Module 1: Structure - HTML5

1a. What is the title and URL of the web page you are defaulted to?

The title is Firefox Home and the URL is about:home.

1b. Why did this appear? How can you change this default setting so that another web page automatically loads when you launch the web browser?

Firefox has a default homepage when you click the home button or open the browser. This setting can be changed when you go to your Settings then navigating to the Home section. By entering a new URL, the user can customize the web-page that opens when clicking the Home button.

2. Can you change the appearance of web pages within your browser (e.g., the font face and size)? If so, how? Why would you want to?

Yes, you can customize the appearance of your Firefox browser to your liking including the fonts and size by going to your Settings and navigating to Language and Appearance to adjust your Fonts & Colors. Users may want to customize their settings to accomodate each user's unique vision, enhancing legibility, being easy on the eyes and avoiding visual fatigue.

3. What's the default search engine associated with your web browser? How do you get to it?

The default search engine for Firefox is Google. The user simply has to enter a question into the address bar and hit 'enter' to automatically start a search on Google. There is also a search bar located in the top-right corner of the browser. Questions can be entered into this search bar, which will automatically begin a search on Google as well.

4a. How many matches did you get? Visit a couple of the sites in the search results list. Can you estimate how many of the searches actually relate to learning to make web pages?

There is about 5,180,000,000 results on Google. From forums like Quora to in-depth starting guides written on Go-Daddy, there is an overwhelming amount of free resources on the internet available today. While some are more complete and in-depth than other guides, the majority of the results are relevant and directly answer the question. The thing to consider in the case of Google is not on relevancy, but concerning the quality of searches provided. There is simply too much to go through.

4b. How many matches did you get (with quotation marks)? Link to a couple of the sites in the search results list. Can you estimate how many of the searches actually relate to learning to make web pages?

The search results decreased to about 17,300 only.

Example List of Links

Module 1 Page: The first result was linked to this course on GMU! Great search results and highly relevant.
Where to start to learn web design? A forum of users discussing web hosting.
INTERNET WEBPAGE TOOLKIT The URL no longer works, but the web-description on Google signals that this could have been a good reservoir of information. Oh well! I shared this particularly poor link as an example of fluff and fat Google allows to slip through the cracks.

Based on investigation, the majority of results may appear relevant, but when actually clicking on these individual resources, the quality may be questionable and outdated. While one could self-learn HTML, CSS and how to make web-pages on their own, without a teacher or a guide, they may not get very far.

5. Are the number of hits consistent across search engines? If not, what do you think accounts for the differences? After looking at each of the above search engines, in what cases would you use a search engine that is not your current default (most likely Google)?

Bing: I could not find a number of search results listed on Bing to compare to Google. Upon further research, it appears this function had recently been removed without explanation by Microsoft. I am not certain what the strategy would be to omit the transparency of search results on a search engine. Based on analysis of the search results, it feels like Bing is skewed towards higher quality search results compared to Google. There aren't any forums or random guides leading to spam sites. Instead, it feels like Bing is focusing on directing to legitimate web-builders or online courses.
Yahoo: Similarly to Bing, I could not find any number of search results on Yahoo. Upon further research, this makes sense since Yahoo's search engine is powered by Bing, so the changes made would also apply to Yahoo. Based on the analysis of the search results, the search results are similar to Bing, linking to web-builders like Wordpress, Go-Daddy and Codeacademy to direct the user towards quality resources that will help empower them to learn in-depth how to build their own website.
Duck Duck Go: Like the previous two, no number of search results could be found. Duck Duck Go prioritizes privacy so it makes sense why this information would be omitted. This fits the brand. Based on the analysis of the search results, it leans in the same direction as Bing and Yahoo: quality over quantity. These search engines have trimmed the fat of Google and are presenting quality resources for the user to navigate through instead of piecing together answers. Duck Duck Go not only included website-builders and online courses, but in-depth guides (similar to Google) which will empower the user to begin building their own website.

Now that I'm aware of the different types of searches provided with these engines, I can utilize them with intention to suit my needs. For example, if I want to run a private search, Duck Duck Go is the one to go to. If I am trying to find more legitmate resources, Bing will help me out and similarly, Yahoo. Google is great for general sweeps on the internet to see what is out there as it combs through all sources.

6a. Is there a way to search specifically for multimedia? 6b. If yes, what specific elements can you search for? What are your options? (If not, try another site!)

Yes, major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Duck Duck Go all allow for the option to search for images and videos. The options are located after you hit search, under the search bar. These tabs allow for filtering your search for your desired results. 'News', 'Shopping', and 'Maps' are also located amongst all four search engines as additional options. Google also lists 'Short videos', which has now become a favorite due to social media and our ever-shortening attention spans. 'Books', 'Forum' and 'Web' are other tabs that are offered by Google. 'Local' is an option offered by Yahoo to find things near-by and Bing offers 'Travel' and 'Flights' to help plan your trips. Duck Duck Go keeps things serious featuring 'Stocks' as one of their primary tabs. Having privacy while checking on your stocks makes sense to me.

6c. Do a search for a specific media item (e.g., your favorite song, a picture of Britney Spears). How many matches do you get?

I searched for the internet's favorite as well as mine: Cats! While I'm unable to compare the number of results for reasons mentioned above, I am able to offer an analysis on the quality of results and the type of personality each search enginge embodies. Google empowers the opinions of people on the internet by featuring forums like Reddit, helpful links like Petfinder, and Purina to fulfill a cat-owner's needs. Bing is removing all the fluff Google allows through by providing Wikipedia front and center, Cats.com, and Fairfax County Animal Shelter in case the one I currently have is not enough to satisfy. Yahoo follows in the footsteps of Bing by offering the same resources. Duck Duck Go is serious and scholarly once again, offering resources about cats on Brittanica, National Geographic and AZ Animals.

6d.Are there any warnings, disclaimers, or other information provided about using the results of your multimedia searches embedded in the search interface?

Google offers customizable filters like image size, color, type, advanced options, usage rights, and more. Bing offers different filters like safesearch, image attributes, and licensing. Yahoo offers much of the same including layout, an option for people, as well as usage rights. Duck Duck Go offers different filters on images, including information on licensing, AI images, safe search, image attributes, and more.

7a. What is creative commons? Why might you want to use this search engine for images and other media?

Creative Commons is a non-profit organization providing standardized and free licenses for creators to share their work without violating copyright laws. The licenses offered allows the creators to use media (images, videos, music, etc) without acquiring an individual's permission as long as they follows the rules outlined by the said creator. Examples of guidelines include intructions on how to credit the original creator when using their work and the type of work that is permitted to use their creation (private, commercial, etc). If you are searching for media that is safe and free to use, without worrying about sourcing the material, then the Creative Commons is a wonderful resource that helps everyone. It makes it easy to use by outlining guidelines so you know what you can and cannot do with the media. The permission is already acquired and approved without reaching out to the original creator. A wide variety of content is available to search through with ease as well. And most importantly, it supports ethical use of media in professional settings through propoer attributions.

8. Now that you have explored the world of search engines, reflect on the experience. What have you learned that might influence the choices you make as a web designer?

Using and analyzing the different search engines in this Module helped give me a more in-depth look into how search engines work. I also realized not all search engines are created equal and prioritize different types of results that would be deemed relevant to their specific user. Google may provide the largest number of results as the most popular search engine, but there is a lot of fat to sift through. The utilization of quotes help to sift and sort through to more quality results. Bing and Yahoo provide alternative search results by focusing on quality, while Duck Duck Go prioritizes privacy. I was already familiar with Creative Commons as a multimedia artist, but it is always important to gain a refresh on the foundations and see how things are evolving in the everexanding landscape of the internet. Even seeing licensing being mentioned as filters on the different search engines could've saved me some time back in the day! As a web-designer, creative commons is an important reminder to continue to be thorough in my research of the usage rights of different media I use (like font-types!). Focusing on reputable and high-quality resources rather than the first result is important. Curating my web-site to show up as a quality result and learning more about SEO and how my web-page will rank among search results is something I am also interested in learning more about. Using different search engines aimed at my purpose and intention of my search will help me to find resources more easily. Utilizing things like using quotes or filtering through the different search tabs will help me sift through the endless sea of search results and maximize my output for finding what I need to find. This lesson was really one about working smarter not harder, but also staying ethical in the creation of my web-page.

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