Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Trolling for information

Culture | July 13th, 2016

By Chuck Solly

How much information can you consume? Does your brain fill up very quickly? The internet search engines (used properly) will certainly fill up your brain. So what is a guy/girl to do?

Use your time, brainpower and search engines wisely. I have a digital clock on my computer screen and I keep track of the time I spend on a project. Staring at a computer screen for a few hours will make your eyes sting. Get up, move around, get some food or water. The Internet will be there when you get back.

Now that we have gotten the housekeeping out of the way, let’s talk about actually getting the search engines to find the correct information, the info we have been trolling for. Key words or synonyms for keywords work very well in search engines. It does take a little practice and patience.

Search engines will, however, lead you all over the place. I keep a pad of paper next to the computer and I write down search terms that I want to use. Try to be selective in choosing the articles you want to read. Many times, I will copy the URL (web address) of all of my chosen search results into a text file. Storing the file on your desktop will allow you to come back to a particular website to explore it more completely.

Search engines are also good with phrases. On June 4 of this year, the satirical news site the Science Post published a block of “lorem ipsum” (filler text) under a frightening headline “Study: 70% of Facebook users only read the headline of science stories before commenting.” Only the first paragraph of this article was readable, the rest was the filler text. This is typical of modern information consumption. People form an opinion based on a summary, or a summary of summaries, without making the effort to go deeper.

People are more willing to share an article than read it. That sounds crazy to me but it happens. Take the time to sort through the web site to find what you want. Keep your search terms very narrow (mentioned above) and find out what form your information should be in, such as facts, opinions, analyses, etc.

The next step is the in-depth research. We have already covered the Internet, but try your local library for some specialized databases that you can't find on the Internet. The local library has subscriptions to databases that you may not want to pay for. First-person interviews can provide you with lots of information but many times are hearsay or they get the story wrong.

The search engine rankings don't change very fast. Here are the top five:

1. Google

2. Bing

3. Yahoo

4. Ask

5. AOL Search

There are a few differences between search engines depending upon your search but it sometimes pays to perform the same search on different engines.

Probably the best encyclopedia on line is Wikipedia. This is the site that caused all of the estate and garage sales in the last fifteen years to contain used copies of encyclopedia sets to be sold for five dollars or less.

Wikipedia is written by volunteers, edited by volunteers and the web site is run by volunteers. It has been my experience that Wikipedia is reliable and accurate. Is there a subject that you are familiar enough with to submit to Wikipedia? Submit and see if their editors accept it. If you have your facts wrong someone reading your article will correct you. That is how Wikipedia works.

I will take you through a summary of Ebay next time but I did want to mention that Ebay is a very good source of some types of information.  

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com Ten North Dakota communities will participate in the nationwide No Kings Day of Peaceful Action on October 18. The grassroots movement is a nonviolent protest against President Trump’s…

By Kooper Shagenakoopershagena@gmail.com One night, Jane Linde Capistran, associate conductor of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, sat and drank wine with her friends: “Jennifer Tackling, the associate concertmaster, and…

Friday, October 31, 5-9 p.m.Ziti’s Italian American Restaurant, 3150 Sheyenne St., Suite 170, West FargoSavor a delectable five course meal with beverage pairings. (Nonalcoholic beverages are available upon request, but must be…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWill we be banging or whimpering at the end of the American empire?T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” accurately portrays the end of most empires in his first lines: “We are the hollow men/…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Dream-factory documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe connects with a Hollywood legend in “Kim Novak’s Vertigo,” the latest in a series of features exploring the filmmaker’s many…

By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…

Press release“Shakespeare with a sharpened edge.” To launch its 2025 – 2026 season, Theatre NDSU is thrilled to team up with Moorhead-based organization Theatre B to perform a co-production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com When we are sick, all we want is a cure. You go to the doctor, they give you a pill, you take it for a bit, then you are cured. It happens. But unfortunately, it is not always the case. …

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.comMoral accountability and the crisis of leadership  As a recovering person living one day at a time for the last 35 years, I have learned not to judge others because I have not walked in…