that have those two words together.
- You can use the Advanced Search tab located on the search engine to narrow down you searches.
Citing Your Sources
I use this site.
http://www.citationmachine.net/
Questions
- What do you look for when you are searching for credible sources on the Internet? How do you know that the site you are on is a "credible" site?
- Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
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When I am doing an assignment that requires me to do research or use sources, I am careful about the websites that I get information from. I like to use Google, and when the results come up, I automatically go to the fifth page of results. That is usually where I find the really good stuff, instead of the sites that come up first because they pay for the advertising space. I also don’t spend my time looking at sites with .com addresses. When I go to a website, I like to check for information that I could use to cite the source, such as an author name and a date of publication. Also, I look for websites that have a works cited section. That way, I know that they didn’t make up the information. When I do research, it is also helpful to compare and contrast information from different websites. If there is a big discrepancy in information, then it’s a red flag to me that one of the sites isn’t accurate.
There are a few things I look for while I’m searching websites to make sure they are credible. I look at the last updated date. You do not want to find statistics or information from an old site. You would look very stupid. You don’t want to get up to give a presentation and give information that is so outdated. It is also important to check and see if the site is scholarly sourced. You can never go wrong with the .edu and .gov sites. They have to go through special inspections to pass. You can also go to the reference page and their should be a lot of quoted research and peer reviewed research. I think it is very important to be able to research in the correct way. Whether your searching the web for your own knowledge or using it for research materials you want to look at updated and credited material. Don’t look like a fool, be research cool!
What do you look for when you are searching for credible sources on the Internet? How do you know that the site you are on is a "credible" site?
First, I am sure to check the domain extension, as mentioned in this post. Also, like a public speaker, appearance makes or breaks credibility. If a website does not look professional then I will not stay around looking for very long. Especially when doing research and looking for those reliable sources, I look for organization, clarity, educational tone and aestheticism. Another thing I really appreciate is when there is information on the author. Knowing who wrote what, and what their credentials are makes a big difference.
When looking for a trustworthy site, I almost always go straight to the school online library so I can search databases and have access to lots of different material. One specification I really like is being able to filter out those results that are not peer edited or from a scholarly journal. Even without that capability though, the results from using the Browning Library are so much more reliable than, say, a google search. All in all, I will say that the more research papers you write, and the more educated you become, the more you recognize and value credible sources.
2. I think that the advertisements are more viruses than anything. I have actually clicked on one and it ended up just being a site to win a cruise. I lost my site, I had to restart my computer and it was just a complete mess! I think that you should just stick with the site that you are looking up, cause you could just lose your information site like I did. It could ruin your computer and make it slow. Then you are just wasting time when you could be looking up information on your topic. It is just a big waste of time!
Question 2
The only reason why I would click on an advertisement on a site is because it interests me. And I'm all for trying new things and am always looking for something new to try and/or entertain me. Why wouldn't I click on something? Because it doesn't interest me. Personally I find advertisements annoying especially when they pop up in the middle of something you are doing or you keep seeing the same one over and over again. Yes they are good and smart to help grow a business, but I am not a fan. Is there and benefits for me with advertisements? Sometimes. But just because I may find something new to try. Like if I am Facebook sometimes it looks at my interests and like and will pull some things up that may be something I would want to look into. And every once in a while I do click on it. But rarely I do.
2.Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
I say if you do not want to be overloaded with emails or have your computer contract a virus do not click on the advertisements. To many of these hackers now of days are so smart and can disguse there intentions behind adds on the internet. They can get a hold of your email, figure out your password. There has been a survey that the majority of people use the same password for the email as they do when they use there online banking. Be careful out there! As a person who has there idenity stolen I find it very hard to trust what is on the internet now a days. Yes there are some legitiment advertisements and im sure people still click on them everyday and get what they want. But im sure they also get emails everyday overloading there inbox to the point they ever wonder why they click on that little flashing box online. So to me I dont see there being a benefit to clicking on advertisments on the internet.
Question 1
There are many ways to look for credibility on an internet source. Many times i will always look for a Harvard related, encyclopedia type source or a .org or .gov. These all to me seem to have very good credibility through my experience and from then on I just try to look at who wrote the stuff. If you go on to a web-site and its written by a blogger with quotes from a Doctor. It may be usable and viewed as credible but why not just look to that doctoor and take exactly what they say from it. Another way is to look at the sources cited in the website. If it has a credible list of sources or is written by a Doctor or a well educated person in that field then in my opinion i feel that i can use it in my papers. But there are many ways that people try to make themselves seem credible so its really a fine line and a good judgement on your part as an educated student to try to decipher what is a credible source and what is not.
I usually don't click on ads on a site unless it really interests me. I don't know if there is a benefit to me to clicking on the ads unless it's something I would really use. But even then, I usually search it out myself because for the most part, I don't know how “credible” the ad is I'm clicking on. I'd rather go to a place that I had used before that I was sure was credible. I'm a very cautious person, or rather, I have learned to be. I may not be by nature, but life changes us. That's a discussion for a whole other time. But for the most part, ads on the page for me are more of a hindrance than a help. I don't believe I have ever clicked on an ad specifically meaning to use the product. Sometimes, maybe I think I might have clicked on ones out of sheer curiosity, but other than that, I've never had the inclination to click on an ad. I don't know if that will always be the case, but for the most part, I really don't like ads on a page. They take away from the rest of the site, I think. But on the other hand, I do accept that, like in your case, clicking on them would help out the pagemaster, but then again, sometimes it may not. You never know.
When I’m looking for a credible source I look for a couple of things before using the source to write a paper, making a power point, anything really. Of course looking at the end of the web site to see if it ends with .edu or .org informs me that the wed site is either from the government (.gov) or an educational web sit (.edu), these sites are what I want to be using. I think everyone knows this, no? WIKIPEDIA, back in the day I was their number one fan! I always used it to find information; horrible I know but it was a good start and what I got from it I would investigate to see if it was legit. Yup, all you have to do is branch out and double check to see if the information connects at some point and to make sure its relevant as well. I also check to see when the last time the wed site was updated and I do a little research on the wed site provider.
Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
Advertisements run the Internet. That's how people make money and overall it's a great idea! Personally I just find it annoying, and have learned to pay them no attention. I think many who use the Internet are the same way. When you see them on everything they just start to blend into the background like they're supposed to be there. I don't feel the need to ever click on these advertisements. First of all I have no money to be spending on anything since I am a poor college student. Second of all I could care less about most the things that are advertised online. The few things I find myself clicking on are for clothing stores where the advertisement says they're having a sale or special deal. If the advertisement has a shoe or dress on it, I'm more likely to pay it attention. But overall I find no benefits to clicking any advertisement from the websites I visit.
When I search for credible sources, I first think how reliable I actually need the information to be. For example, I don’t need to be looking for very credible sites when I’m looking up how to clean a stain out of your carpet. Something really helpful and important when looking for credible sources is to see where the information came from. For example, an internet blog is less credible than printed material. Another idea is to research the author. If there is no author named, than the source should be looked at as not very credible. If the author is known to be biased, than you will definitely want to get other perspectives or points of view. Making sure the source is fairly recent is also very important. I guess unless you are researching something back in the day or looking at facts or stories in history. Most sources have reviews that help to determine if the source is credible or not.
Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements
For the most part you would not be tempted into clicking on any advertisements on a website your on unless its a specific item you have in mind, but the majority of the advertisements on websites that people are on are not even closely related to the web page in the viewers eyes so everytime your on a web page and you see advertisements you tend to block them out because everytime your on the page the ad is something that you are disinterested in, therefor you stop even giving them a chance. In some cases however people get lucky and while on a web page they come across an ad that relates to them and possibly is exactly what they are interested in, many times people will even see an ad that improves something for them rather than what they were initially searching for, so advertisements can be helpful in some cases but for the most part they are ignored by the majority of internet users
Whether or not I'm going to click on an advertisement depends entirely on what I'm doing on the internet. If I'm just cruising around websites, reading blogs or CNN articles and I have time to kill I am more likely to click on an advertisement if it interests me. But when I'm doing research, or I have an email to send, or anything specific that I only have a limited amount of time for, or really can't afford to be distracted I won't even read advertisements. I'm also more prone to click on an advertisement that stays in the corner and minds it's own business. If an ad shows up and covers up the article I'm trying to read or follows my mouse down the screen, or opens up an entirely new window, I'm much less prone to care what that idea has to say. As a matter of fact, if the ad is obnoxious in any way, it has to be very good, or something that I actually really want because I will normally ignore it out because I'm so irritated. I think the best kind of ads are the one's that stay in the margins unless you put your mouse over the ad then they get bigger and even play video or audio.
Usually if I am ever looking for information I use the internet to find out things about my subject. First I usually go to Google to try and find a book online about whatever I am searching. It brings up many books and I start to peek through each one to find something about it. Or I go to a website from a library which has books online. I love getting information from books rather than the internet because you never know what can come up on the internet. I feel that books have more information and although it is harder to uncover material it’s usually facts and true information. I guess I never really know if the sites I look at are “credible” but I kind of assume that if it is in a library or on a library site that it must have some insurance of truth. That is why I personally like book sites that give you the opportunity to have a choice of book to give information. There is a book for almost everything out there.
I am kind of picky when it comes to the advertisements that I click on. The reason for this being that I have had a lot of family members, like my mom and little brother, who click on things and have gotten spyware or viruses from the adds that they click on. For a while I was overly careful about what I clicked on. But as I learn more about affiliate marketing and programs like Google adsense, and adwords , I am more open to clicking on ads and links. For me personally I don’t feel like there is much of a benefit when I click on ads, I know that it is helping others, especially if I purchase something when following someone’s link. I hope to get into some forms of affiliate marketing so that I can generate a little more income, when I get things going with that form of marketing naturally I will feel more like I’m benefitting from ads.
I don’t often click on web advertisements, but when I do, I prefer credible ones. There is a couple ways you can look at web advertising. Is it a site just simply trying to drive people to their web page or is a legit site with rich content. I have clicked on few web advertisements that brought me to a sight that I jumped out of as quickly as possible in fear of a virus. There are many web based companies that make their money by simply driving traffic to their sites. No real content is required for these companies to make money. However, I found that companies that are looking to build a real customer base will make a site with relative content that can improve your business, social life, etc… My initial reaction to the sight always comes from the layout and ease of scrolling through the web page. Drumming up business over the web has become so important for companies that most legit companies will invest their money into a sight. Another big thing for me is that if I don’t find what I am looking for on the first page then 90% of the time I will look for another site. There are too many websites out there for me to waste my time on one.
Searching for sources is one thing that I don't particularly like doing. I have always been extremely concerned if the information coming to me is actually credible. It still is not something I love but my english classes last year helped my nervousness with this searching quite a bit. Most often when I search for a source I am going to look on a site that someone has told me is a good credible site. Going through places like the schools Library site online to find sources and sites that were mentioned in this lesson are going to be the number ones on my researching list. From there I have learned that if the site has its information cited correctly and in a way that you can trace it back to where it came from assures me that the information should be credible. Information that comes from universities, medical journals, well known credible people and etc. are definitely things that give me the okay feeling to use the source.
Whether or not I click on an ad on a web page I am visiting depends on what I am doing and why I am on that particular page. Normally I would click on the ads if they are relevant to me or they pertain to something that I do or if they peak my interest. I strongly believe that eight times out of ten the ads will benefit me because I normally learn something new or I end up buying something that I know I couldn’t have gotten any where else for that same low price. The one thing that I don’t like about ads though on web pages are that they clutter up the page and are sometimes an eyesore to the page. Also they end up making me waste a lot of time because I spend the extra time looking at other things than I had planned on.
#2 Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
I most of the time do not click on side advertisements. Especially the ones that say "YOU JUST ONE A FREE (iPad / laptop / car / money / cruise / Golds Gym membership)". I find they usually are looking for contact information, with no intent of giving you what you want. I also have found that the ads on social media sites are the worst. They are the really seedy sites, the kind that make you feel like you will get a virus just by being there. I have found that there can be some good advertisements. Some companies are getting better with using advertisements are specified for just you, such as Google Ads. They are showing you advertisements based on what you have search and clicked on. I have found after I go to a website (particularly the highlighted ones that the lesson discussed), I will start seeing ads for the same website later one or similar ones. Those I am more likely to click on because they are things that interest me.
Sometimes it's hard to see a credible source just by a few lines in the search engine, so you may have to go to the actual site and then it can be fairly obvious if it is an official. Some ways I can tell before I go to the site, is the title will have some kind of trademark symbol next to it and maybe some contributors names. Some clues I use for when I am actually on a site is to go all the way to the bottom and it should have some companies and names in fine print, meaning that it is official. It is kind of hard to explain but you will be able to see it. As far as credibility, again if you look either on the very bottom or somewhere on the side to find a date somewhere, it shouldn't be too old or some information may be old as well, however it shouldn't be too recent because then it hasn't had much exposure for others to test it and prove it. Just as it was stated in the lesson, you can almost always trust any sites that end in "gov" or "edu." I also use sites and links that the college or professors suggest.That's always a safe way to go!
Usually when I search for credible sources on the internet, I base my original instinct on the presentation of the article or site. I check to see the color and whether or not it looks professional; usually the colorful ones written in comic sams are not plausible. Second, I look for the author and what kind of audience it is directed at; some may be for students who are looking for student activity plans and experiments. For medical purposes, I look for the title of the author, usually with an M.D. or higher and if there is a picture, their credibility rises. If it is professionally presented, with proper material presented, why not use it? Then you can verify the information by looking up the facts on another site to see if they correspond. Now I can look into using the “Son of a Citation Machine” website given in the previous lesson in public speaking.
With my experience one time I clicked an ad on a site it gave me adware that I ignored until it went away. I try to avoid most ads like a plage they normally just end badly for me. I do sometimes, but very rarely, click on ads not anymore chrome wont load the ads for me but that’s ok. Clicking ads can be both good and bad, when doing blog assignments its bad for me because then I might forget what I was doing and may even end up getting a virus or worse, a special offer on something I don’t need. However I could also find something good for me that would like a new mmo (massively multiplayer online game) or even an ad that can entertain me for a few seconds. I have had more bad experiences then good but that’s because I try not to click them after the bad and they normally don’t interest me.
How I searched for things before college and how I search for them now vary greatly. We get spoiled with the online library where we have unlimited access to scholarly journals, factual articles, ebooks, and a variety of other credible sources. This allows you the luxury of knowing that the sources you are using are credible sources. Before attending college I would use google and results would be inconsistent. Some topics would have great results while others would be merely mediocre. During this stage of research I think it is pretty simple to tell if a website is credible. The name of the website tells a lot about it. A website name like dictionary.com sounds a lot more credible than supergeek.com. The professionalism of the website is a big one for me as well. If it looks like a seventh grader put this together by cutting and pasting, my time will be better spent elsewhere.
Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
Well, think when you are watching T.V. and you see those infomercials that seem so sketchy with all the small print and seems like a fluke. But then there are those other commercials that seem real and seem legit, but are just a scam.
So when you are on the internet and different advertisements come up on the the screen, if you are on face book, email, google etc… There are some that seem pretty good and others that seem like the stupid ones on the television that come on a t 3am. If I were to click on a site, it would be because of my interest to it. I am not one of those people who click on something just because its their, that’s just stupid. Because it could be spam or could be just a stupid website.
But I also think that it is a great way to advertise businesses and events. Like for example face book, there are very few people that I know that don’t use face book. So many ads are on the side of the website. I personally have used face book to broadcast different events I am in charge of.
#1 - Tbe subject of credibility is a hard one for me and to be honest I don't know very much about searching for credible sources. In the theater, there are a lot of great speeches from great characters. These are called monologues and I have been performing them my entire life. I feel weird admitting this, but speeches for me are like a performance. It doesn't matter what I am speaking about, I just like the journey of a speech. The way the words ebb and flow and the emotion that rises and falls until the closing statement wraps it up in a nice package with nothing undone. I love how language can create such strong emotional responses and the excitement that comes from being the messenger of those powerful words. Unfortunately,I understand that theater is not real life and that although a speech is well written and well delivered, it doesn't mean that it, or the speaker, is credible. I am working on it though and hopefully I can create speeches that are credible and still speak to the actor within.
Advertisements can be tricky when researching online. They can be used to help find more information but it can be hard to sort out what is credible. Advertising is all about you is paying the bills for the research or the website. When you are on any old website there maybe advertisements from regular companies like insurance companies or car stores. Typically these links will only be trying to sell you some products to help the companies creating the advertisements. But if research is being done in credible sites links to the advertisers may be beneficial. Usually when it comes to scholarly journals and peer reviewed articles they will be sponsored by an organization similar to the article being produced. By clicking these links it may lead you to a whole new area to research. By doing this it will widen your area of research and it may give you the last pieces of information needed to complete your own research.
I would not click on an advertisement on a site. First off I think they are really annoying and pointless. But I bet some have some meaning but when i am looking for something on a site I usually don’t mess around I just get to the point and get the information that I need. Most of the time I feel like the advertisements are stupid and have nothing to do with the site. Are there any benefits to the site? It could be or couldn’t be. There are different types of advertisements on every site and change everyday. My personal opinion I think they have no benefit and are pointless. Also sometimes when you think you are clicking on an advertisement it would come up of something completely different. I think that you are looking for one thing and it’s dumb that there are so many distractions when you are only looking for one thing on the site.
2.Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
If you are on a website and you see advertisements off to the side or top of the screen, you can go ahead and click on them if they interest you. If you are on a credible website, then it should be completely safe for you to click on them. If the advertisements are showing up on the website, it means that the website gets a certain amount of money just by you clicking on them. The other money goes to the company that actually created the advertisement. If you were to create your own website, you could get money too from people clicking on the advertisements that you allow to be on your page. I am sure it is not very much money but I bet it would add up pretty quickly if you chose to put interesting advertisements on your site. By allowing interesting advertisements to be on your website, they are more likely to be clicked on by the people viewing your website.
When I am searching for credible sources online I usually look for the website. I've done many research projects in high school and my teachers never allowed us to use Wikipedia because people can go on and change it. When I look at websites I don't use websites where anyone can change the information because theybcan write just about everything. Most the time looking at websites I look at the URL and just the name and if it sounds like it's realiable. If it has a bunch of letters and words and the URL is really long and confusing I usually don't use it. Also looking at the websites I look to see when the site was last updated. If the informaton has been up to date and the statistics look like they are updated as well I consider itba good site. In high school my teachers loved it when we used online databases because that information is realiable. To me just looking at the website and reading some of the information and compare it to others you start to get an idea of what website is credible and usually it's one that just anyone can update and if the information has been updated recently.
When I look for credible sources there are a few things I avoid. The biggest thing I avoid is the Blogosphere. Sure Blogs could have valuable information embedded in the blog but the credible information is sometimes difficult to sift through, and could be hours sifting when you could just search somewhere else. Generally the mainstream media has to site their sources to be credible themselves. However you have to stay away from the pundits. For example you won’t find Chris Matthews on MSNBC giving a fair argument for the GOP. You also won’t find Sean Hannity Giving fair information for the Dems. Both have an inclination to spin informaton in their own direction. It’s getting more and more difficult to find credible news. If you know your audience and if they are all of the GOP way of thinking, you will probably be safe using a source like Sean Hannity. The most credible - and still not 100% - are edu. and gov. sites. Usually when I find a questionable site that doesn't end in edu or gov I try to decipher what they are trying to accomplish. If it seems honorable then when I present the information to the audience I will let them know what motivated me to consider this particular source credible. This is still sometimes a dangerous game to play depending on the topic. Even legitimate statistics can easily be skewed to make false representations.
When I search for credible sources, I first think how reliable I actually need the information to be. For example, I don’t need to be looking for very credible sites when I’m looking up how to clean a stain out of your carpet. Something really helpful and important when looking for credible sources is to see where the information came from. For example, an internet blog is less credible than printed material. Another idea is to research the author. If there is no author named, than the source should be looked at as not very credible. If the author is known to be biased, than you will definitely want to get other perspectives or points of view. Making sure the source is fairly recent is also very important. I guess unless you are researching something back in the day or looking at facts or stories in history. Most sources have reviews that help to determine if the source is credible or not.
I am responding to question #1: I look for a variety of things when trying to determine if a source is credible on the internet. One of the first things I look for is where they are citing there information from and can I track it back to that source to verify it. I actually do this quite a bit with my work. I have to look up information on the internet all the time and then I verify it against other resources to see if the two sites support one another. If they do support each other then I can see pretty confidentially that the source of the information is credible. However it does happen a lot the other way where one site will claim certain things then when I try to verify the information it is completely different. Which in turns makes it easy to assume that the site isn't a good source of credible information. So basically to me if I can verify the information is correct against another source for my work than odds are the information is credible.
When determining if a website is creditable or not it’s really important to think critically. Pay attention to the URL! If it’s crazyfun.com its probably not a reliable source. If it ends with .gov or .edu it’s a good place to start looking. That doesn’t mean it’s automatically a good place to get your sources but it’s a good sign. Also places like databases and libraries from college websites are almost always going to be a good source. If it’s a document it’s a good sign of reliability. When things are online it’s really important to pay attention to when it way put online. Sometimes things are really old or outdated which can make it unreliable. New information is way better. There are some things like gravity, that never changes. Most things do change, things are always changing. When things are for real other places usually verify the information also so it’s a good idea to look at more than one place, that also makes you more creditable. Make sure there is a creditable author too. That’s real important =)
I have a few different reasons for not clicking on advertisements on the internet. Most of the time internet advertisements seem cheap and uncredible. They look like they are just waiting to infect your computer with a virus. Whenever an advertisement asks for my e-mail and/or phone number I almost never respond. I hate being bombarded with spam on the internet. If I see a reputable companies advertisement, I will look at it longer than other advertisements but it still doesn't appeal to me very much. Computers are expensive and nothing annoys me more than having a slow one. Viruses and spam are not my friend. After reading this blog I feel like I may have been to hard on internet advertising. I am in a marketing class I am just beginning to understand how important marketing is. I still will not click on sketchy looking ads but I will give reputable companies advertising a chance.
Honestly, I never click on advertisements while looking on a site. There are a couple of reasons for this; the first being that you never know where it will take you. There is a very good possibility that it would take you to another site that does not have credible information or is not even related to the topic searched. If it does take you to a site that is not credible but you don't know that, it could land you in some major trouble later on if you end up using that information in a speech or presented material. The second reason that I do not click on advertisements is because I get distracted. When I click on an advertisement and it links me to another site which links me to another, I find myself browsing and reading this new material that may or may not even relate to what I am trying to research. This takes up most of the time that I have set aside for research so I find myself frantically trying to search again and get back on track and by then, my time is up. I end up feeling less prepared because I wasn't able to research all that I wanted to and find the most credible information that I could.
Credible Sources on the Net.
First of all I want to state that I do not find a terrible amount of information on the internet credible. However I want to point out that information that I find on the web leads me towards the right direction. I typically use web information to build an outline then find online print material to support my outline.
To answer the question posed…When I do find a site that I find credible I first compare the information to the main stream ideologies of the topic at hand. If it is illegal immigration should be passed I research to see if the reasons stated on the current site fit in with the ideas of the pro argument. For example if the site says because I think it is right (that being a reason for illegal immigrants to be permitted) without any backing then I would not bank on that source being terribly credible in a debate. When looking for credibility in a website I seek for the same characteristics I would with any other medium. Are any “good names” used? If so who are they and do they really have any business talking about the current topic (just because someone is famous does not make them credible). For instance I would not trust Michael Jordan and his ideas on nuclear science and how safe it is on the environment. Not saying Michael isn’t a smart guy but I guarantee he has not spent too many days in a nuclear power plant or testing site. If he was speaking about how to put some jive in your step on the court…I am all ears. Another credibility factor I look for is how clean the page appears. I realize that looks are many times deceiving but as a general rule if the information is of worth it will be presented well (correct punctuation, proper web design etc…).
To click on an advertisement from a site truly depends on the circumstance. When you go on a website there are several things at play. First, a company that wants to advertise with you will only do so if they think that there is a possibility of a person going from being a visitor on your site and moving to theirs. Obviously then, if you are on a website having to do with leadership principles, companies that are more aligned with leadership training or consultation services etc are more likely to advertise than pest control. So, if you’re genuinely interested in the topic of the web page you’re on, then it just may be of benefit to you to peruse some of the advertisements. Those advertisements are related to the topic you’re searching out. These advertisements are also being showed to you because they have had a track record of being topics of interest for others searching the same topics.
When I am on a site, I never really look at the advertisements. Usually they are things like “LOSE 20 POUNDS IN 5 DAYS!!!” or “WIN A 2,000 DOLLAR SHOPPING SPREE!!”. I find those kinds of advertisements to be annoying or really unbelievable. I think to myself “There is no way I can lose that much weight in 5 days, unless its something absolutely absurd!”. I feel like the moment I click on those ads, I will have a virus on my computer. Once I get a virus, all my school work is done for! Plus there is always a catch to those ads. I feel like they would just be a waste of my energy to even click on them. You never know though, I guess they might be able to benefit me in a way. The problem is, is that I get so annoyed by them that I don’t even want to bother to look into them.
Question 1
When I go to a page when I am doing research I look for one thing first. Have they cited anything or given credit to anyone? I always scroll down to the bottom or to the section that has all that information. If there is nothing there, I usually don't even bother with the website. And sometimes you can tell just by first glance. Or even by the way the article/info is written. Is it professional? is it logical? Does the article have proper punctuation and spelling? These can all be red flags if answered no. If there is an author cited or credited I often will Google them and find out who they are and their background to see their history and if they are someone I can trust. There are many ways to figure out if a source is credible or not. This just takes experience and I still have yet to master it!
When I search online I am guilty of looking for websites with the fewest adds. I hate advertisements, I just want to look for my information and be done. I think pop-ups have always had a bad reputation. Now, my way of thinking may not make sense, but, I would bet that the average internet user thinks about the same way I do (add blockers.) Also I'm guilty of thinking that if a site is well built then the person or company must be credible. "Never judge a book by its cover." I have heard that my whole life, but, I still do it. Pictures are key for me, If an add has a cool picture then I will click on it. That sounds horrible after reading this section. So I guess I need to change my ways. However knowing and accepting the way I think, and the masses, I can one day have a cool website that the average person will be drawn to.
When I research something for a paper or speech I usually type in exactly what i want into the search bar, instead of using just a few words, I don't care if its two full sentences, if that what i'm looking for, i type it. Then when I am going through pages I look under the link in the small paragraph and search for sites that are closest to what I want as far as wording, when I get really lucky I find the same sentence as I type in so I know that website will have exactly what i'm looking for, somewhere. I usually click on five or six different pages and combine the information i find on them. As far as accuracy goes, I make sure that its accurate by looking for a work cited section, that way i know beyond a shadow of a doubt that its alllll true.
What do you look for when you are searching for credible sources on the Internet? How do you know that the site you are on is a "credible" site?
When looking for internet sources it is important to make sure that you are using researched based information and that it has a professional source. Since anyone can make up information and post it on a dot com web site it is vital to check sources. Even if the site has a dot org or edu attached to them it is best to check them out. If a source is educational does the institution really exist? It is easy to go to a search engine and double check their background and see if the information is researched based. If it is a medical website it is best to check to see if the information is researched based or just an opinion. By making sure our information is correct we add credibility to our speeches.
question 1.
When i'm looking for a creditable source, one thing take in to consideration first, is what am i looking for? If I'm searching for cars, it doesn't have to be a .gov or scholarly journal, but I want to have something i know is trusted, like consumer reports or something like. Some I guess the main factor for me is when i'm looking for information, I keep my eye out for sites that I have previously used that gave me more information, and i can trust them. If I'm searching for a topic that I haven't had to much background info for i will use ebsco or something first, and work my way to other trusted search engines.
When i am on a website that ive never been on there are always little advertisments on the side that asking to sell various products. I never click on these, nor am i even interested in them. these are the most pointless wastes of space on earth to me. The only thing they do is annoy me. First off im scared that if i click it, im going to get 100 pop ups and maybe a virus that will screw up my computer. Second they are always looking to sell something and i dont have money so thats impossible for me. third ive accidently clicked on a few before and all it does is ask for bunch of personal information so that is definately something i dont feel comfortable giving out. Ive never known anyone who goes to websites and actually buys stuff off the dumb little advertisments on the side anyways so i think they are a waste of time and should be removed.
I typically never click on advertisements on sites. They usually have ridiculous headlines that instantly cause them to lose credibility with me and make them seem like scams..."learn the 10 minute tooth-whitening trick dentists don't want you to know...discovered by a mom!" Like I'm supposed to feel better about the product because a mom discovered it? I would much rather use products discovered by SCIENTISTS rather than housewives, and extensively tested on animals, thank you. Or the picture of the ridiculously ripped guy with the caption "personal trainers HATE him! Learn how to build muscle without working out!" or something to that effect. However, when an ad seems like it is a real thing that could actually help me in my life, I've been known to click on it. It's rare though.
2.Why or why not would you want to click on advertisements on a site you are on? Is there any benefit to you for those advertisements?
Sometimes while you are surfing the web, there will be little advertisements and pop-ups on the sides, top and bottom of the screen. These can be very annoying because sometimes no matter what you do, you just can't get them to go away. A lot of the the time, these advertisements and pop-ups are a scam. They can give you viruses, or sign you up for things you definitely don't want to sign up for. If you are visiting a credible website of a person you trust, it is a good idea to click on any advertisements you are interested in that come up on the screen. The website owner takes the time to pay some of these vendors to put their ad up onto their website. Each time one of the advertisements are clicked on, the website owner gets a certain amount of money from it. This is a great way to get your advertisements out there for the world to see.
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