Google: Not Just Another Search Engine |
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| Author:
| ranok
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| Submitted: |
20-Oct-2004 09:25:53 |
| Imported From: |
zZine (original author: Ranok)
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| Many of you have probably used the most popular feature of Google (http://www.google.com), the search engine; however, Google has much more to offer than a search engine.
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Google Labs is an area where Google brings out features not ready for mainstream use but open for testing by the general public. Google Labs contains services such as Google for your mobile phone and PDA, Google Compute, a program that allows your computer to process data for important research, Google Groups beta, a Usenet listing that allows you to create topics in which others can post from all over the world, and finally, a search customized to your local area.
Google's search engine is one of the finest. It keeps tabs on the most visited pages and displays them first, along with the best matching results to your search words.
The search box can also allow for commands to be typed, such as "define: word" and it will list the definitions from many different dictionaries. Google's search engine can also be used as a spell checker, just enter in a word as close as you can, and it will list other correctly spelled words that are close to your search entry.
Gmail, or Google e-mail, is a free web-mail service that has 1000 Mb of space, only small Google ads and a way to "archive" old e-mails and Google search your e-mail box. Although it's free, you must be invited in to Gmail by a friend who already has Gmail. The downside to Gmail is the fact that it contains targeted ads, Gmail service will read your email currently open and display ads related to the text on screen. For example, if I read an e-mail about my flight to Amsterdam, the Google ads will advertise Travelocity tickets to Amsterdam.
Some people feel that this is an invasion of their privacy and that Google shouldn't be reading their e-mails. However, e-mails are read by computers and no text is recorded. I feel that that is fine for me as my super sensitive e-mails with another secure email provider: ZipLip. On the flip side, it is hard to say "no" to one gigabyte of space and the archive feature. I use it all the time so I can search for old e-mails at a later date.
Google Groups, both one and two, are a great tool for sharing your insights and learning from others. In Groups one, you can only read postings from Usenet users, but can not post your own. This is all changed in Groups two beta, where you can make an account to have "starred" conversations forwarded to your inbox, or to start a whole new thread on a topic not already covered. You can post both in newer Google Groups which are quite similar to threads in a forum or in older Usenet topics such as computer software where Usenet readers can read your posts as well as Google users.
To sum it all up, I would have to say that Google provides many great services, most of them for free. I particularly like Gmail and Google Groups too. I would definitely ask around for someone with an extra Gmail invite.
This article was originally published by CyberArmy.net in the CyberArmy Library.
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