Googling is a waste of time
You hear me? It’s a waste of time! How so? Well let me explain it a little bit.
I am not talking about using Google correctly, but rather they way that people
today tend to use Google. The company itself is a huge success and albeit it has
had some flops (Google Wave, anyone?) it has all in all created a suite that
has made the former software giants tremble in their boots. Kudos to em I say!
But, the term “googling” has surfaced for a reason. It is used instead of “searching”.
That in itself is a testament to the impact Google has had on the common mind.
I am not sure wich searchengine that delivers the most accurate search results
and I really dont mind scrolling a little to find whatever I am looking for, however
what I do hate is blaring ads everywhere that takes away my focus from what I am
doing and that is why I started using Google way back when. Yes, I use it myself.
However, with Google a few negative things has come into play.
First out, the Googlebrains
Now, for some reason these people are the biggest timewasters on the planet to anyone
who has ever worked where URLs are involved. First off they seem to think that Google
actually IS the internet. Well, here is a newsflash. Its not. Internet is older then Google.
Second, Google may be a big, even the biggest, company regarding the ‘net but it doesnt
control it unless you let it.
Now, here is a pet peeve. Googling a URL.
DONT! It is a major time waster. Someone sent you the URL for a reason and most likely
that reason is for you to save time, instead of locating the correct URL, they simply handed
it to you. And here are the 2 scenarios that takes place:
1. You click the URL or paste it into the adressbar of your browser and voila! You are on the correct page.
2. You browse to www.google.com,
copy the link, in some cases even painstakingly type the URL into the search bar and hit “search”
You find something that resembles what you look for, click it, and ends up at another page that
was not the one you needed/wanted and you do the whole procedure again.
Stop it already!
Google really should have educations in “Using searchengines 101” or at least push this URL more:
http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479
FOR PETE’S SAKE DONT GOOGLE IT, JUST CLICK IT!
Now, imagine this: You are on a tight schedule, you are just about to leave, and you work
with telephone support for this or that product, and you know that the correct answer
is on a short and handy URL.
Stressed as you are, you hand the URL to the caller and you can actually HEAR how this
person uses google for the URL, then reads out loud on a vastly different topic. If you are
lucky, it may be on the correct domain, but totally wrong information. so, you have to do it
over and over again. Instead of a 2 minute conversation, you end up having a 15 minute
conversation and STILL have to explain the why and how of the question at hand and you
have missed your bus home.
Welcome to the real world.
I think I have got most out of my system now, but I may break out more on this
when my mood goes sour.
Ya all take care now.
*****************************UPDATE****************************
Wasn’t the URL clear enough for people? Take a look at this:
