| Vol. 9, issue 1 - issued monthly | January 2010 |
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In this issue:
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From the Editor:Happy New Year! It's a new year, a great time for a bit of education. In talking to a client recently I realized they did not understand what a "browser" was. Hmm, I thought everyone new this but after I saw the video below I realized a lot of people don't know the difference between a web browser and a searche engine. I found this great article on http://www.gilsmethod.com below that explains it much better than I ever could! It's important as a site owner that you under stand what a browser is and what a search engine is. So read on and let me know what you think. As always, remember to Surf Safely - use your anti-virus and firewall's! - Michelle “Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. ~Carl Zwanzig” |
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"The Difference Between a Browser and a Search Engine"Written by Gil in ArticlesIt is amazing how much we presume others to know, specially when it comes to computer or internet related topics. I came across a post from Seth Godin’s blog on the Best new way to make an internal sale whose featured video completely reinforced my belief that blogs like Gil’s Method are needed to help simplify the understanding and use of computers, the software that runs on them, and the internet. As you will soon see in the video below, a lot of people don’t know the difference between a web browser and a search engine. Before you watch the video, chew on this… “Less than 8% of the people who were interviewed on this day knew what a browser was” Click here to see the video I’m going to take this opportunity to try and help others understand the difference between browsers and search engines. Remember not everyone understands this concept. In order to better understand this difference I’m going to use the same format and order of the questions asked to explain these two concepts. If you have any comments please let me know. What is a Browser?
The answers above were provided by the people questioned in the video. Although they are somewhat true in that a browser is a search engine - sort of. The image below highlights how the Firefox browser has a built-in search box that enables users to select a search provider and enter a query. The user will promptly be taken to the search results page. Like Firefox - Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Chrome, and other browsers include this feature and as such it can blur the lines that distinguish the functionality of a browser and a search engine. This is probably where some of that confusion arises. Back to the definition of a browser…according to the several dictionaries and online sources, a web browser is defined as;
In other words a browser is an application or program installed on your computer that allows you to view web pages that reside on the World Wide Web/internet. We’re going to stick to this definition for simplicity’s sake.
List of Popular Browsers with Links
What is a search engine?I know it wasn’t one of the asked questions, but without it I could not answer the next question without leaving too many unknowns. A search engine unlike a browser does not reside as an application on your computer. The search engine resides in the cloud (the internet). It is an index of ALL the websites in existence, in other words it keeps track of all the web pages ever published. This index allows search engines to provide you with results to your queries or searches.
When you hear someone state that they are going to “Google” something, they are simply stating they are going to search for something using Google. List of Popular Search Engines with Links What is the difference between a search engine and a browser?Not exactly? - I don’t know? - A browser is when you know what you’re looking for, a search engine is when you’re searching. I hope that by now you can see the very distinct difference between a search engine and a browser. A browser allows you to reach a search engine, submit a query, and display the results of that query in the browser window. Got it? I believe that this short and visual explanation will help readers understand the difference between a browser and a search engine. If you have any suggestions on how I can make this article better, please post them below. |
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Tips and TricksGoogle Search TipsHaving trouble finding what you're looking for on Google? Go here for some great Google tips! |
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Just for Fun or Useful LinksRoad Trip PlannerPlanning a road trip? Go to costtodrive.com to a free estimate of how much you'll spend on gasoline. You can compare the cost of the road trip to what it would cost to fly and decide which is cheaper! It even has listings of cheapest gas stations along the way and shows you a map so you can learn your estimated travel time. Shop and donateYou can make a donation to your favorite cause and get bargains in return! www.goodshop.com connects to over 1400 retailers including Target, Apple and Sears and up to 30% of what you spend is donated to your favorite charity. Surf and donateAt www.goodsearch.com you can surf the net and it will donate a penny for every search you do. |
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