Megan's Blog

Google is one of the most widely used search engines, to the point that it has become a part of today’s vocabulary. Telling someone to “google it” is common, and one would not think twice after hearing that statement. They simply would visit Google and type in a term, phrase, or question, only to be directed to a plethora of options which could hold the answer. This asset is extremely helpful when doing homework or writing papers; I almost can’t imagine having to perform a research assignment without it.

In addition to Google, several branches of the website have been made to facilitate searches in specific areas. If you look at the top bar of the page slightly under the address bar, you will see various links to other branches of google, such as images, maps, Gmail, documents, and calendar. Google maps, for example, is particularly useful in acting as a GPS. A similar feature also offered through google is Google Earth, which allows the user to physically see a particular address via a satellite. While technology such as this is innovative and useful, it can be considered an infringement of privacy. Both of these features, however, make the process of driving to an unknown location much easier.

In the realm of reasearch, features such as Google documents, Google Scholar, and Google charts all enable the user to easily find sources. They also open the door to using documents which originally only exisited in hard copy. As historians, features such as these are extremely helpful, as it is difficult to find the time and means to obtain hard copies of sources. Looking at these branches of Google, we can appreciate how the website has facilitated many areas of our life. However, I can’t help but notice how the company is expanding and entering more aspects of everyday life. Google plus, for example, is an increasinly popular social network site. Google now has the ability to impact our lives in a useful, scholarly, and social sense. It will be very interesting to watch the progression of this website and its many facilities.

~ by mmaggi117 on October 15, 2012 .