AP CSP Unit 5 short answers

When you type a word or phrase into the Google search engine, what is the search algorithm that is being used?

When you type a word/phrase into the Google search engine, Google uses a search algorithm that plugs said word/phrase into an index to make the output of a search relevant to what the user wants to access.

"The architecture of human knowledge has changed as a result of search." Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

I agree that the architecture of human knowledge has changed as a result of search. Back before computers were relevant and easily accessible, people had to find other ways of searching for things. In our modern world, searching online can be done with different browsers, programs, and search algorithms.

Would you retain your search history or delete it? Why?

I would delete my search history because data online is never lost, and keeping it could cause issues with the user, such as if search engines wanted to use your history to filter through unnecessary suggestions for future searches.

How do you think mobile computing might have influenced web searches?

In chapter 4, it talked about certain mobile computings such as "per click" functions. Another issue/advancement that they discussed was advertisements paying to broadcast their information, even when an innocent person wants to look up something that isn't relevant to the AD showed.

Should a researcher place absolute trust in a search engine? Why or why not?

A researcher place should not put full trust in a search engine, because it is unsafe and could cause errors with their future functions.

What is a captcha? How has the collective efforts of Internet users contributed to analyzing images through captchas?

Captcha is a program that intended to distinguish human from machine input, typically as a way of thwarting spam and automated extraction of data from websites. When analyzing an image through captcha, a "human touch" is required to analyze it.

What are the differences between Figures 4.10 and Figure 4.11 in the book? Why are there differences even though they are both a Google search results page?

In figure 4.10, Google shows non-biased and completely factual information about Falun Gong. In figure 4.11, the same search is looked up, and the search engine is showing primarily negative information about Falun Gong. The reason there are differences even though it is the same search is that they are being searched on two different Google search engines, one in the U.S, and one in China. This toggles with the relevancy.

The authors claim "search is a new form of control over information" (p. 111) and "search is power" (p. 145). Why might it be important to talk about the social implications of searching on the Internet?

It is important to talk about the social implications of searching on the internet, because people that are unaware of the dangers and misleadings on the web may be lead to faulty cites that do not provide helpful information, are out of date, and in extreme cases, lead to viruses and hackings.

How have search trends been used to predict information? What are the positive and negative impacts of using trends to make predictions?

Search trends can predict which information is malfunctioning or false. When search trends are used to push the info that they believe will be the best for anyone who looks it up, it can easily be changed because of the lack of logistics. This is a very negative impact.

How do web search tools make it more efficient to find information?

When web search tools are used, they enable an index to be formed based on prior history of a user's searches, which in the future allows the user to access the correct information easier and faster.