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Research on the Internet: He said, She said (part 1)

© Julia Buitrago

This column and the one for next week utilize a common literary structure that I like to call the he said/she said format. In this format, two individuals present opposite views of the same subject (although both articles are written by the same person). This style works well when you find that you have a wishy-washy view about an issue, but want to take a definitive stand. A special thank you to my 6th grade science teacher, Pat Lavarco for teaching me how to utilize this writing style by making a budding environmental activist write a paper in support of the construction of a landfill. If you (or any of the gifted teachers from Nova Middle or Nova High School in Davie, FL from the mid- to late-1980s) are reading this, drop me a line!

So, without further ado, here's "he said."

I've always enjoyed conducting research. It doesn't matter what topic--history, literature, science--research provides an opportunity to expand my knowledge base. The most important part of research is the SEARCH. Like Sherlock Holmes, I wander through the musty stacks. Thinking. Pondering. Problem solving.

When my catalog searches fail, I must return to my own personal think tank to figure out a new topic. Is there something else I should be looking under? Have I missed the big picture?

Research IS the search. A treasure hunt. Hard work, but with the promise of buried gold. And then. . .

The internet, and something called the search engine.

The search ENGINE. An apropos name, for it truly mechanizes the old manual labor method of book research. People laud the grandiose invention. It has modernized society. It has made research less of a chore. It has simplified life for the writer.

Is this a good thing?

One century after the invention of the combustible engine for the automobile, the search engine of the internet is making an equivalent mark on society. With this new engine comes a slew of problems similar to the ones created by the car engine.

Accidents: In the early days of the horseless carriage there were no stoplights. Drivers would zoom around with reckless abandon, not thinking about the harm their actions could cause themselves or others on the road. The internet contains the same danger. Drivers on the information superhighway click from site to site, not worrying about where they are or where they are going. Along the way they could come in contact with computer viruses, agencies collecting personal data, annoying music. . . myriad ruts in the road. If they finally reach a location of some worth, they cannot guarantee that they will EVER be able to find there way back to the location again. Even a bookmark is no guarantee, for it can always turn into the internet stop sign: Error 404, no such information.

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