Re: Another Google Adventure

From: Noakes, Erica A <erica.noakes_at_nyob>
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:13:15 +1100
To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
Hi from Tasmania

When I asked Google "can I feed coots bread?", which was really what Martha wanted to know, rather than 'what do they eat?' my first google doc said:
"Bread does not contain all the nutrients that these wild birds need, so try feeding them grass and seeds instead." and although it was referring to wild birds more generally it mentioned coots as well

My third google document said:

"Coots feed mainly on vegetable matter but will eat food scraps given by Garden visitors"

I think someone mentioned in this thread previously that it depends on how you ask the question  - I would say that you need to be specific. Google is clever, but it doesnt read minds ... yet!!

Erica

Erica Noakes
Library Technician (Digitial Archiving)
Our Digital Island
State Library of Tasmania
http://odi.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/ <https://outlook.education.tas.gov.au/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://odi.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/>
91 Murray Street
Hobart  TAS  7000
Email: erica.noakes_at_education.tas.gov.au
Phone No 6233-7586




________________________________

From: Next generation catalogs for libraries on behalf of Selden Deemer
Sent: Thu 31/01/2008 12:36 AM
To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Another Google Adventure



Martha Yee <myee_at_UCLA.EDU> writes:

...When I got home, I typed in to Google's famous search box
"what do coots eat?"  The reply that came back was a web site
entitled "What do eagles eat?"  In the list of eagle edibles
was coots.

In LCSH, the heading Coots--Food would give you perfect recall
and precision for monographs wholly about what coots eat, if
there were any....

Unfortunately, Google undermines your argument. For a Google
search on "coots food" the first hit is:

American Coot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Coot foraging for food. American Coot foraging for food.
These birds can dive for food but can also forage on land. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Coot - 26k - Cached - Similar pages -

 From the Wikipedia article:

They are omnivorous, eating plant material, insects, fish, and
other aquatic animals.

Not that I consider Wikipedia an authoritative source...

--
Selden Deemer, Library Systems Administrator
Emory University Libraries
Atlanta, Georgia
EMAIL:  libssd_at_emory.edu
PHONE:  404-727-0271
   FAX:  404-727-0827




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Received on Wed Jan 30 2008 - 09:10:17 EST