How We Find Information by Technology and How It Helps - Essay Example

How we find Information by Technology and how it helps (Rand, How we find Information by Technology and how it helps Introduction Technology has revolutionised the way we get information. It has amplified the rapidity as well as the content. It has dissolved distances such that people from two ends of the globe can communicate on a real-time basis. Search engines have developed to such an extent that we can search through equivalent volumes of books and paper in very few seconds and find relevant results. Social media enables us to send personal information such as pictures, and videos to our friends. Some governments have fallen because of the speed at which information flows in social media. Such information flow cannot be regulated by the government. Search Engines Search engines have evolved into very efficient machines today. The first search engines did not meet the needs of the average person. Searches yielded irrelevant information. Companies paid search engine companies to show their websites whenever a customer searched for a certain word or group of words. For example, when a person searched in Yahoo for the word “car," BMW was among the first websites to appear even before a website that defined the word “car" (Battelle, 2005). While such advertising models were beneficial to businesses, customers hoped that an efficient search engine would be created. People wanted a tool that would help them get information fast. When Google was created, it answered most of the customer’s needs. First of all, the philosophy that drove the creation of Google was to organise all the information of the world so that people could easily search and get it. The company refused to follow the model of Yahoo and other search engines. In fact, it took some time before Google thought of a way of monetising the search engine. Deep down their hearts, they wanted to help people out. It is the reason Google is the number one search engine on the planet. Other companies followed the model set by Google, so included Microsoft with Bing. Google and other modern search engines earn money through advertising. They use pay per click model whereby all the adverts that appear after the customer searches for information depends on what the customer has looked. It is not a random system. Social Media Social media is another method through which people get information. Human beings are social and they do not live in isolation. The fact that people can connect and communicate with loved ones post photos and content such as music and video have revolutionised the way we live. Companies such as Facebook and Twitter facilitate massive transfer of information for people who have signed up for accounts with them. The speed of information flow is such that even governments cannot regulate. These social networks have contributed to revolutions and the overthrow of governments. This is the case because protestors can send each other footage and information regarding their movement in real time. The fall of the administration of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt is attributed to Facebook. Activists sent each other content that could be shared to everyone in Egypt who had a Facebook account. It influenced people’s perceptions and added heat to the already hot inferno of the revolution (Strandberg, 2013). Social media is also a gold mine of information for employers. Employers usually look for the more subtle forms of the personalities of prospective employees. The people who are searching for jobs give the employer either a positive or negative impression from the comments, friends, photos and other content on their social media account. Such information carries much weight in the employment decision. Video and Audio Today, many people find that video and audio tutorials are easier and more entertaining than textual tutorials. The human mind works through pictures and associations. Therefore, when we learn through watching videos, we are learning to use the natural way that the brain likes. Modern information and communication technology has reduced the cost of producing audio and video files such that very cheap desktop software and IT knowledge is needed. Video companies such as YouTube are among the most visited websites per day (Hilton, 2011). For instance, YouTube is owned by Google. Google is structures in such a way that if an individual has a Google account, he has access to his/her own YouTube channel, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Search and Store. In YouTube, a person can upload videos at no charge with very little expertise. Another site that offers video information is Vimeo. Video websites are used almost like search engines are used. People search for videos that they can watch and get information instead of books that they can read (Lai, 2013). Videos usually are created with the intention of offering value to customers. Many internet marketers use videos to market their websites. Their answer frequently asked questions but include links to their websites below the videos. When customers watch these videos, and appreciate the content, they visit the websites and may buy from the marketer. Therefore, while videos and audios are great sources of information, they also serve as free sources of traffic to business websites. So traffic converts to leads, which convert to customers; which finally converts to raving fans of the online business. Moreover, the presence of audiobooks has helped people utilise their time better because they can now multi-task. People can be working out and at the same time listening to inspirational audio file through their earphones. Electronic Books The book industry has been turned upside down by the emergence of companies such as Amazon.com. These online book companies do not have many physical infrastructures. They have many third party affiliates who sell digital products at very low fees since the costs to maintain a business premise are non-existent. Focussing on the Amazon.com example, the company recently released a very cheap, but very useful electronic book reader called Kindle. The device allows people to buy electronic books online, store audio and videos. It is very light and is designed in a way that reduces glare. The battery cell of the device is such that it can go for weeks before recharging is necessary. Moreover, the device can read out loud an electronic book (Rao, 2005). The net effect is that the transfer of information is very cheap. When a person buys an electronic book, for example, he can send copies of the book to his/her friends. Sending the book has numerous ways of occurring. He/she can send the book via Bluetooth, email and other emerging methods of transfer. Websites Websites are great resources for finding information. Each website focusses on particular information that is targeted to a particular niche. Websites are made up of webpages. Search engines index and arrange webpages depending on how many people visit them. This algorithm allows for people to find the most useful content since people will only visit websites that offer the best content (Rao, 2005). Websites can be created for business purposes, to deliver news, to store information, to interact with people, and to store downloadable media files. Many people are making a full-time income working at home part-time on the internet. If a person has a website and has quality content, he/she can monetize the site by adding adverts such as banners, text ads and so on that a visitor can click. People earn commissions on the number of people they lead to a particular website or the number of products they purchase. It is beneficial to society that such opportunities for employment exist because it reduces the unemployment rate. In addition, the internet creates a level playing field so that professionals in different parts of the world have an equal opportunity of being employed. They are not affected by the employment condition of their countries or regions. Mobile Phones Mobile phones are a revolutionary method of getting information. They allow people to communicate in real time through voice. Mobile phones have been used for a few decades, and they have evolved a lot. First of all, they have changed in size and weight. Modern mobile phones are so light that they cannot be compared with the first mobile phones ever created. Also, modern mobile phones have greater functionality than the original models. They can access the internet, download and upload files on the internet and even tell the location of a person on the globe (Stork, 2011). Mobile phones are now being evolving to smartphones. Such phones can learn a lot about the user and thus become like an aide rather than a mobile phone. With the recent models being mostly touch type, mobile phones have improved the user experience because they allow the owner to have an emotional attachment with the device. Technology and how People Travel Technology has revolutionised the way people travel. These changes have been massive in all the three sectors of travel which include land, air and water. Speed Technology has increased the speed by which people travel. There are bullet trains in many European countries and other areas such as Japan. These move at speeds in excess of 300 kilometres per hour. They allow people to work in a different country and return home for dinner in their mother countries. Vehicles such as the Bugatti Veyron can reach speeds of about 431 kph and on unrestricted roads such as the Autobahn; a person can reach the maximum speed legally. Modern motorcycles have huge engine capacities that allow them to travel at speeds of 230 kilometres per hour. These motorbikes give their owners the thrill of travelling at high speeds in the open air. Aeroplanes have been able to travel at speeds that exceed that of sound. Moreover, U.S. military jets, such as the BlackBird can now travel at the speeds that generate enough gravitational force that can cut the blood supply to the pilot’s head, causing unconsciousness. However, they are not manned flights. In the water, ships, boats and yachts have improved engines that allow them to travel at high speeds. Recently, speed boats that race have been developed to race. They are made of light materials both inside and outside. The materials commonly used are carbon fibre and aluminium. Military warships such as aircraft carriers now use nuclear energy to propel them. These nuclear power plants require very little maintenance and can propel the ship for at least a decade before refuelling. They provide electricity in addition to propulsion and allow an army of at least 3000 men and women to stay afloat for many months as they protect the interests of the United States and safety in the water. Safety With improved speed, human life is at risk especially when the car, train, motorbike, airplane or ship is involved in a collision. These risks create a need for manufacturers to increase safety levels in these machines. In motor vehicles, technology has helped create safety features such as airbags. These protect the chest and heads of passengers and the driver in case of high speed impact. Other features in motor vehicles that improve the safety include automatic emergency braking when an obstacle approaches. The vehicles also have cruise control that maintains the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicles ahead of it. This prevents the driver from dangerously approaching another vehicle at high speed. Also, technology that enables the vehicle to detect when a driver is drowsy and stop, are common in many vehicle models (Houston, 2010). In electric trains, when there is a problem such as an earthquake, safety features are invoked to save the situation. Some of these are emergency breaking which is achieved by cutting the electric supply to the rails hence getting rid of the buoyancy. Also, acceleration is controlled because the uncontrolled thrust can lead to discomfort among the passengers. The same is true for deceleration. State of the art monitoring units that check the progress of the train as it travels enables staff in control facilities to become aware of problems at their earliest signs and take emergency steps to cover them (Houston, 2010). Airplanes have been fitted with parachutes and inflatable exits such as those found in the new Airbus A380. In the case of Airbus, the airplane is can carry an excess of 800 people and their luggage safely. In the water, safety is improved by use of lifeboats and safety jackets. Sonar radar enables ships to detect obstacles from distances. This helps prevent accidents such as that which doomed the Titanic in 1912. Guidance Motor vehicles have satellite navigation that gives the driver his exact location and guidance to their destination. The presence of GPRS technology in the vehicle helps the owner to locate it when packed in the car park with many vehicles. Cameras around the vehicle ensure that parking is safe and the driver does not risk his safety by getting out of the car to check the surroundings. The presence of computers in the vehicle helps the driver know not only where they are, but also the facilities available in the area. For example, the driver can locate facilities such as banks, hospitals, hotels and others while inside the vehicle (Houston, 2010). In airplanes, guidance is improved by the introduction of Light Emitting Diode screens that help the pilots to clearly see the course followed by the aircraft. It also helps the pilots communicate with the control tower in case of an emergency. Radar technology has enabled aircraft to see other planes flying in near proximity. This helps prevent crashes that have in the past caused many deaths. The introduction of an auxiliary engine which provides electric supply to fundamental flight controls when all other engines are not working. Compasses, computers and sonar radar help ships in the navigation process. It helps them avoid barriers that may cause collisions that cause numerous deaths. Sonar enables the captain and other personnel on the ship to identify areas with stormy weather conditions and avoid these places. Storms have been known to capsize ships and other water vessels. This is dangerous especially when in the deep seas. Train tracks guide the train automatically. This prevents train collisions that could cause many deaths in addition to millions of dollars in losses (Houston, 2010). How People Contact Each Other Technology has changed the way people stay in touch today. It has also changed the way communication devices communicate with each other. In the past, the communication process was tiresome and cumbersome. People had to travel for long distances to get to a communication device such as a phone booth. Moreover, early communication devices were expensive in both time and cost of acquisition. Modern technology has revolutionized communication to the leading to the creation of “a global village” to define the impact of technology in communication. Technology has affected communication more than all other sectors (Rand, 2012). Mobile phones were once heavy and mobile networks were weak and unreliable. However, technological breakthroughs have led to the creation of devices that are very light but much more powerful than earlier devices. Earlier mobile phones were very limited in capabilities because they could only make calls and send text messages. However, modern mobile phones can do much more. They can browse the internet, give the user their exact location, and take photographs, record videos and audios. Mobile phones have GPRS systems that enable the user to know his/her exact location and even guide them to their destination. Modern mobile phones have voice control where the user can issue voice commands to the phone. Touch screen devices pioneered by Apple, Inc. have become the industry standard. The human hand is the greatest pointing device. Computers have been greatly improved by technology. In the days of Charles Babbage, computers used a lot of electric power. They were bulky and some of them could fill an entire room. They required many personnel to operate. Modern computers are getting smaller and more powerful as the years go by. Notebook computers have more power with improved processing speeds. They make work easier and enjoyable. They have Wi-Fi capability that enables users to connect to the internet without using cables. People can send emails, chat online and connect with friends through social networks. They are fitted with Bluetooth technology that facilitates file transfers between Bluetooth enabled devices that are connected (Strandberg, 2013). Social networks connect friends, family members and strangers. Information shared on these networks includes pictures, videos, and audio and text messages. When people share content, others can like and comment. Depending on the nature of the comments, another person’s opinions can be influenced. Many people, today, look for product and service reviews from social networks. People who have used the products comment on their quality and usability. Research shows that most people believe social network reviews more than the company claims. Social networks influence the political, economic and social viewpoint of citizens in the country. In politics, revolutions have been made successful through social networks. In Egypt, the administration of Hosni Mubarak was ended because the government could not control the flow of information in social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Social networks have facilitated the growth of viral marketing. This refers to the capability given to people in social networks to become marketers by using a model called eWOM (electronic Word of Mouth). Technology has enhanced the passing of information from the manufacturers to the consumers. Information on the type of products, the branding processes and packaging has to be prioritised to the consumers taste hence the need for a relationship. Traditionally products were produced with the hope that the consumer will buy what’s available, with the improved technology, producers talk to consumers getting the opinion and producing at a given rate, the improved technology is responsible for the easy working relationship of the various individuals (Battelle, 2005). Technology has brought about timely information passage amongst various individuals and governments. The world, today, is full of natural calamities and man-made hostilities that make life protection a necessity. Information on the happenings can be passed to the masses prior to their happening, example information on floods or earthquakes can be scientifically predicted hence passed to the individuals in question for timely measures to be undertaken, this avoids worse loss of lives as witnessed in the past. Technology has brought about complex devices that enable individuals to pass out distress calls to other individuals for help, emotional support, and psychological analysis or just to converse. Compared to the 1912 titanic disaster the complex technology today allows the individuals on different sides or continents to talk and bid farewells calling at any time just normal individuals would (Strandberg, 2013). The way people contact each other has also been tainted. While initially the contact was truthful, as it was always by sight, technology has brought deception in what used to be the code of contact of the former generations. Mobile phones computers and other gadgets allow people to lie due to the fact that they can’t be seen by those they were talking to, a student would lie to their parents that they are reading while, in the real sense, they are out hiking or a spouse will lie to the partner that they are at work while the truth is they are having fun with their friends. It’s also a platform for the debtors and creditors to run from their responsibilities, hiding from those they owe. With the improved technology religion is what we all seek, not necessarily in a supernatural being but the belief that whatever the other individual is telling you is true (Lai, 2013). Conclusion In conclusion, technology has improved the way people access information. Through the internet, information that would be physically equivalent to miles of paper is searched and the most relevant results returned in a few seconds. In the future, technology is expected to improve life further by making the access to information easier. References Battelle, J. (2005). The search: how Google and its rivals rewrote the rules of business and transformed our culture. New York: Portfolio. Hilton, G. (2011). Rehearsing for an audience: students learning science through video production. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 9(3), 311. Lai, K. (2013). How Are Our Undergraduates Using YouTube? A Survey on Music Students’ Use of YouTube and the Librarys Multimedia Collection. Music Reference Services Quarterly, 16(4), 199-217. Rao, S. S. (2005). Electronic books: their integration into library and information centers. The Electronic Library, 23(1), 116-140. Stork, C. (2011). Are mobile phones replacing the use of public phones in Africa? Info, 13(3), 75-90. Strandberg, K. (2013). A social media revolution or just a case of history repeating itself? The use of social media in the 2011 Finnish parliamentary elections. New Media & Society, 15(8), 1329-1347. Read More