To tell you the truth. I agree with you 100%. Like I said, this was our first stab.
We will be taking that specific part out in our next release and replacing it with something we hope is more useful.
:)
thanks!
Matt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernhard Eversberg" <ev_at_BIBLIO.TU-BS.DE>
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 10:12:55 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] opac live search
> We currently do a comparison match called "do you mean?"
Frankly, I'm appalled! I don't want to have a machine guessing
what I mean and then address me, as a person, with that kind
of unsolicited questions!
What I mean is my business and mine alone. When I make mistakes
entering search terms, that's my problem and mine to solve,
using my own intelligence and judgement when looking at inadequate
results or "zero hits".
This kind of features only raises unrealistic expectations and
creates a trust where mistrust in technology is vital
and trust in one's own capacities must not be eroded but supported.
This bending over backwards to spare the user the "zero hits"
experience is, I think, counterproductive in an insidious way.
All to easily, timid souls are apt to turn over their judgement
to the machine instead of working on it.
IOW, use neutral, unobtrusive, unpatronizing formulations for
functions that a reader might or might not want to use, esp. when
what the algorithm blurts out can easily be patent malarkey. Don't
create the impression that there's more intelligence inside the
machinery than there can possibly be.
B. Eversberg
Received on Fri Feb 20 2009 - 10:20:52 EST