Internet Research: A Strange, Foreign World :: Research Essays Term Papers

Internet Research: A Strange, Foreign World My knowledge of Internet research is limited. I made it through the first 14 years of my education thumbing through library card files and magazine reference books. In my mind, a big stack of books and articles was the only sign of thorough research. I feared Internet research for the same reason that my mother hated microwave ovens (at least until she had the chance to use one). The Internet was a strange, foreign world to me. Like my mother and her microwaves, I feared it because I did not understand it. However, my mother has learned to love her microwave, and becomes testy if for some reason she can't use it. Maybe there's hope for me, after all. I did possess a smattering of knowledge about the Internet. My feeble attempts to locate long-lost friends yielded an awareness of some sites called "Yahoo!", "Excite!" and "Lycos!". I knew that if I typed in a word or two, then clicked on the word "Search", that a listing of references would pop up. Attached to these references were some obscure foreign hieroglyphics that usually started out with something like "http:\\%$@@!!" I have heard about chat rooms but had never forth into that unknown world until I was required to enter the MOO discussion room. Armed with this vast wasteland of information, I began my research. Having recently acquired an orchid plant, I was determined to become an orchid aficionada overnight. My history with horticulture is riddled with memories of potted dead leaves, the only remains of plants that advertisements had claimed could be grown by anyone. I guess they never counted on my brand of tender loving care. I imagined a world of virtual encyclopedias. I could type in a word, and on the screen would pop up a page with an explanation and pictures containing everything I wanted to know, just like they do in the movies. I remember a scene from the movie Deep Impact, in which a reporter typed in an abbreviation, and almost immediately, a picture and facts on world destruction popped up. This scene made internet research look as uncomplicated as kindergarten math to a math major. My first step was to log-on to Yahoo! dot com. I had fallen prey to the yodeling serenaders who claimed to be able to find anything, anywhere, anytime. This stop yielded a list of 11 categories.