Online Scavenger Hunt!

Discovering the Internet's Depths Through an Online Scavenger Hunt

This week, we delved into a valuable lesson about search engines, the everyday tools we often take for granted. We learned that it's surprisingly easy to uncover information online. Once something is posted it can linger indefinitely, waiting for someone curious enough to find it. An experience I had years ago came flooding back to me, I once stumbled upon an old forum thread from 2002 where Somali people were debating whether P Diddy might be of Somali descent and, if so, which tribe he might belong to. As a Somali myself, this blew my mind! Not only was I surprised by the subject matter (seriously, P Diddy and Somali tribes?), but I was in disbelief that my community was having these conversations on online forums more than 20 years ago. Growing up, I didn’t have much access to the internet since computers were so expensive. I never realized people were logging in daily, discussing niche topics, sharing ideas, and connecting worldwide. The internet back then was already this intricate web of connections and endless information.

Our recent class scavenger hunt really drove this home. When we came across a question about "Mr. Fry and his divorced middle sister's name," I thought, "I could probably find that if it's posted somewhere online." It felt like I was only scratching the surface of what's out there, imagining how easily AI could eventually piece together obscure information for us in a flash. Reflecting on this experience made me appreciate the depth of the internet and our ability to explore it. This scavenger hunt wasn't just a task, it was a glimpse into the real virtual world.