untangling_the_web

DID: 4046925
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You Gatta Know When to Fold 'Em
A last thought before bringing this section to a close. With the plethora of information
available today via the Internet and the fact that more data is added every day, it is
easy to fall prey to the erroneous belief that if we just know where to look on the
web, the information we seek-all the information we seek-is "out there"
somewhere. The danger is that this misguided idea will give rise to the neverending
search, that is, the conviction that "if I just go to one more website, run one
more query, or search one more database I'll find what I'm looking for."
Sometimes the information you need simply is not to be found on the Internet and no
amount of searching, no amount of creativity or ingenuity can make it appear. I have
the sneaking suspicion that most Internet researchers have fallen victim to the
never-ending search on occasion because it is so tempting to believe that the
answer is there, somewhere, only a few more clicks away. If the data is not
available, you are not going to find it, no matter how clever or persistent you are, so
try to keep this last in mind when you feel yourself becoming obsessed with a
particular research topic:
Rule Seven
Know when to stop searching.
The problem with the Internet is that it is open-ended. Think of it in these terms. Let's
say your job is to go into a large room piled high with papers and determine if a
particular document is in that room. If you are careful and methodical, you will
eventually find the document or be able to say with confidence that the document is
not in the room. Not so with the Internet. You can never be sure something is not
"out there" because there are always more possible places the information could
be located than you can search and examine. While the number of documents on
the Internet may not in fact be infinite, in practical terms the Internet is limitless. So
give yourself a break if you can't find everything you're looking for!
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