Additional Assignment #1

I found that I am surprised that I had never heard of either Google Squared or Wolfram Alpha before this assignment. They are both really great tools for gathering data. Google Squared allows users to compare information side by side. The layout is very simple and easy to read. The fact that the user is able to add and take away columns and items allows the user to be more specific about the data he or she desires. I particularly like the fact that when data is given a confidence rating is also supplied. This will help people know how accurate the data is. If data is too old it may be far too off to even be considered. One the other hand, Wolfram Alpha is a useful tool as long as they have the desired data available. For example, I tried to look up dog breeds and flowers with results worth frowning upon. I got nothing from my attempt to look up various dog breeds, even when I tried searching for more specific breeds. When I searched for flowers, the first result I got was under the assumption that "flowers" was to be taken as a surname. I had to switch my search options for the search engine to direct me to information about actual plants. Although it is picky about giving up information, it gives a bounty of information when it does have what is desired. These tools allow people to reconsider statistics that are thrown at them daily. It is easy the manipulate data when the information in worded just right. For example, have you ever heard the phrase "85% of statistics are made up right on the spot"? Yeah, it is a tricky one, right? Instead of taking from given statistics what those giving want people to get from it, people can look the information up for themselves. On a side note, here is a map of where the Pitcairn Islands are. Yep, there it is just sitting there all antisocial like. :)