[OPLINTECH] FW: A very strong reason to use Library databases instead of Search engines; Google Notebook

[JKENZIG]

I was looking to stir up some discussion but WOW.  
 
Responses inline prefaced by JK>
 
------ Forwarded Message
From: Aaron Bedra <abedra@>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:05:20 -0400
To: Conversation: [OPLINTECH] A very strong reason to use Library databases
instead of Search engines; Google Notebook
Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] A very strong reason to use Library databases
instead of Search engines; Google Notebook

Some thoughts on this...

I am having a hard time finding on this site where it compares library
databases to internet search engines, just where it compares search engines
to one another. 


JK>First off it doesn't make any comparison to library databases and I never said it did. By the sheer results of it, it is a compelling argument to use a "Safe" database prior to using a search engine.  


This article is just a giant ad for their product Site Advisor
http://www.siteadvisor.com <http://www.siteadvisor.com/> .  The real problem is that they use the term
"risky" throughout the report yet fail to define what exactly "risky" means,
and to what group of users it even infiltrates.


JK> Siteadvisor is a free product, it originally was a project by MIT engineers Mcafee bought the group.  It is a tool that records malicious behavior on a website. I am not seeing where they need to make a big ad out of anything. They aren't selling anything.  It is a free service. 


This report really doesn't give us any strong reason to use library
databases vs. search engines at all.  The databases are very wonderful
tools, and I use them all the time, however, I would hesitate to spin a
patron off to the library databases before suggesting Google, etc. until
someone releases a real usability study of library databases vs. internet
search engines. 

JK>I am seriously dismayed by this statement and the amount of times librarians point people to google when our libraries and the state PAY for quality databases. If you look at our new website at cuyahogalibrary.org we have made our databases something called the FIND Engine, like Oplin Onesearch, that makes it simple to search the databases FIRST.  If you don't go to the databases you totally eliminate all of the proprietary information by publishers that simply doesn't exist elsewhere on the Internet. Information which is gathered and maintained for it's integrity.  Don't get me wrong Google and the others have their place but the web is full of disinformation. 



An afterthought...

FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) is a very strong tool for selling to the
masses. 

JK> Again they are not selling anything.

 It is very easy for anyone to make a bunch of graphs with large
"red" bars that associate some undefined concept of "scary and bad". 

JK>Are you in IT? Do you keep track of how many of your systems get spyware or how much traffic to your firewall is viruses? We do and I can tell you that the numbers are pretty much correct. The fact is that the common user can not determine a good site from a bad site and for example a teen searching for information for their report does not know whether the quality of the information is even any good. 

 I think instead of besmirching companies that really have great technology, we
should be more focused on teaching our patrons what good and bad are, 

JK> If you read the article, it pretty much made it clear that even, top results from search engines have malware.  How do you train a patron on what result to click and not click? How do  you verify the integrity of the link? Truth is you can't from a search engine. 

and informing them of the tangible risks of what they do on the internet instead
of subscribing to marketing drones that just want to sell something. 

JK>Again their service is free.

In the end, awareness is the best thing that we can provide to our patrons, along
with our refined database engines of course!

JK>Amen! Brother.

Aaron J. Bedra
Westerville Public Library
126 S. State St.
Westerville OH, 43081
614-882-7277 x114
abedra at westervillelibrary.org
http://www.westervillelibrary.org <http://www.westervillelibrary.org/> 



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