> The problem is: while *we* know the problems of Google, studies have shown that the majority of users think they are good or excellent searchers. And why not? They almost never get a zero hit, while they do all the time in a library catalog.
This is so patronizing. People aren't happy with Google over the
library catalog because they're stupid.
>On one list, I mentioned that the most heartbreaking thing I had seen in some time was on Google Trends, one of the big searches that week was "financial hope."
You should try using Google to confirm things you hear. Google Trends
indicates the search doesn't have enough volume to chart.
> People need help when they search for information, and they need to rely on people who follow a code of
> professional ethics. (Sounds like a librarian!) But unfortunately, people are all too often unaware of what
> they are missing, or what they are really looking at.
This is completely out of touch with both the world as it exists and
with the inherent value of others' minds. Librarians can be very
helpful. They are not the only or necessarily the best guide to what's
interesting, useful or germane to someone's interests. They are not
Plato's Guardians.
Tim
Received on Mon Feb 23 2009 - 05:02:54 EST