Good Information

I want a search engine that can do two things:

  1. Be able to search through my Internet history for a page I remember viewing but I just can’t find.
  2. Search through a selected group of pages, not the entire web: i.e. garden blogs, Extension sites, print-published items, etc.

If anyone finds anything like this, let me know. Or you might even get creative and start something yourself.

At garden rant, I read a post about the web being overrun by articles  not written by experts. There is a ton out there. However, I’m not completely opposed because I’m my mind there is no way to find absolutely correct information anyway. There’s a lot of garbage written by people who have no clue what they are doing. At the same time, I’ve found very valuable information on so-called junk sites.

You can try to find articles written by experts like professional gardeners, extension service agents, people with big degrees and lots of experience. But even the supposed experts aren’t always right. There’s an old Extension bulletin in the USU system that advocates fertilizing lawn every two weeks. It is written by an expert, but the information is bad and outdated. I’ve even worked for the Extension office and (I’m sorry to admit) have offered supposedly ‘expert’ advice that was completely wrong.

Scientific literature and printed information can also be good sources. But scientific literature is far from fact, as discussed on this post at greensparrow gardens. Printed stuff often come from writers that may or may not be actual gardening experts.

The way to get good information:

  • Cross-reference a bit
  • Try and find the most current info
  • Dig up the experience/qualifications of the writer
  • The library, associated resources, and real people beats Google
  • Nothing can replace your own experience and trial and error

If you really want to know something go out and experiment. Often there isn’t a wrong or a right way, just the way that works for you.

And someone should really start a new type of search engine.

8 thoughts on “Good Information”

  2. hwalk says:
    hwalk's avatar

    We need a guide to the internet, more. I hate how I search looking for information and all I can find is products.

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    • Liz says:
      Liz's avatar

      Yes. The internet is useful for information: but the main draw for anyone behind a website is also money. So it’s hard to find good info.

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  3. Ramona says:
    Ramona's avatar

    Yes Liz, I know what you mean about misinformation. A source that you might like to check out is my husband’s website–www.gardeningwest.com It’s a website to specifically help gardeners in the west and he’s trying to add new information all the time. Good luck!

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  4. Genevieve says:
    Genevieve's avatar

    I’d disagree with the premise that making money is incompatible with good information. My partner runs one of those websites that is based on a commercial interest and makes money via adsense ads and amazon affiliate commissions. But even as a site that is purely meant to make money (I mean, who compares and contrasts the models of toilet seat? Nobody does that for free!), he takes care to take amazing photos, provide excellent comparisons, and really provide a service for people who happen upon his site.

    I’ve written for Demand and many other sites like the ones bemoaned at Garden Rant. When I was applying, they did set as a prerequisite that we have a college degree or similar professional experience in the field of gardening, to write for GardenGuides. I know two people personally who have applied and not been accepted.

    While the low pay makes it necessary to write quick, factual articles with no real zing, I’d agree with you that those sites can have helpful info just as easily as unhelpful info, and your point that even experts disagree, give incorrect info, and are imperfect humans who are still learning is a point I really agree with.

    I recently read a very popular gardening book that has a landscape plan included that used “native plants”, by which they meant North American natives. I think the author, while a competent gardener and designer, completely missed the ball on that! And what of the editors? The point of natives, to me, is regional diversity and supporting wildlife. The insects in my region are not going to be able to reproduce on a native that evolved over on the east coast! So even in the highest circles of professionalism there is misleading info.

    Enough rant from me. You can see this issue is one I’ve been thinking about!

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