Mar
16
Googlethink
March 16, 2007 |
Yesterday I downloaded the most recent build of Parallels Desktop for Mac. All went well until I tried to reinstall the new version of Parallels Tool. Then the screen went black. I shut down Parallels and restarted Windows. I heard the spooky XP start up chime but the Windows desktop was still black. I checked the User’s Manual. I went online to Parallels’ website. No luck. Then I decided to “Google” the problem.
So I ask, “How can I phrase this to optimize Google’s results?” I don’t “google” this. It is just how I prepare to go into “googlethink” mode. Google is a very forgiving and creative search engine. I know that almost anything I type will lead to results, but I also know that many of the potential results could be less than helpful. The thing is, the more I use Google, the better the results. The two main reasons for this are improvements to the search algorithm and improvements in my ability to search.
It stands to reason that we get better at something when we are constantly doing it. I can’t even estimate how many Google searches I perform in a day but I know I probably do hundreds of searches a week. As for my Parallels problem; I typed in “Parallels upgrade black screen”. I was rewarded with ten relevant forum postings on the first page.
At first I was impressed with my Googling prowess. “Wow’”, I thought, “just the right combination of words.” Then I decided to test alternatives. I typed “can’t boot Windows after Parallels upgrade”. There was 1 relevant result on the first page. I tried “parallels update blank screen” and found 6 relevant results on page one. “Mac and Parallels allergic to Windows” didn’t garner any relevant results but I would have been surprised if it had.
I noticed that it took a lot of effort to come up with a search that didn’t work. Typing “parralels makes screen go black” using an intentionally mispelled “parralels” prompted Google to gently ask if I meant “parallels makes screen go black”. I said I did but, in this case, the corrected spelling didn’t make the results any more accurate.
The point I’m trying to make here is that Google has retrained us when it comes to our information seeking behaviors. (Oh, before I forget, if you are actually searching for a way to fix the above mentioned problem the procedure is to reboot Windows in safemode. This involves rebooting while pressing F8, or if that doesn’t do it fn F8. Once you have rebooted in safemode, install Parallels Tools. After the install restart the normal way.) As I was saying, we have had to learn how to “talk” to Google.
Imagine explaining your problem to a computer-savvy friend. Would you say, “Parallels upgrade black screen”? Only if you were practicing to star in an upcoming Tarzan movie. No, you would say something like, “I had just started up the Parallels software on my Mac and this window popped up telling me there was a new build. Well, you know me………” and so on and so forth.
But maybe we wouldn’t do that anymore. I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday and watched a man stride purposefully up to the “Information” desk. He said just five words to the woman behind the counter; “Getting Things Done David Allen”. He made it into a question by the slight rise in inflection on “Allen” but otherwise that was the extent of his portion of the exchange. A simple “hi, do you have…” or “do you know where I might find…” would have gone a long way to personalizing the inquiry but maybe Googlethink had overthrown the more human, archaic traditions of yore.
Of course, if that were the case he should have just nonchalantly called out “ISBN: 0142000280″.
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