Comments on: Social aspects of search engines http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:49:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eszter http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/comment-page-1/#comment-197311 Eszter Tue, 22 May 2007 16:47:50 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/#comment-197311 John, interesting phrase "post-Google users", and good point about the changing practices of people depending on skill level. Richard, can you say more about why you do it that way? I'm assuming it's based on experience with types of results, is that it? John, interesting phrase “post-Google users”, and good point about the changing practices of people depending on skill level.

Richard, can you say more about why you do it that way? I’m assuming it’s based on experience with types of results, is that it?

]]> By: Richard W. Crews http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/comment-page-1/#comment-197234 Richard W. Crews Mon, 21 May 2007 10:14:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/#comment-197234 I've found that the results vary between Yahoo and Google for same input. If it's pure fact or current story, I go to Google; but if I have a personal or subjective interest, or it's more local, Yahoo is better. I’ve found that the results vary between Yahoo and Google for same input. If it’s pure fact or current story, I go to Google; but if I have a personal or subjective interest, or it’s more local, Yahoo is better.

]]> By: John Quiggin http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/comment-page-1/#comment-197070 John Quiggin Sat, 19 May 2007 06:18:17 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/#comment-197070 I was interested in the question asked by Howard and Massanari about search engines, along the lines "Could you not live without search engines or could you go back to other ways of finding info" to which 51 per cent of experienced users said "Could go back". There's an interesting implicit presumption here that search engines are the most advanced method of finding information. The implied alternatives are portals, directories and so on. But most of the alternatives to search engines I use (RSS, trackbacks and going straight to Wikipedia) are newer than Google, and have allowed me to reduce my Googling over time. As you've pointed out lots of times, Google users aren't necessarily typical, and post-Google users are definitely atypical. But I suspect we are a growing minority, possibly worth some study. I was interested in the question asked by Howard and Massanari about search engines, along the lines “Could you not live without search engines or could you go back to other ways of finding info” to which 51 per cent of experienced users said “Could go back”.

There’s an interesting implicit presumption here that search engines are the most advanced method of finding information. The implied alternatives are portals, directories and so on. But most of the alternatives to search engines I use (RSS, trackbacks and going straight to Wikipedia) are newer than Google, and have allowed me to reduce my Googling over time.

As you’ve pointed out lots of times, Google users aren’t necessarily typical, and post-Google users are definitely atypical. But I suspect we are a growing minority, possibly worth some study.

]]> By: Henry (not the famous one) http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/comment-page-1/#comment-197069 Henry (not the famous one) Sat, 19 May 2007 05:59:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/18/social-aspects-of-search-engines/#comment-197069 Does the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication have a joke page? The computer magazine ("the magazine by computers for computers") put out by the National Lampoon more than thirty years ago did, Does the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication have a joke page? The computer magazine (“the magazine by computers for computers”) put out by the National Lampoon more than thirty years ago did,

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