Goooooogle!!!

Following questions are answered:


1. Google should not be used in scholarly research.
I consider this statement to be wrong. Google is a search engine with multiple features embedded into it that facilitates searching for scholarly articles.
http://scholar.google.com/
Above link is a search engine provided by google and its whole purpose is to give easy access for a scholarly research. This search engine is a useful tool for finding scholarly articles and related information.

2. Like databases and the library catalog, Google allows you to modify your search to get better results
Yes, google has advance filtering capabilities. A user can use boolean operators to filter a search. Also google supports filtering using date, location and many other factors.
http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=136861
This link describes other special features google provides when using google search. These tips can be extremely helpful when narrowing down search results.

3. Google contains no academic (AKA scholarly,  peer-reviewed) content
Google does contain scholarly articles.
http://scholar.google.com is a search engine that specifically searches for googles scholarly articles.


Next, Watch Eli Pariser's "Beware of Filter Bubbles" TED Talk and answer the following questions: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s

4. What is a filter bubble? 
Its a personal filter that determines the information that we get to see from a web search or a similar feed. It only shows us the results of what we have interests in and completely isolates us in that world. This is something, most of the time, the user does not have control over.
It also keeps us from information that we may need to know and only feeds us information the algorithms decide that are relevant to us.

5. How does the idea of a “filter bubble” relate to our class theme of media literacy? 
To be media literate we need to go through all the information and evaluate them but in the case of filter bubble, we only get to see a part of the information feed, not the whole. We don't see the big picture, instead we are fed with what the filter determines to be relevant to us.
I consider this to be a major drawback when it comes to having an open door for all information around you.

6. Why is it important to know about filter bubbles? How can they affect your research? 
Only a few understand and realize the existence of the filter bubbles. This means most of the information that are available to us come through a filter bubble and we don't see a standard information query. Every search we do returns results that are unique to our personality or personal computer.
In the case of a research we might end up looking at one side of the research question because the information we get might be filtered and our scope of the research might be limited to the bubble we live in.

7. Lastly, picture you are in an elevator making small talk with a stranger about this awesome class you are in called LIBR 1101. Stranger says “I don’t really know why you are bothering to take this class, everyone knows that all you need is Google these days.” What is your quick response to this stranger? A hint: although it is certainly your prerogative to do so, agreeing with this person will make kittens cry. 
I will say "Google is only one of many ways, in fact google is a small part of the big picture"