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Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by Cro on October 11, 2005
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Random Thoughts.
It is great that people can come here and ask a bunch of knowledgable folks for help concerning venomous and non venomous reptile related topics.
And it is great that those knowledgable folks take the time to try to help answer peoples questions.
I do wonder though, if people know how to use, or try to use, a search engine ??? Do they make an effort to find the answers to their questions before they post here, and still need a better answer, or has SHHS become the ``Search Engine`` of choise concerning reptile related questions?
A good example is the resent post in experts ``venom toxicity,`` concerning how toxic the venom of a Heloderma is. This is in no way a criticism of the question, or the person who posted the question, as it is a very interesting topic, but just an observation.
I went to Google and typed in ``LD50 Heloderma venom`` and got a list of over 50 web pages on the subject. There were 10 excellent articles, including some by Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry.
Perhaps it is good that people search here first, and that SHHS is used as a Search Engine, as the answers will be read by thousands, which is a very good thing as far as Education is concerned.
Again, this is not a complaint, but just an observation. I am curious as to how much people use other search engines for reptile related questions, and if they feel that they can find answers to their reptile related questions there?
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by captiveherps on October 11, 2005
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Yeah, seems like a lot of questions could be answered faster that way. There are quite a few basic husbandy questions that come up on here that I would expect people keeping hots to know before acquiring venomous snakes.
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by LarryDFishel on October 11, 2005
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`LD50 Heloderma venom`
This is probably a particulary bad example, but the same applies in a lot of other cases. Someone who was not familiar with venomous would not know to look for LD50. Without that term in the search, you would get the less technical sources which tend to be all over the map with their facts, so someone could spend hours reading still not know (or think they know but have it completely wrong). Maybe it's better to start here sometimes...
On the other hand, I don't guess we could answer 10,000 questions a day...
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by Phobos on October 11, 2005
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I have said this many times John. I find it very annoying answering question where the answers could be easily found via search engine.
I think that most of these people are very lazy, the kind who would take a crap in bed and kick it out with their feet. Just my .02 cents
Al
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by Cro on October 11, 2005
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Larry: The original question did ask ``what is the LD50,`` so I used that in the first search.
But you are right, someone with less experience would not have asked that in their question.
I tried a second Google search using ``heloderma venom toxicity,`` which is more of a usual question, and came up with over 100 web articles.
They were, as you say, somewhat all over the map, but by checking just a few, I found they including those I had originally found, and some great new ones by researchers like Dr. Sean Bush, that answered the original question very well.
So the general search actually produced more usefull information than the specific search, but took a lot more time to check out the many more articles and find the ones that were of use.
Do computer classes at schools these days teach folks about search engines, and how to use them? Maybee some educator or student can let us know that.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by LarryDFishel on October 11, 2005
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A few years back I went back to school to finish my degree. To get my AA I had to take a "computer literacy test", which did have one question that suggested that web searching was probably covered in the class that most people take before taking the test (which I skipped). I had been a professional programmer for something like 15 years before I took that test, writing everything from database engines to live 3-D simulations to the types of programs that were covered by the test to programs like the test itself (given on computer).
I missed 5 or 6 questions for a score of something like 85%. I think you needed around 80% to pass.
I was only WRONG once (read the question wrong). This test was ridiculous, and most experienced computer users would not have passed it without taking the class to learn to do things the wrong way.
Example question: "Print the Microsoft Word document shown."
There is a print icon on the window and anyone who has been using a computer for more than 3 days knows you can hit Ctrl-P from most programs including Word. The only correct answer on the test was to click the File menu and then the Print item. The WHOLE IDEA of a rich graphical user interface is to give you choices to do things things the way you like and make it so you DON'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE THE MENUS!
Sorry for the rant, but I guess the point is I have little faith in at least one school's ability to teach computer skills...
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by Phyllobates on October 11, 2005
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I think it is great that people with intererest in venomous ask questions in this group. Most of the time you could weed out the ones that just want one and don’t know or never read about the reptile that they are getting or want. I have seen many post where people try to get the unknown amateur to work with other snakes less dangerous and work with some fast non-venomous species. In the replies of what can happen or posting a site of a bad snakebite can change someone’s mind. So I think this site is a must to stop by and ask for info or help. Most snakebite is alcohol then stupidly.
Al
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RE: Search Engines, Google, Yahoo, SHHS, etc ???
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by tenneseejed on October 14, 2005
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I am one that has on occasion turned to this site to ask questions, which i do understand that there are some easily found answers floating around the many search engines and various sites. But i also have found lots of conflicting answers or answers that arent as broad or detailed as i would have liked. One example(which theres many) is the Timber/Canebrake topic, which from what i understood were different, well only from searching all over the net did i think this. Well when i came here to ask the experts, there were many who could give scientific info or answer specific questions that i had about the conflicting answers i had found elsewhere, Which is why they call it ask the experts, atleast thats what i thought. So i do agree you can find alot of info through searching, but i also have learned more from people on this forum! Without surfing through all the common knowledge on other sites that mostly get there info from an 1980 edition encyclopedia. And most have answered fairly quickly on here! Just my 2cents, and while im at it thanks to all on here that took time to answer some of my questions.
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