On Stan Ruecker & Rich Prospect Browsing

I did not necessarily understand what Rich Prospect browsing meant until the magnetic browser was demonstrated. An ongoing issue with regards to using the Internet for research is the shear volume of information that the students need to sift through in order to find what they need. The concept of having a visual ‘magnet’ that pulls relevant information, and visually represents Boolean searches is fantastic! I’ve been down the road to teaching Boolean searching to Grade 7 students, this concept of limiting searches is often abstract and difficult for students to understand and apply. The idea of using a new form of searching, that visually represents what they are looking for seems amazing. I look forward seeing a tool like this applied to the Internet.

There are several concerns over the ability to work this efficiently and effectively with a complex volume of information. Should we be ‘data mined’ or profiled by individuals with the ability to gather and work with information in this way, this could present a threat. What’s more is the ability to use this information for cooperate interest, to tailor spam, advertisements, etc. is a scary prospect. I would ague, however, this work is already being done and is in fact common place. How often do we hand out a phone number when purchasing goods, or use a ‘Safeway card’? Do credit card companies track out spending? The difference lies in the efficiency at which the information is reorganized and grouped. Question: Is this a real threat or a perceived threat?

Rich Prospect browsing seems to be a very apt term. Having been through frustration of searching through databases for articles, and seeing a linear flow of text that was often without meaning for me, I welcome a visual representation of my search. Seeing the relationships between ideas, articles and texts is definitely advantageous in an environment where we often feel overwhelmed by the volume of information that we encounter. Tools like these browsers may be one more tool as we attempt to build information literacy in today’s student.