Why does a Google search show "cached?"

A question from a student in class:
In Google, I searched for something I had never searched for before, and when the search results come up, each listing shows the word "cached." How could this be when I have never visited this Web site before, so clearly no information from it is cached on my computer?

See graphic (I added the circles)



Answer from Richard:
Here is a link that explains google's caching. Looks like they cache everything and then give you the option of viewing the cached page or the current page.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features_list.html#cached

This means that google has huge storage system!

From Suzi:
In the graphic above, I searched for "Norwegian curling team," something I've never searched on before. When I click "cached" it shows an earlier version of the Web page (and not that old; it was a version from earlier in the day). So by "cached," it means cached by Google, not by me or on my computer.

Now you can comment on this blog!

Sorry, class -- I had one last privacy setting locked down that required people to have a Google account before posting a comment. That barrier is now removed, and anyone can post a comment, either anonymously, with your name, or with a Google profile.

Links, hits and clicks, oh my!

Some definitions and clarifications from Richard...

link: "Link" and "hyperlink" actually both refer to the same thing.

A link is a reference on a web page that references some other place on the same page or somewhere else on the Internet. If text is "clickable" that means it is a hyperlink.

You can identify a hyperlink in a number of ways but the easiest way is to move your mouse pointer over the top of a picture or word and if your mouse cursor change to look like a small hand then the item you are looking at, is a link and you can click it.

click: n the World Wide Web advertising industry, selection of a banner ad by a user. The effectiveness of Web advertisements are measured by their click-through rate - how often people who see the ad click on it.

hit: Any time a piece of data matches criteria you set. For example, each of the matches from a Yahoo or any other search enginesearch is called a hit.

Class schedule

This six-week course will roughly follow this schedule:

Week 1, Feb. 18: Social networking - Facebook, YouTube, Blogs, etc.

Week 2, Feb. 25: Search - The many functions of Google!

Week 3, March 4: New media (e-readers like Kindle), ipod Touch, online newspapers, etc.

Week 4, March 11: Privacy and security, including identity theft. Legal and ethical issues, such as copyright.
No class March 18 (Spring Break)

Week 5, March 25: What's inside the box? How does all this stuff work?

Week 6, April 1: Meet at computer museum. Technology's past, present and future. Plus, some crazy, fun technologies and other topics the class wants to discuss.

Privacy in Facebook

Question re: privacy in Facebook (Why is Lemongrass Thai public? Would MY profile be public?)

Anyone who creates a user account in Facebook has control over the privacy settings, ranging from anyone (even those who are not in Facebook) can see any part of your profile (including birthday, interests, photos, etc.), to only those who are part of your network (your "friends"). Even then, you can block access to certain parts of your profile to specific people. You can also choose "friends of friends" as an option for privacy. The image below shows the privacy settings, found under "Account," which is in the upper right-hand corner of your Facebook profile page.



Click on the SEARCH icon to choose whether or not to allow the public to view your Facebook profile through a standard Web search, such as in Google. This is a good idea to check if you are a business, such as Lemongrass Thai. However, it is not such a good idea if you are just a regular person. Anybody -- even those who are not members of Facebook -- can view your profile, your friends, your photos and your posts.

Terms used when discussing SEARCH

Server farm: a large collection of computers, such as those used by Google to store information. No single computer could store all the data needed by Google, so it uses many, many computers in numerous locations.

cache: [from wikipedia.org] In computer science, a cache is a component that improves performance by transparently storing data such that future requests for that data can be served faster.

cookie: a small piece of text (programming code)stored on a user's computer by a web browser. The cookie contains information about your visit to and activity on a Web site, such as shopping history or preferences on Amazon, or entering your name or address into an online form. You can use the tools setting in your Web browser (the software used to view Web sites) to purge the cookies from your computer, if you like.

Source code - the underlying programming language that makes a Web site look and function as it does. No need to ever view this code unless you're a programmer.

Trojan Horse - a piece of software or code that appears harmless but is actually harmful to your computer.

A Web search works in three steps:

crawler: Searches the Web for new Web sites

Index: database of web sites (web pages)

Query processor: uses your query to find relevant pages in the index

Concepts from Class #2

I.P. Address = Internet Protocol

"Blog" is short for Web log--a type of Web site that can be maintained like an online diary. Bloggers write about everything from travel to business to technology to the mundane details of daily life. Many blogs are just personal ramblings; others--such as travel blogs--can provide good personal (non-commercial) information about locales.

If you want to create your own blog.
Travelpod.com
Blogspot.com

Credibility is an issue! Consider the source of the content.

Good sites for checking facts:
Snopes.com
UrbanMyths.com

URL - Stands for Uniform Resource Locator. A URL is what you would commonly call a Web address, such as www.montana.edu

Browser: A browser is the software used for viewing Web sites. Most computers come with a browser already installed, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox (Mozilla), Safari (for Mac) or Google Chrome.

Links from class #1, Feb. 18, 2010

"Did You Know 3.0"
Created by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod
http://www.youtube.com/v/jpEnFwiqdx8

or 4.0: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

"What is a Social Network" video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc

Facebook.com A social networking site designed primarily for personal connections. Users must create an account.


LinkedIn.com A social networking site designed mainly for professional / business connections. Users must create an account.

Extra links and definitions from class, Feb. 18, 2010

Wordle.net. Turn any document into a beautiful "cloud" or words. Free online software, no need to register (no password necessary).


RickRolling: A silly but harmless Internet prank, whereby someone sends an email link that appears to go to another site, but instead goes to the music video of "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley (1987), considered by many to be the worst song ever written.

YouTube.com A video sharing site. View millions of videos for free and without registering--everything from travel documentaries to golf swing tips to silly homemade videos. You can also share your own videos if you sign up for a user account. Example of Suzi's "Bobcat Hot Chocolate Taste Test" video.

Why Facebook instead of email?

In class, someone asked, "Why use Facebook instead of just emailing someone?"

Honestly, for just sending a single message to a single person, there's no reason to use Facebook. Facebook is a social networking tool, used for connecting with a multitude of people. Here are some ways that Facebook is better than email:

share photos and videos

search for old friends, classmates, etc.

invite people to an event or meeting

play games online -- with a friend, a stranger, or a whole group of people

get reminders of your friends' birthdays

create a small group (sub-set) of your network of people, such as a club or class

ask your entire network for advice or suggestions, such as a recipe, book or travel destination

all your contacts' email addresses are catalogued in Facebook; no need to keep an address book on your computer

access friends' emails and information, from any computer, even when you travel

This article tells of five charitable campaigns that were successful using social media tools.

What do you do in Facebook?

What is Tivo?

Tivo is the brand name for a type of digital video recorder.

From wikipedia.org: A digital video recorder (DVR)...is a device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB keydrive, sd memory card or other memory medium within a device.

A DVR is similar to a VCR in that it can record television programs to be viewed later. However, because the recordings are digital, no tapes are necessary. Programs that have been recorded are much easier to find and to navigate within (rewind, fast forward). Additionally, DVR users can search online guides to find upcoming shows and set the DVR to record those shows--one time, every week, or every time they are aired on any channel, even in re-runs.