Isn't this odd. I had an entirely different interpretation of "the issue".
That is, I took it merely as an example of limitations of "free dialog"
question boxes. Whether it's Google's, or Ask Jeeves, or whatever.
It's fascinating (and maybe not unexpected) that the conversation has
wandered around so much, and encompassed issues such as physical location of
information, the reference interview, etc.
Would I have formulated the question differently? I don't know, but I
suspect that it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask a question in the form
of "is bread bad for coots?" Then again .... I detest the natural language
question form of online inquiry, so I probably wouldn't have done a search
that way anyway.
janet
Janet Swan Hill, Professor
Associate Director for Technical Services
University of Colorado Libraries, CB184
Boulder, CO 80309
janet.hill_at_colorado.edu
*****
Tradition is the handing-on of Fire, and not the worship of Ashes.
- Gustav Mahler
-----Original Message-----
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
[mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Noakes, Erica A
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:13 AM
To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Another Google Adventure
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.s
tatelibrary.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 - 13:39:08 EST