Internet Scavenger Hunt

Much of the searching done on the Internet is to answer specific questions.  While a handful of sites permit a search for answers based on written-English questions, most require carefully selected keywords and ideas.  Selecting keywords, constructing questions, and structuring Boolean operators take practice.  (Reading about Internet searching techniques is much easier than actually using them!)

For this project you will use what you have learned about searching to locate some difficult to find information on the Internet.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information requested is in fact available.  But as you know websites change and even go away over time, and some of the information requested may no longer be available anywhere.  Should some information no longer be available at the time of grading this assignment, those questions will not be counted.

Complete and submit the following exercise as follows:

1. Save this file to your computer by selecting File→Save As... from the web browser's menu bar and then selecting a destination (e.g. Desktop, My Documents, ...) on your computer.  Be sure to save as Web page, HTML only, and not Web page, Complete or any other type. 

   Save with the file name Scavenger.htm.

   Do not use any spaces in the file name!  If using a lab or other public computer, save the file to removable media (floppy disk or flash drive).  Do not save to the hard drive of a college computer.  It will be deleted automatically when the computer is rebooted.

2. Open an HTML page editor like MS Word, WordPerfect, FrontPage, etc.  (Personally I just use notepad to create web pages, but that may be harder for some folk.)
3. Open the saved file by selecting File→Open... menu and browsing until you find the saved the file.
4. For each of the questions below, search the Internet with which ever search engines or meta-search engines you wish until you find the correct answers.  Since not all published information is accurate you should try to check any questionable answers with a second website.
5. Answer the question.  If there are multiple parts to a question, all answers MUST come from the same website. (They may come from different pages on that one site.)
6. Include as a clickable link the URL where you found the answer.  You will not receive full credit unless you can show from where you obtained your answers!
7. Enter the following information here:

   Student Name: ( enter your name here )

8. Be certain to select Save As File Type .... HTM/HTML or Webpage (may vary depending upon the options available).
9. Return to WebCT and select Assignments from the Course Tools menu.

1. When is the next U.S. unmanned rocket launch scheduled?
2. What names will be used this year for Atlantic hurricanes starting with R and T?
3. Where is the telephone number 202-456-1414 and to whom is it listed (DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER TO ANSWER THE QUESTION)?
4. Who pitched a no-hitter in the 1956 World Series?
5. What company developed "SQL"? What was the name of the original SQL prototype developed in 1974?
6. What movie is currently ranked fifth in gross box office sales worldwide for all time (not just for their opening week)?
7. Who played Sara in the movie "Sweet November" (Hint: there is more than one)?
8. What resort sits at the extreme northeast corner of Grand Cayman Island?
9. Name one of the original main hosts of "The Screen Savers" television show.
10. At what university is the "Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center" (CERT/CC) located? Locate the CERT/CC "Current Activity Archive" website. What is the date of the most recent "Current Activity? How many of these are related to Microsoft? To Linux?
11. How many people named John Doe (really!) - and with a Social Security Number - have died in the United States since records were computerized? How many of them lived in Arizona when they died?
12. What is the average number of "albums" recording artist Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (her real name) currently sells each day?
13. How many current arrest warrants exist in Hillsborough County for white females named Smith? Who is the last on the list?
14. How many sexual predators live in the zip code 33614?
15. Who is the founder of the World Wide Web? Where does he/she work today? What is his/her e-mail address?
16. How many Shriners Children's Hospitals are there in the United States? Where is the closest one?
17. Where is the show "Phantom of the Opera" appearing on Broadway (Broadway is a street in New York City where many theaters are located)? How much are orchestra tickets for the next available evening show there, that isn't sold out?
18. How many active domain names are estimated to exist in the world today?
19. In the traditional song Greensleeves, what two word phrase is repeated in each of the last four verses (verses 4-7, be careful not to count the chorus)?
20. What company operated by the Central Intelligence Agency provides cash to new technology companies? Name at least one company they have funded.
21. What cruise line sails to "Castaway Cay" in the Bahamas? What is the minimum cost of an "outside" stateroom for a three night cruise?
22. What is a "GoogleWhack"? Provide one example.