www.cs.amherst/~ccm/fys-internet/library.html
Using Library Search Tools at Amherst College
On Thursday, September 20th, we will meet in the Lane Room at Frost
Library. From the main entrance, go down the stairs on your right, one
floor; the Lane room is on the left.
To prepare for the class, pretend that you have to write a paper
on the topic described below. Use your best web search skills to find
two good online sources of information about the topic. Bring
a paper to class describing your experience:
- Mention the specific question/topic that you chose to research.
- Use a couple sentences to describe how you performed the
search: what tools did you use?
- Write a paragraph describing each source you decided to use.
What is the URL? Who wrote/owns/sponsors it?
Why you like this source better than others you discarded?
- Include an interesting fact or statement from each source that you
could use in your hypothetical paper.
The Hypothetical Paper Topic
Describe how modern email service should be understood
within the history and evolution of mail services in general. Choose a
specific aspect or property of mail service, such as how (and how much)
society uses it and expects it to work; how the service is administered;
laws about mail; pricing schemes; international developments; etc.
Write a 100 page paper (just kidding) tracing the history of that
particular property of mail services, and explain how modern email
fits within that historical context.