The Professional's Guide to Mining the Internet: Infromation Gathering and Research on the Net

by Clegg, Brian

• ISBN13: 9780749436551
• ISBN10: 0749436557
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

When "Mining the Internet" was first published in 1999, the Internet already presented a vast, confusing mix of incredibly useful information and garbage. Since then, the volume of information has exploded. The good news about using the Internet for research is that almost anything you want to know is probably out there somewhere. The bad news is that it is like searching for a particular item on a bulletin board, planted with millions of other boards in a field the size of Texas.This new edition reflects the changes since 1999 - the breadth of information sources, the new wave of e-commerce, the changing vehicles for getting into the Net - but the main purpose of the book continues to be to take the pain out of using the Internet as an information source, whether you need to know what's on at your local theater, to find a telephone number of a company on the other side of the world, or to produce in-depth research material for your academic studies. It provides simple, practical ways to improve your ability to find the right information, with specific applicat

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Skills - It's out there somewhere	1	(11)
Why mine the Internet?	1	(1)
Why use this book?	1	(1)
Quick jumper	2	(2)
What the Internet is	4	(1)
What the Internet isn't	5	(4)
What do you want?	9	(1)
Try as you go	10	(1)
Recap	10	(2)
Skills - Walking the Web	12	(21)
What is this World Wide Web?	12	(2)
Web sites	14	(1)
What's the Web good for?	15	(1)
What's the Web bad at?	16	(1)
Moving around a site	17	(2)
Getting around the Web (and the world)	19	(1)
Protected sites - free and paying	19	(2)
Where is everyone?	21	(2)
The language barrier	23	(2)
Where'd it go?	25	(1)
Keeping Web data after you disconnect	26	(2)
Security	28	(2)
Bookmarks, favourite places and shortcuts	30	(2)
Recap	32	(1)
Skills - The Internet beyond the Web	33	(4)
There's more	33	(1)
Using people	33	(1)
FTP	34	(1)
Telnet	35	(1)
Proprietary services	35	(1)
Recap	36	(1)
Skills - Search engines and indexes	37	(20)
I'm lost	37	(1)
Knock, knock	38	(2)
Finding an engine or index	40	(1)
Simple searching	41	(2)
There's English and English	43	(1)
Slick searching	44	(4)
Not just one engine	48	(1)
Indexes	48	(3)
Handling the results	51	(1)
Second stage searching	52	(1)
More portal goodies	53	(1)
Is it all true?	53	(1)
Collecting and reporting	54	(1)
Recap	55	(2)
Skills - Agents and ferrets	57	(9)
I want it all	57	(1)
Meta-searching	58	(1)
Ferrets	59	(3)
Sensible ferreting about	62	(1)
Branching out	62	(1)
Agents	63	(1)
Browser search facilities	64	(1)
Recap	65	(1)
Skills - Information from people	66	(16)
Getting people involved	66	(1)
E-mail - getting a reply	67	(1)
E-mail - finding an address	68	(2)
E-mail - warm calls	70	(1)
Impersonal e-mail - mailing lists	71	(1)
Newsgroups	72	(4)
Web conferences	76	(1)
Chat	77	(3)
Your own site	80	(1)
Recap	81	(1)
Focus - Quick reference and news	82	(14)
The world's largest encyclopedia?	82	(1)
Basic facts	83	(1)
What's happening?	83	(8)
Weather or not...	91	(1)
Stocks and shares	92	(2)
E-mags	94	(1)
E-books	95	(1)
Focus - People, places, business and education	96	(17)
Who, where, how...	96	(1)
E-mail, please	96	(7)
Address and phone	103	(1)
What are they doing? Who are they anyway?	103	(1)
Climbing the family tree	104	(1)
Finding places	104	(2)
Getting there	106	(1)
What's there?	107	(1)
What's on?	108	(1)
Businesses	109	(2)
Education	111	(2)
Focus - Expertise and archives	113	(10)
Amongst the experts and archivists	113	(1)
Linking on	114	(1)
Ringing the changes	114	(1)
Magazines on the Web	115	(1)
Digital archives	115	(1)
Finding pictures, sounds and video	116	(2)
Grabbing a picture	118	(1)
Handling sounds	119	(1)
Handling video	120	(1)
Remember copyright	121	(2)
Focus - Buy, buy, buy	123	(11)
Buying on the Web	123	(4)
Is it safe?	127	(1)
Finding the right product	127	(1)
Finding the right price	128	(1)
Shopping sites and comparisons	128	(1)
They might be global - but you aren't	129	(2)
Software from the Web	131	(3)
Skills - Getting launched	134	(3)
Pulling it together	134	(1)
Know what you want	134	(1)
Search smart	135	(1)
Filter and refine	135	(1)
Hit the target...	135	(1)
... but be prepared to give up	136	(1)
Go forth and start mining	136	(1)
Appendix - Getting on to the Internet	137	(6)
Where to start	137	(1)
Using someone else's	137	(1)
Something to look at	138	(1)
Modems, ISDN and other hard words	139	(1)
Does speed matter?	140	(1)
Getting connected	141	(1)
Software	141	(1)
Your own site	142	(1)
Index	143