Can’t I just Google it?

There is a lot of information on the Internet. Where should you start looking? In the classroom, we often hear: “Can’t I just Google it?” If it only were that simple!.

Søkemotor på internett der det står Search med samme farger som i Google.
Søkemotor på internett der det står Search med samme farger som i Google.

What is a web browser?

A web browser is what we use when we need to find information on the Internet. It is a program that helps us find what we need. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox and Opera are the most common ones.

When we use a browser, we can open websites. The web pages are called tabs. We can have many tabs open and switch between them.

Many people find it difficult to read what is written on websites. In a book, the pages look the same, but on a website, it can be different. The information can be placed in different ways, and there can be film clips and cookies (advertising).

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Binær kode som beveger seg i atmosfæren over jordkloden
Binær kode som beveger seg i atmosfæren over jordkloden

Search engines

We use a search engine to find the information we need. It would take too long to read everything online. 

A search engine is like a librarian that you can ask for help to find what you need. But you need to explain well what you need. The more specific you are, the better.

Mann ved pc med søkeikon
Mann ved pc med søkeikon

Do you google?

The most used search engine is Google. The word “to google” means to search. We use the word “googling” every day, but it didn’t exist when your parents were children.

There are other search engines, for example, Bing and DuckDuckGo. Some websites let you only search for the information they have, which makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

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Søkefelt på internett med forstørrelsesglass
Søkefelt på internett med forstørrelsesglass

The endless chain of links

Hyperlinks are links that you can find on websites. If you click on these, you will come to another page where you will find more information about your topic. If you read about skiing, you might come to a page with more information about skiing. 

You need to be careful about clicking on hyperlinks. They can trick you with viruses or false information. Even worse, someone can use your personal information to scam you. For example, they can use your credit card or use your Facebook profile to scam others.

You will often also find that clicking on links will take you further and further away from where you started. Think before you click!

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Lenkeikon på abstrakt blå 3d-bakgrunn
Lenkeikon på abstrakt blå 3d-bakgrunn

Do you know what you are looking for?

You need to know what to search for. It is almost impossible to get the right information if you do not search for it in the right way. The more keywords you use, the better it will be, and you will get closer to what you are looking for. 

If you search for the word vikings, you will get millions of hits. If you search for Vikings from Vestfold who visited Constantinople, you will get far fewer hits, and you are closer to your goal. 

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Nærbilde av en viking med brillehjelm, løftet sverd og bjørnefell.
Nærbilde av en viking med brillehjelm, løftet sverd og bjørnefell.

Sources:

  • Hartvig Abrahamsen, Mats; Gramstad, Thomas: Google i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 24. mai 2022 fra https://snl.no/Google
  • Øverby, Harald; Dvergsdal, Henrik: internett i Store norske leksikon på snl.no. Hentet 24. mai 2022 fra https://snl.no/internett

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