Google does great at word "shapes" as well.
For example, enter in a 5-digit integer (zip code), and it will return
locations. Put in a 10-digit number (ISBN), and it will return a book.
In Google Maps, put in an integer followed by a string (street
address), followed by a comma (,), followed by another string (a
city), followed by another comma, followed by another string (a
state), and you will get a description of what is located there.
There is more to searching than semantics -- the meanings of word
(which are ambiguous and ever-changing). Searching is also about the
"shape" of searches. In computing terms these things are called
"regular expressions" or patterns. [1]
As I read the book Everything Is Miscellaneous I begin to think less
of the power of controlled vocabularies. Not that controlled
vocabularies are useless, just not a useful as they used to be.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expressions
--
Eric Lease Morgan
University Libraries of Notre Dame
Received on Sun Jan 06 2008 - 14:31:58 EST