Module 1

Using Web Browsers

1. Safari's "Home" Button
1. Safari defaults to a customizable "Start" page. Per what's listed in my browser settings, this page has the url "https://www.apple.com/startpage/," however entering this url into the browser address line directs to the Apple website index page.
2. This default page has to do with Apple's continuity interface, a way to view Safari history and preferences across multiple Apple devices. The page looks the same on my iPhone and iPad as it does on my Mac; there are bookmarks, links shared by my contacts (also part of Apple's continuity interface), and suggested browsing. I can change this default page to a website of my choice by opening Safari Settings and entering a url into the "Homepage" field.
2. I can adjust the font size and zoom level of web pages within my browser either with keyboard shortcuts or via the View menu. I may want to do this if a website is difficult to read, whether because of how the site is designed or because of the device or monitor on which I'm viewing the site.
3. Google is the default search engine associated with Safari and is embedded in the browser's address bar.

Searching the Web

4. Interrogating "Google"
1. There are many, many thousands of results to my, "learning to make web pages," search. I remember a time when Google would tell you the number of search results at the top of the first page, but I couldn't find that feature today. It all seems endless. After scrolling past the AI Overview, "what people are saying," and discussion and forums sections I can finally view legitimate site results. Codeacademy, W3 School, and MDN Web Docs are all helpful sites, some I've already visited through readings for this class. The next result is Wix's own proprietary tutorial for building web pages through their site. After Wix is a Khan Academy page, a reputable resource. Then Google has more collective sections for "People also ask" and Videos. Finally, Microsoft offers their own "how to" site. Page two of search results are mostly more proprietary website building sites like Wix giving their own tutorials. There is a lot of repetition among these top results.
2. There are far fewer reults when repeating the query in quotes; they top out at nine pages rather than continuing on endlessly. The first result is actually a link to this class's Canvas page, revealing to me the extent of Google's tracking of my behaviors on its search engine. Lo and behold, at the bottom of the page is a "Results are personalized" notice. Selecting the option to "Try without personalization" gives even fewere results, now maxing out at only six pages. These results are far less recognizable than the results from my unquoted search. They take some time to load and are bogged down with ads, boasting "free tools" and the like. The top page, linked here (though I don't recommend you click on it), actually ended up redirecting to an Amazon listing for portable Oxygen canisters.
• Bing has similar offerings. There still doesn't seem to be an exact number of results listed anywhere on the page, but the page index at the bottom only shows three pages at a time, rather than Google's ten. The top result is Wix, then Pryor Learning, then Coursera, Code and Khan Academy, and W3 School. In quotations, there are again far fewer results, but Bing's seem much more helpful. Here, I'm still seeing results from Wix and Coursera. Bing seems to have sacrificed the specitificity of the quotation marks in order to preserve the integrity of the search results.
• First thing I notice on Yahoo is the site opens the search results in a new tab, leaving Yahoo's homepage open in the background. Initial results are very similar, and as endless; some are proprietary (Wix, GoDaddy), others are familiar resources (W3 School, Code Academy). Searching in quotations, like Bing, still offers recognizable results; again, almost ignoring the specificity of my quoted query in order to present the most relevant results.
• Duck Duck Go also offers similar initial results, displaying Wix and W3 Schools. Unlike the other search engines, Duck Duck Go has an infinity scroll, siumply a "more results" option at the bottom rather than a page index. Therefore, it's difficult to get an idea of the full number of results. A quoted search shows fewer results, but, like Bing and Yahoo before it, maintains the relevancy of the results. Only in Google did I see a degradation of result quality when I added quotation marks; however, only Google honored the letter of my quoted search.
5. Google seemed to have the most results, overall, as well as the most varied results. However, there can be a lot of chaff to cut through with Google results, especially on that monstrous quotation search. Because I use Google most often, I've become accustomed with screening results for their quality, but the more consistent quality shown on the other search engines was refreshing. If I am looking for a specific, quality resource in the future, I may attempt the search on a different browser. But, even with all of the chaff, there may still be merit to the unending breadth of Google's results.

Finding Multimedia Elements

6. Further Exploring Google
1. Once entering a query, there is the option to tailor the search specifically to multimedia categories.
2. These categories inculde images, videos, short vidoes, and books.
3. Google shows many thousands of images of Britney Spears, on an infinately loading scroll.
4. Under most photo results is a Copyright notice.
7. Creative Commons is
1. Creative Commons is a database of open source media, offering content licenses and public domain tools for creators and organizations to use without fear of infringing on an existing copyright. I may want to use this search engine for images and other media so as to create a product that is entirely my own and not inhibited by copyrighted material.

Put it all Together

8. I spend a lot of time Googling. Since the advent of generative AI, I spend a lot of time scrutinizing the results Google provides. Even so, I don't often go to another search engine. It was excellent to do this comparative exploration and remember what else is out there, and also to realize that, while I'm scrutinizing my Google results, I may as well query other engines for the same search. I do value breadth of results, I like to have my pick of resources and answers, and, as I become a more established creator, copyright and ownership will matter very much. Enter Creative Commons, a resource I've never really had cause to use. Thinking as a web designer, this exercise reminded me how much I dislike overcrowding on web pages. I hope to create a polished, streamlined product, without chaff.