Calendar

May 2012
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031

Monthly Archives

Subscribe


Tag Cloud

BLOG.GERISPIELER.COM

We Don't Know What We Don't Know


As a newspaper reporter, occasionally I was assigned to report on a story whose subject I didn't know well.   

I learned that if I don't know what questions to ask. Otherwise I was at a huge disadvantage and at risk for being misled.  

When these assignments came my way, I wasn't about to be taken advantage of due to my ignorance on the topic. How would I know what to question? I was vulnerable to all kinds of misinformation. 

I didn't know what I didn't know. 

Now I'm going to date myself: I am old enough to remember going to the public library and using the card catalogue to do my research.

I know, I must be a dinosaur. 

I never trusted just one book for my reference. I couldn't trust one book as a source just the same as I would never use one interview as the sole source for a story. I had to find out what else was available to me.  

The same is true for today only in a different context: We have the Internet. 
Think of the Web as a virtual library. The analogy I'm using is not to go only one search engine such as Google to do our research.

Google is huge in its compilation of data. I love Google. I use it every day and find fabulous information. Google opens up the world in amazing ways. No question. 

Yet, Google is like using one book for all your investigation. There are more "books" available to us to find the information we are looking for besides Google.  

The difference in these virtual books ranges from marginal to quite significant in what is available on any topic. 

Below is a short list of some of these sites: 
Search engines, such as Google, are rate the information based on mathematical algorithms. Basically, it is a popularity contest. The Web sites that get the most hits get the highest rating. In addition, the companies that pay the most money also get great placement. Below is a short list of search engines: 
Google
 AOL
Yahoo
 AOL
 Yahoo
 Bing
 Alta Vista
 Excite
Galaxy
 All The Web 

Directories are compiled by real people. Directory panels evaluate a Website and then categorize it based on content only. 
AboutUs.org – a wiki-based Web directory.
Ansearch – Web search and directories focusing on the United States, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Best of the Web Directory – Lists content-rich, well-designed Websites categorized both by topic and by region. This is a paid for service.
JoeAnt – A community of editors from the now-defunct Go.com volunteer-edited directory.
Open Directory Project (a.k.a. ODP or dmoz) – The largest directory of the Web. Its open content is mirrored at many sites, including the Google Directory until July 20, 2011. 
Starting Point Directory – A human-edited general directory organizing sites by category.
World Wide Web Virtual Library (VLI – The oldest directory of the Web.
Yahoo! Directory – The first service that Yahoo! offered.
Metasearch engines are search engine sites that may include from 10 to 90 search engines on one site. 

Infospace
Info.com
Dogpile
Excite
Search.com
WebCrawler
Ixquick
Mamma
Metacrawler

Try an experiment. Pick a simple topic, such as "publishing" and look it up in several of these various "books." I'll bet you will be surprised at the wider amount of information you retrieve from each of them. 

Remember: We don't know what we don't know. 

Geri Spieler is an author, book reviewer and conducts Internet research workshops. You can find her at www.gerispieler.com 

Four New Internet Research Classes

Four Classes to Choose From 

Class #1 

SUPER SLEUTHING:
INTERNET RESEARCH SECRETS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW
But Few Do

A comprehensive workshop on how to conduct research on the Internet: 
Reduce the amount of time you spend searching and find reliable information. 

What you will take away:   
Ø 11 unique "search engine strings" that go way beyond the typical "Google" search and cut your research time in half.   
Ø Discover over 100 research tools that include directories, databases, graphics, periodicals, government and references all free.  
Ø The 10 Best Online Research Apps/Sites You've Never Heard Of
Ø How to find the Deep Web, 500 times bigger than the searchable Web. 
Ø Learn the critical difference of information from  Free Visible Web, the Free Invisible Web and Paid Databases 
Ø How to avoid unintentional plagiarism. 
Ø 10 strategies for detecting bad information and identifying the source.
Ø How to organize your Internet search. 
Ø How to decode a Web address and detect Web site spoofing. 
Ø
(PowerPoint presentation)

Class  #2

Hand's On Internet Research Class--Bring your laptop and search projects for an individualized exercise.  

Journalist and investigative reporter Geri Spieler shares her advanced Internet research techniques that will cut your research time in half and yield reliable and verifiable information.  

· Get tips on how to use search engine strings that go way beyond the typical Google search,
· Tools that include directories, databases, graphics, periodicals, government documents, and references—all free. 
· Learn about the Deep Web, which is 500 times bigger than the searchable Web. 

Class size limited to 10 participants
(PowerPoint presentation and online demonstrations)

Class #3

Why Facts Matter and How to Find Them
Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, your descriptions and references must be accurate.  Never underestimate your reader. Facts, references and accurate details are critical examples of professional writers. 

Examples: 

Does a helicopter have wheels or skids? 
What is the difference between a revolver and pistol?

Does it matter? You bet. You do not want an editor or reader to lose respect for your work and damage your credibility. Hear more examples of how inaccuracies lost writers jobs and literary contracts. 

To avoid these mistakes, discover the top six research sites and facilities to find just about everything on anything.

(Lecture only)

Class  #4

"Fact Finding for Fiction Writers: 

Free & Easy Research Techniques to Pump Up Your Skills"

Fiction does not release a novelist from fact. Inaccurate detail will sink a book into the chasm of sloppy writing and lazy work habits. Never underestimate your reader. Accurate references such as historical data, legal and medical references are critical examples of professional writers. 

Learn the skills for fast, accurate and reliable Internet search techniques that boost your book out of the slush pile. (PowerPoint presentation)


Geri Spieler is an author and investigative reporter. Geri has written for Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes. She is a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, an official blogger for the Huffington Post, member of the National Book Critics Circle, the Internet Society and a former Research Director for the Gartner Group. 

She is the author of the four-time award winning Taking Aim at the President: the Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at Gerald Ford, Palgrave Macmillan 
www.gerispieler.com

Fact Finding for Fiction Writers: Free & Easy Research Techniques to Pump Up Your Skills

"Fact Finding for Fiction Writers:

Free & Easy Research Techniques to Pump Up Your Skills"

 

Book Passage Class with Geri Spieler

 Sunday, April 15, 2012  1:00 -2:30 PM

Fiction does not release a novelist from fact. Inaccurate detail will sink a book into the chasm of sloppy writing and lazy work habits. Never underestimate your reader. Accurate references such as historical data, legal and medical references are critical examples of professional writers. 

Learn the skills for fast, accurate and reliable Internet search techniques that boost your book out of the slush pile. 

Geri Spieler is an author and investigative reporter. Geri has written for Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes. She is a reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, an official blogger for the Huffington Post, member of the National Book Critics Circle, the Internet Society and a former Research Director for the Gartner Group.

 

She is the author of the four-time award winning Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story Of  The Woman Who Shot At Gerald Ford, Palgrave Macmillan

                                      www.gerispieler.com style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; background-color: white; "> 

http://www.bookpassage.com/event/class-geri-spieler-fact-finding-all-writers-easy-search-techniques

 

Book Passage

51 Tamal Vista Blvd.

Corte Madera, CA 94925

(415) 927-0960    (800) 999-7909

 

$40.00 -- Limited Seating --- Reservations suggested

Book Review: Opposition Research Revealed


We’re with Nobody: Two Insiders Reveal the Dark Side of American Politics


Reviewed by Geri Spieler | Released: January 24, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow Trade Paperbacks (208 pages)

“There is humor and personality in every paragraph of We’re with Nobody. The writing is intelligent, detailed, and intimate. While the authors don’t explain the personal cost of spending months on the road and what effect it had on their lives, they let us in on their highs and lows of the day-to-day tasks in such a way that I did not want the book to end. I wanted to know where we were going next.”

In politics, hubris abounds. It is truly amazing that politicians think they can keep secrets.

After reading, We’re with Nobody: Two Insiders Reveal the Dark Side of American Politics, by Alan Huffman and Michael Rejebian, there is no question—there are no secrets.

The scenarios of secrets revealed are played out in detail in this entertaining account of opposition research, sometimes called “oppo.”

A good example of this arrogance is the story of candidate who believed he could keep a secret from his own team. When presented with the services of Mr. Huffman and Rejebian to prepare the candidate for an upcoming congressional race, he balked.

“Why the hell do I need to hire you? What could you possibly tell me about myself that I don’t already know?”

Such was the naïve lament of what turned out to be a failed campaign, and we get a front row seat to the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes of the campaign trail. For an outsider, watching these political antics is great entertainment.

Opposition research is a multimillion-dollar business. It is the practice of uncovering damaging background information of candidates that will compromise a run for elected office. It is also practiced for other situations, such as celebrities and business officials. It parallels the private investigative business, but opposition research stays close to the political arena.

The term may new, but the practice is as old as when two people wanted the same position of power. Opposition research is a practice with a long history. An article in The Washingtonian magazine revealed this piece of history: “In the 1828 presidential election, Andrew Jackson’s opponents unearthed his marriage records, seeking to imply that the hero of the Battle of New Orleans was an adulterer for marrying Rachel Robards in 1791 before she was legally divorced from her first husband.”

We’re with Nobody cleverly takes us through the detailed steps of performing opposition research. More often than not, the results are usually less than positive for either side of the political aisle. We see firsthand the gritty details and feel the frustration through stories about obstructionist clerks who are determined to keep public documents private.

The book is presented as a diary of sorts, each chapter alternating authors. The reader gets a glimpse of this work from both perspectives that add an interesting element to the subject.

The authors are highly credentialed and seasoned professionals. Mr. Huffman, a former journalist, is also a contributor to the New York Times and author of four books. Mr. Rejebian was a reporter in Texas, director of communications for the Office of the Mayor in Jackson Mississippi, and political advisor to the Attorney General of Mississippi.

They team up on most assignments to make sure the research gets the best treatment from both perspectives.

Because Mr. Rejebian and Mr. Huffman exclude the names of their clients, they let us inside this murky and sometimes dangerous work. We get to go along for the ride, which is sometimes amusing as well as laborious, but always engaging.

There is no attempt to glamorize the world of opposition research. In fact, we see the strong component of tedium in the research process. There is enough monotony in investigation to discourage any would be political junkie who doesn’t possess the strongest commitment to unearth a nucleus of illicit activity under a candidate’s rock.

A significant part of the book is spent describing the various methods used to pry files from self-styled gatekeepers of public information. The stories are amusing as well as instructive. Among the more comical situations, this one in particular stands out:

“Standing about five foot five, she’s a manly woman, troll-like in many ways. And though she might very well reside under a bridge, she works in a local government office in Missouri. From the expression on her face, we can tell this is going to be unpleasant—a trip to the dentist and a prostate exam wrapped into one,” wrote Mr. Rejebian.

In an instructive chapter, the authors give us ten tips for how obtain the desired documents with grace and grit. Among them, Mr. Huffman suggests a confrontational approach for a particularly difficult clerk: “Listen, this isn’t the CIA and I don’t have time to stand here while you figure out ways not to do what you’re paid to do. So here’s a novel idea—just do it!”

We’re with Nobody makes it clear that it takes more than mere dedication to the cause, clearly illustrated by assignments requiring the team wade through 20 years of financial reports.

Yet the descriptions of hours of laborious thumbing through paper are written with a very light hand. There is humor and personality in every paragraph of We’re with Nobody. The writing is intelligent, detailed, and intimate. While the authors don’t explain the personal cost of spending months on the road and what effect it had on their lives, they let us in on their highs and lows of the day-to-day tasks in such a way that I did not want the book to end. I wanted to know where we were going next.

This book was originally published in the New York Journal of Books  www.nyjournalofbooks.com 

Facts for Fiction Writers-Pump Up Your Novel

Interview by Linda Loveland Reid –for the Redwood Writers Conference, April 28, 2011

Geri Spieler – Researching Facts for Fiction Writers-Pump Up Your Novel

“The most exciting thing about teaching,” Geri Spieler says, “is giving students that Ah Ha! Helping them to that Wow place where they can see how much value and fun there is in research.”

Spieler, a journalist and investigative reporter now working at Stanford, wants to help writers do research to make their details sing. “A reader will go anywhere with you if they trust your facts.”

A researcher long before the Internet, Spieler points out that in today’s world, 60% of what you need is on-line; however, much of it is hidden. She wants to share how writers can locate information that is not only more accurate than what’s available on the surface, but more interesting.   

Reid: I imagine it can be embarrassing to miss a truth.

Spieler:   If you use the wrong weapon, one that was not invented at the time of your story or is not capable of doing what you say it does, it will turn your reader off. The wrong year of an historic event or a famous person turning up who isn’t born yet−these are issues that destroy a writer's credibility.  

Reid: We have Google. Why do we need any other tool?

Spieler: Deeper. That is, the Net is wonderful and fast, but must be used properly. Google is my gateway to the Net. What I teach is how to go much deeper. How do you know if you can trust what you find? I teach “string research,” how to disambiguate, that is, put your question into words the browser recognizes so you can get beyond the junk, into the real sources. It’s important to us sources built by actual people, not just built by search engines.

Reid: Should I use Wikipedia?

Spieler: Yes, but be careful. The problem here is there is no verifying information. Even when an error is corrected, the misinformation remains. You can find verifiable information by going into the “deep-web,” places populated by institutions and experts.

Reid: Deep-Web?

Spieler: It’s critical to understand the difference between “data base” and “search engine.” When you research at the library, you don’t limit yourself to one book; you use many. You need to know how to use more tools; how to get there; how to find those tools.

Reid: What do traditional publishers look for in historical fiction or non-fiction works?

Spieler: Publishers want to know where you got your facts. The agent reading the book cares. They will ask the questions. You want to have relevant answers. The problem with the Net is it makes us sloppy. We go to the Net first. My technique includes first organizing what you want from the search; then go on line. There are many things to consider. You can use links and websites, but what if a URL you depended on expires? You need to keep clear records.

Reid: How did you get to be a research expert?

Spieler: As a reporter, I became a Badger, would not let go until I had all the facts. This skill led to my working with various newspapers and finally a global company as an analyst where I became the Research Director. I left to write a book involving the FBI and police records. This book is in universities as an example of good research; on how to do solid work.

Reid: What is the most exciting experience you’ve had as writer?

Spieler: Creative non-fiction! I wrote a factual story into a novel, Capote style. Very difficult. I began by taking creative writing classes. “You can make up nothing!” my agent told me. “A story has a lot more power when it’s true.

Reid: What do you see in the future for research, the trends?

Spieler: People are taking control of their writing, which is terrific but which also means they are not going through the rigor of the editorial process, of a publisher checking facts. It’s your job to be that editor. Growth of the self-publication industry offers great opportunity, but writers need to be even more careful. You can be lazy but, a well-researched book shows respect for your audience.

Reid: There’s a rumor out there that research is a dry subject?

Spieler: No! It’s a game! Everybody likes a good mystery. It’s shocking what you can find out!  The more you find, the more you realize, wow, I never thought about that in this way before. It expands your mind and, consequently, your story. 

Geri Spieler will be giving a session at the Redwood Writers April 28 Conference in Santa Rosa, California:  Facts for Fiction Writers−Research Secrets Everyone Should Know.

   http://redwoodwriters.org/conference/                                                        

Geri Spieler – Bio
Geri Spieler is a journalist and investigative reporter. Her specialty is to take the buzz on the streets and turn it into investigative stories that are not being covered anywhere else.

She has reported for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes. She was the founder and editor of Electronic Commerce News, a technology journal published by Phillips Business Information, which led to an eight-year assignment as a Research Director and Analyst for the Gartner Group, an international technology advising company. Geri is also a book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, an official blogger for the Huffington Post, a member of National Book Critics Circle, member of the Internet Society, author with Red Room and a senior writer with Ezine Magazine.

 In her capacity as a reporter, she met and corresponded with the would-be assassin Sara Jane Moore. Palgrave Macmillan published her four time award-winning book, Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman who Shot Gerald Ford, Jan. 2009. Sundance Film director Robinson Devore is making a documentary film about Sara Jane Moore's life.

Geri graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a degree in English. She is former president of the San Francisco/Peninsula Branch of California Writers Club, conference director of the Jack London Writers Conference and board member of NorCal, a consortium of Northern California Writers Club consortium.

Currently she is research associate at Stanford University.    www.gerispieler.com

 

 

 

 

 

How to Become An Internet Search Expert



Want to become a search expert? Try doing your Internet searches using phrases, called search strings, which cut your search time down while increasing the relevant results.

If you pay attention to your standard search engine results, you notice that often just the first two to three pages of a search using just the word you are looking for results in relevant information. 
Following those pages more and more of the information begins to lose the relevancy.

Take for example the word “Panda” on a Google search. All things Panda, the animal, last almost not quite three pages. After page, three the relevance to Panda's evolves to Panda-related products and commercial businesses begins. 

By entering such a broad subject such as "Panda" with no related words, the time and energy searching for Websites and information takes longer and omits what might be excellent results. 
A better approach is to refine the search to specific needs to not only speed up the search process, but yield pages and pages of relevant and reliable information.  
Therefore the Search String.  

Search Strings are not limited to Google. The Search String is a device that should be used on all searches using Search Engines and Databases.  

Blog keyword search. Again, this is similar to the "Exact Search," in that we are looking for something specific. Only in this case, the term "inurl: indicates we are looking exactly for the subject in a blog. For example inurl:chickens

The definition search. The definition search is great for writers. Another option is to use a dictionary or Thesaurus site. However, when we are in a hurry, the "define" search can speed things up. define:pullet. 

The date range search. This is obvious. To search for information within a specific date range, do these: Self Publishing daterange: 2010 january-2011 January

This type of research is especially important if you need relevant and updated information.
The wildcard search * is the "Star" in your computer. To use a wildcard search insert the * symbol instead of a word. When we are not sure of exactly what we are looking for, the Wildcard is an excellent way to explore what is out in the Internet world. I used this option when looking for anything related to the phrase, "San Francisco Values." I received all the latest political responses as well as real estate information,  

The file type search. Easy to use. Just add the file type to the term: filetype:pdf

The safe search. This is helpful in terms of using the computer along with children. The safe search excludes all adult content from the results: safesearch:online 

The exact search. A phrase or exact search allows us to find relevant information by putting quotes “” around our search term. This will cut out all irrelevant and time wasting results. For Example: “chicken blogs."

The link search. If you are looking for a specific Website, you can put the link either into your browser window or into the search window as well. link:www.gerispieler.com

The site search. If we want to find information on only the one website, then precede the link with the term "site" and you will find this site only.  This is helpful if you are not sure of the URL.  site:gerispieler.com

How to find stuff using either or results. If we need information on two words that might not even be related, we can use the OR in between. For example: chickens OR hens.

More info. Many are familiar with the Boolean search techniques. These items will further define what we are looking for. Such terms as the + used between three words will "string" together exactly what we are looking for. For example: chickens + egg + seasons. I like to use the term "What is." This is another way to tell the browser I'm looking for information about something, somewhat like the Wild Card, but not quite so broad. 

Using Search Strings gives us an advantage to improve our accuracy and speed up the search process.  You will be faster and able to find more accurate information from now on.

Geri Spieler runs seminars and Webinars, Super Sleuthing: Internet Research Skills Everyone Should Know But Few Do, www.gerispieler.com 

Twitter Has No Clothes--Guest Blog

My friend, analyst extraordinaire, Janet Asteroff,  says Twitter is on the way out. 

Read what she has to say about this:

Twitter's Limited Shelf Life, by Janet Asteroff. 

"Ok, chief marketing officers, you may have to sit down. It won't be easy. Or, maybe it will, depending on your strategic agility.

"Twitter will be gone. Not tomorrow, not next year, but soon, and something will replace it. Microblogging will be here for a long time, but Twitter most likely won't. Twitter is wonderful but flawed. Liking it is easy but replacing it is inevitable. If you don't think so, then when's the last time you checked your MySpace account? Or GeoCities? Used 1997's best search engine Alta Vista? Or signed on to Prodigy? 

"One of the better computer industry axioms is "nothing works until version 2.0". Twitter is microblogging version 1.0. And it will always be version 1.0 no matter how many technical iterations or user interface changes or third party applications happen. The next service will be the one to make more lasting waves by correcting Twitter's inherent downsides and providing a deeper usefulness for users and marketers. Twitter's a simple idea, a mix of instant messaging,  e-mail and interactive talk is what made it easy to use,  but that's exactly what makes it difficult to expand as a practical communications utility. 

"Why can't Twitter recover, thrive and live forever? Well, there's always a chance it can re-invent itself, but what usually happens is that some enterprising group or start-up is at work on the next application which has the features marketers and consumers need. Twitter's founders and developers are locked into their technical platform and modes of operation. 

"Think of Twitter as a funnel with a very wide top and an extremely  narrow bottom – much goes in, but it  takes forever to get out. Information can't be well organized because there's too much of it and no easy way to do it. It streams all day and all night and the signal-to-noise ratio is unacceptable. But whether using the Web interface or  tools like TweetDeck or Twidroyd,  the linear presentation is  difficult for interaction because  there are
a) too many flows of communication 

b) moving too fast to

c) enable people to easily connect with those interested in the same things. For marketing, getting the message read is hit-and-miss, but Twitter has the eyeballs, so marketers have to be there. 

"Twitter has become, with some exception, a broadcast media. It's great for headlines, and almost a replacement for RSS in its "scan-and-go" format. On the Web, it's hard to use for anything but the basic read-and-post function; the Twitter BASICS instruction page contains more than 75 entries. This simple service has run away with itself in terms of complexity of use.

"As a broadcast media, those who do the best are churning out one-liners. Comedians like Steve Martin and Joan Rivers have short, effective communication which standalone.  Twitter works well for experts, pundits, groups and entertainers to reach a wide number of people. 

"Don't confuse popularity with utility. Twitter is popular. The recent US Presidential Twitter event  was nice but not very successful. And on the back-end it's a data machine which produces trends by city, state, country, and demographics about  products and services.  But none of this means that Twitter has the function and utility needed for effective communication between groups, or for following opinion leaders or friends, or effectively embracing products, services and ideas.

"Some of what version 2.0 will need to make microblogging a potent marketing and communications conduit include:

- A means by which to save communications you've missed, or to collect them, or put to the side and looked at later.
- A  way to  easily resurrect the "conversation" on a topic, to keep better track of one subject or one group within a specific  timeframe, not just looking back at earlier postings. 
- Security beyond password protection for groups which want to keep in touch confidentially but don't have access to a private system

"This makes it more like the next generation computer conferencing system, but that's what version 2.0 may be. 

"Facebook is version 2.0 of AOL, Prodigy and CompuServe. Google+ is  trying to be the better Facebook.  Google should have tried to create the new Twitter, because nothing works until version 2.0."   

Read more Janet Asteroff at   http://www.asteroff.com/ 
 



New York Times-The Saga Continues

Page One: Inside the New York Times and the Future of Journalism

 Edited by David Folkenflik

 

“. . . thorough, thoughtful, and exceptionally well written. . . . Page One is a most encompassing volume on the issue of the future of journalism and newspapers. . . . Highly recommended.”

 

Can print journalists be objective about the future of news? Page One attempts to answer this question in 17 essays and interviews with respected and well-known writers from various positions in newspaper and public affairs worldwide.

David Folkenflik, NPR’s award-winning media correspondent based in New York City, edits the book.

 

The project was originally a documentary film shown at Sundance in January 2011. At the core of the film is a story told by journalists in the business representing different generations. David Carr, a former drug addict, is out of central casting as an eccentric, old school, gravely voiced reporter. On the other side of the proverbial desk is Brian Stelter who epitomizes the model of a fresh faced, new media journalist.

 

The essays contained in the book cover the global challenge of how will newspapers and professional journalism survive in the age of the digital demon Websites like WikiLeaks, Gawker, Politico, and the Huffington Post.

 

For a reporter, a job at the New York Times equaled being admitted to Harvard University. The romance of the New York Times held forth until 2007 as things began to change. After the paper moved into its resplendent and high-tech new home across town, even the Times could no longer hold off the advance of a changing landscape and stuttering economy.

 

Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi created this idea for a film project. Novack and Rossi are husband-and-wife documentary filmmakers. An earlier film by this team is “Eat This New York,” about friends trying to start a restaurant in Brooklyn.

 

Each essay reveals, and offers solutions, to the various ailments of the newspaper business. Some take on the Internet as the insect that infected journalism and caused it to wither away.

The history of the newspaper business is filled with stories of deals gone bad, buyouts, massive firings and questionable business decisions about what is news and what people want or will read.

 

James O’Shea is the former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune and then the editor of the Los Angeles Times. In his essay, he chronicles the calamitous events when the Tribune Company of Chicago acquired Times Mirror Company of Los Angeles.

 

O’Shea calls it the “Deal from Hell,” as the arrangement emptied the Times of nearly 50 percent of its news staff and changed the editorial style from one of hard news to cotton candy.

 

He is emphatic that it is not the Internet that was not the cause of declining readership but the reaction of those who are in charge. O’Shea said, “The lack of investment, greed, incompetence, corruption, hypocrisy, and downright arrogance of people who put their interests ahead of the public’s,” as the reason newspapers are having problems.

 

Others, such as the piece by Jennifer 8. Lee, taught the paper how to embrace the electronic frontier and see it as a way to flourish as it never could before by creating a new arm for its staff to explore; the blog.

 

Chapter Eight by Evan Smith, former editor and president of Texas Monthly, writes about a growing anecdote to the threatened loss of real investigative journalism, which are the grant and donation supported nonprofits. These entities are creating a new business model: public news organizations.

 

In this chapter Smith describes these organizations as the saving credible journalism in a world of one sided and un-vetted opinion.

 

The mission of nonprofit and nonpartisan journalism is to disseminate the product, investigative reporting, to news agencies for free. They can afford to do this as large grants, foundations and contributions fund the newsrooms. The idea is to keep good journalism alive and good journalists employed.

 

The first of this new breed is ProPublica in New York followed by the Texas Tribune out of Austin and the Bay Citizen in San Francisco. It is a model being emulated around the country.

 

The Associated Press is expanding on its own model to distribute content from nonprofit news organizations to newspapers around the world. Investigative News Network, another nonprofit, has 51 members of news organizations also producing investigative journalism available to newspapers and other outlets.

 

The manuscript/script is thorough, thoughtful, and exceptionally well written. Each essay offers another wrinkle in the evolutionary saga about the fate of newsprint. All of the authors, including Alan Rusbridger, Editor in Chief of The Guardian newspaper and executive editor of its sister Sunday paper, the Observer, and Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, have something of value to bring to the story.

 

For those interested in the status of how news is being analyzed and delivered, Page One is a most encompassing volume on the issue of the future of journalism and newspapers.

Highly recommended.


This review originally appeared in the New York Journal of Books 

 

How to Search the Invisible Web


If you limit your Internet research to a general search engine, such as Google, it is the same thing as limiting your research to just one book.

You wouldn't do that, so why limit your Internet search to just one site.

There are many more "books" available online that yield more results you don't want to miss.  

The Invisible Web offers thousands of Web sites, databases and directories you just can't find using a standard search engine.

Why can't you find these treasures? There are several roadblocks. There are four types of invisibility to conquer. According to The Invisible Web by Chris Sherman and Gary Price, there are  four types of barriers:

The Opaque Web-This Web consists of files that are not included in a standard search engine search.

The Private Web-These sites are not indexed Web pages and are deliberately excluded from search engines. Often these sites are password protected.

The Proprietary Web-These pages are only accessible to those who have agreed to special terms such as registration.

The Truly Invisible Web-There is technical reasons keep these sites under wraps. So far, search engines just can't find them with the current technology used to find these directories or databases. However, as the technology grows, these sites may be found in the future.

So, how to break through these barriers? There are ways. A lot depends on how you go about go about designing your approach and understand how to go about it.

One way is simply "ask" a search engine to take you to the Invisible Web. For example, "Bio Science + Invisible Web."  

In addition, you can access special Invisible Web databases, such as:

 Surfwax, Academic Index, Dogpile, Turbo 10, Multiple Searches, Clusty, Mamma, World Curry Guide, Fazzle, IceRocket, Izito, Ujiko, pipl, and Mensur.

These are just a fraction of Invisible Web sites available. You can find even more Invisible Web sites at www.completeplanet.com.

 

 

Ooogeling Google and Beyond


Google is a general, all around search device. 

It's fine for wide swath searches, but if you are trying to dip deep and look for some specialized and reliable sources, you may want to look elsewhere. 

Robots using algorithms create Google searches. All this means is that everything Google looks for is based on your previous preferences and searches. A new search will yield results using what you already like to know. 

These results are limited and don't offer the user the best possible information.  
Bottom line--you are not getting unbiased results. The way around this is to look elsewhere such as going to other search devices such as Yahoo, MSN, AOL and or Lycos. There are many other types of search vehicles, known as portals or directories. 

The difference between a "Search Engine, portal or directory will make a big difference on your results. 
Search engines, such as Google, rely on an automated system with your history coded into it, thereby delivering information based on what you have fed into it. 

Portals were originally designed as gateways to other Internet resources. However now they have become destination sites with popular information such as news, shopping, entertainment and Internet services including E-mail. 

Directories are classified a listings of Web sites. A directory will have records for sites placed within a hierarchical system. The classification of sites is typically performed by human editors and is searchable by the category names, titles and descriptions. 

While there are some specific distinctions, there is a lot of blurring between search engines and portals today. Google has joined in with Yahoo and Aol in offering E-mail, news and entertaining.  
Yet, a same search performed on all three will yield some differences in the result. 

Don't limit yourself to just one "book." Take a broader approach for a fully comprehensive search experience. 

Blog Software