26. How do I search most effectively? How do I know which search result to follow?

 

Now that you know what search is, let’s get into how to search most effectively. First, you should keep in mind three simple tips before you begin searching:

·         Search terms should be simple. Describe what you’re looking for with the least possible terms. Imagine how the page you wish to find should be written.

·         Use words that may appear in the page.

·         Use descriptive and specific words. Avoid common words.

When choosing a link to follow, consider the title, the snippet and the web address. These pieces of information provide necessary clues to what you may find on the resulting page. Some common questions to ask yourself before clicking on a result:

·         Do I know the domain? (For instance: google.co.in, pandora.com)

·         What type of domain is it? (For instance: .com, .edu, .gov, .pe, .info, etc.)

·         Does it include a symbol or name that indicates it is a personal page? (For example: %, ~, member, user)

For further reading on searching effectively, check out these lessons and recorded live trainings brought to you by Google’s Search Education team. For quick tips and tricks on searching with Google,browse through Inside Search.

 

25.How do I manage my digital reputation?

 

As you start to create and upload content online, take a moment to think about what you’re sharing and its impact on others. What you post and the content you upload will represent your online self. This is also known as your digital reputation. Don’t forget the invisible audience – those who might be able to see your content or reshare it without your knowledge. Rule of thumb: if you don’t want your grandmother to see it, don’t post it.

24.How do I upload and share a video on YouTube?

 

Creating content and broadcasting it to the world is becoming an important part of being an active digital citizen. Uploading your video on YouTube is simple and easy. To start, you will need to create a Google account. Once you’ve created an account, follow these simple steps to uploading your first video.

 

23.How do YouTube, Blogger, and other web publishing services work?

 

Websites like YouTube and Blogger allow anyone, anywhere to instantly connect with billions of people around the world. Through a variety of online platforms – social networks, video sites, blogging tools, auction services, and many others – Internet users are able to create content, publish information, communicate and buy or sell goods and services.

 

22.What is Google+ and how do I use it?

 

Google+ helps connect you to who and what you care about. It was built with real life sharing in mind – and that means you’re in control. Google+ also helps Google work better for you – making the services you already love faster, more relevant, and more reliable. To get the most out of Google+, check out more information on the features available to you, including Circles and Hangouts.

 

21.What’s a social network and how do I manage what I let people find about me?

 

A social network is a website or app allowing you to connect with friends and family, and share stories, news, photos or video. Examples of different social networks include Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. These websites are some of the biggest on the Internet. There are more than one billion people on Facebook, YouTube gets four billion views every day, and Twitter has more than 500 million users. Most social networking sites allow you to adjust your settings – helping you manage what information you share, how you share it, and who you share it with.

 

20.How do I transfer files between computers?

 

If you have a big file or even a few small files, you can easily transfer them from computer to computer by using a USB flash drive. A USB flash drive is basically a small storage device that you can drop in your files. When you plug the device into another computer, you can then drag and drop that file over

 

19.How do I make calls from my computer?

There are many web services that allow you to use your computer to call someone’s phone. Many of these services require you to install a piece of software or a plug-in, but then all you need is Internet connection, a microphone, and speakers and you’re ready to make calls.

18.How do I chat online?

 

Chatting online, by video or by text, is a quick way to connect with friends and family who are near and far. Many web services offer online chat features, including Google. On Google, all you need to do to chat is sign in, invite your friends, and start a chat.

 

17.What is email?

 

Email stands for electronic mail. Sending an email is like posting an electronic version of a letter. When you send your email, it usually arrives at its destination in seconds. Just like a house address, everyone has a unique email address. You have to create an email account so that you can send and receive mail.

If you already have an email address and want to create a new one, it is quick and easy.

 

16.What is open source?

 

To understand what “open source” is, it’s important to first know what “source code” is. Source code is the language in which software is written. It’s the language used in web browsers and applications telling the software how to operate and behave.

“Open source” means the source code is open and available for anyone to look at. You can experiment with, tweak or add, and reuse it for other products or services. The web browsers Chrome and Firefox are examples of open source software.

 

15.What are web applications, and how do they work?

 

If you play online games, use an online photo editor, or frequent web-based services like Google Maps, Twitter, Amazon, YouTube or Facebook, then you’re an active resident in the wonderful world of web apps.

Web applications, also known as “apps” are programs that live on your browser or on your mobile device. They connect you to Internet services enabling you to do simple tasks, like bookmark websites and check emails. They also can do more complex tasks like share photos, navigate cities or listen to music. Your standard car navigation system is a good example of an app. Within this app, you can get real-time information based on your location. You can pan and zoom around the map, get driving directions, find alternate routes and search for specific destinations.

In addition to accessibility, web apps are actually safer. Since they run in your browser, you never have to download them to your computer, protecting you from viruses, malware and spyware. You now have much more access, and much safer access than ever before.

For further reading on web applications, explore the 20 Things I Learned booklet.

14.Connecting and sharing

 

What is cloud computing?

Simply put, every time you use the Internet, you are cloud computing. What this means is, all the information you seek is stored on servers in various locations around the world. Whether you’re watching a video, reading the news or listening to music, you’re getting information from the cloud, not from your computer’s hard drive.

In recent years, cloud computing offered even more benefits. Now we can upload our own personal files (photos, videos, documents, music, etc.) to cloud servers and access them from any computer, protecting us from losing these files to viruses, crashed hard drives, or our own human error.

 

13.How do I make bookmarks?

 

Most browsers allow you to save shortcuts to your favorite websites. By bookmarking your most frequented websites, you can quickly navigate to the page without typing in a URL.

You can also store your bookmarks in your Google Account. You can access these bookmarks from any computer with an Internet connection from the Toolbar or the Google Bookmarks homepage.

 

12.How do I translate text?

Learning a new language or understanding signposts in a foreign country has never been so easy. With online translation tools, you can quickly translate everything from small snippets to entire websites and book chapters.

Google Translate is one of these free translation tools. To get the most out of Google Translate, we recommend perusing this guide.

11.How do I get driving directions?

11.How do I get driving directions?

Looking for the nearest gas station on your road trip? Trying to get to grandmother’s house? Getting driving, walking or transit directions is simple. On Google Maps for desktop and your mobile device, you just need to enter in your current location and the address of your destination.

 

10.How do I get public transportation directions?

 

If you need to hop on the bus or find the nearest subway, certain online maps like Google Maps can help you get from where you are to where you need to be. On Google Maps, type in your origin address and your destination address. Select the public transportation option – the icon of the bus – to get available public transportation directions.

 

9.Finding information online

 

What is search and how does it work?

Search does exactly what it says. It searches. For example, if you type the word “cars” into Google’s search engine, the request is sent from your device through the Internet to us. We look for the correct search results and send them back to your device – all in a fraction of a second.

Search engines achieve these results by crawling and indexing all the information that lives online. The world’s information is doubling every two years and the challenge of connecting people with what they’re looking for isn’t getting any simpler – especially for the 16% of searches every day that are new. Engineers need to constantly work hard to improve search so businesses and customers can keep finding each other.

 

8.How do I update my browser?

 

Using the newest version of your browser means a faster and more secure browsing experience. Figuring out how to update your browser will depend on the type of browser you are using. Each browser type – like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari to name a few – will have a different update process. The Chrome browser, for example, automatically updates whenever it detects that a new version of the browser is available. The update process happens in the background and doesn’t require any action on your part.

 

7.How do I browse the web with tabs?

If you are exploring one website on your browser and would like to look quickly at another website, all you need to do is create a tab. The tab is basically another window within the same browser. By creating a tab, you can easily jump between websites. How to create a tab will depend on what browser you use. In many browsers, you can create a tab by going to [File] and selecting [New Tab].