Author Topic: Did you mean ... ?  (Read 10955 times)

Woz

  • Tea! Black! Strong! Hot! Now!
  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 214
    • View Profile
Did you mean ... ?
« on: November 04, 2010, 11:59:06 PM »
No! I @#$%ing well didn't!

I'm sure it annoys you sometimes as it does me, and sometimes it can be just downright embarrassing.

Picture this:-

In a recent Permaculture course the host looked up "Cleavers", meaning Galium aparine, on Google to display some images to the class. Google responds "Did you mean Cleavages?" OK, it provided some comical relief at the time, but it does beg the question "Whoa, just where are you going with that Mr Google?"

Sometimes we are just searching for something very specific, and to have the Search Engine either suggest a correction or even automagically correct you without asking is just downright inefficient - not to mention annoying.

Sometimes the language/spelling used is correct locally, just not where the SE's server is located.

Sometime ... well, there are a myriad of examples.

And then there is personalisation. What the SE thinks you mean based on past history may be appropriate, but what if you are going off on a tangent? What if the Spouse starts using your computer? "Did you mean Cleavages?" Oi! John Boy! What you been lookin' at?!?!?!?

The real meat of the topic though is to what extent the internet is being skewed by SE's intentions, well meant or otherwise, how does that affect your sites/business, and how can you assert your original position?

The floor is open.







Courage, Courtesy and Service.
Constant and True.

bill

  • Devil's Avocado
  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1286
  • Avast!
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Did you mean ... ?
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2010, 07:37:42 AM »
Having only just received Google's instant results in the land of the rising sun, I'd have to say the effect seems to have dramatically increased. I've always been the type to turn off all SE personalizations. I'll search from the browser box just so that I won't see all of their suggestions. Now it's becoming harder to escape, even for the average tin-foil wearing hat community.