I Google everything

#1

Post by wernah » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 1:39 PM UTC

Re: I Google everything

#2

Post by antonioevans » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 1:53 PM UTC

I tell people all the time.. "Do you remember when you could bullshit anyone." Now they just type your BS into their smart phone.

Re: I Google everything

#3

Post by manaskarekar » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 1:53 PM UTC

Mandatory xkcd : http://xkcd.com/903/

You know, I do this a lot. It affects me in interviews as well. But the paranoid OCD geek in me wants to retain a local copy of all the information in case the internet ceases to be, and as much as I can in my brain.

I have considered locally copying wikipedia but given up after the effort that might be required. Anyone got any experience or tips?

This is also why I love man pages.

Edit: Just in case anyone is not aware check this out:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download

I was asking if anyone knew of the easiest way and I see some options below. Thanks, I'll look into those.

Re: I Google everything

#4

Post by danso » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:03 PM UTC

> I’ve heard whispers of a time when people could talk shit at pubs and not be audited by wikipedia on the spot.

Talk "shit" or "bullshit"? The latter we could stand to reduce. The former...well, I guess it is annoying that any dolt can Google up a list of 500 comebacks. So I guess the emphasized skill is in delivery rather than wit.

> Where cognitive energy would need to be spent to work out your bug, instead of copying and pasting the error.

I don't even know how com sci algorithm courses pose a challenge anymore. Google was barely a thing when I took it and when we occasionally stumbled on obscure papers with it (or Excite), it was like finding the teacher's answer book out in the open.

> Where you had to actually call your friends or family to see what they were up to.

This is not such a loss. I think back when you had to call people, your conversations had to be more deliberate (i.e. I'm calling Jane to break up with her/give condolences about her dead mother) and planned. Not planned out in what you were going to say, necessarily, but planned out in that you wouldn't just call up a non-close friend and have a lengthy conversation with them. Whereas with online chat and Facebook, I've had long rewarding conversations with people whom I may never had the temerity to cold-call about anything.

Re: I Google everything

#5

Post by jgroome » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:04 PM UTC

antonioevans wrote: post #2

I tell people all the time.. "Do you remember when you could bullshit anyone." Now they just type your BS into their smart phone.

It was a simpler time. You could misinform just about anybody about anything. Yoko Ono? Sure, her influence in the Beatles would arguably ruin them forever, but after John Lennon's death she went on to invent Skittles.

It's an art now though. You have to pick little tidbits that SOUND plausible but you can never really verify.

I, for example, told my (American) flatmate months ago that no living person other than current sitting monarch can appear on a British postage stamp. Had to backtrack when the Royal Mail announced every British gold medal winner at London 2012 would get their own stamp.

Re: I Google everything

#6

Post by squonk » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:05 PM UTC

antonioevans wrote: post #2

I tell people all the time.. "Do you remember when you could bullshit anyone." Now they just type your BS into their smart phone.

Implies that conversations will no longer center on facts. Will we find ourselves talking more about politics, love, art and philosophy?

Re: I Google everything

#7

Post by corin_ » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:07 PM UTC

danso wrote: post #4

> I’ve heard whispers of a time when people could talk shit at pubs and not be audited by wikipedia on the spot. Talk "shit" or "bullshit"? The latter we could stand to reduce. The former...well, I guess it is annoying that any dolt can Google up a list of 500 comebacks. So I guess the emphasized skill is in delivery rather than wit. > Where cognitive energy would need to be spent to work out your bug, instead of cop…

"Talking shit" can mean exactly the same thing as "talking bullshit", in the UK at least.

Re: I Google everything

#8

Post by zevyoura » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:08 PM UTC

squonk wrote: post #6

antonioevans wrote: post #2

I tell people all the time.. "Do you remember when you could bullshit anyone." Now they just type your BS into their smart phone.

Implies that conversations will no longer center on facts. Will we find ourselves talking more about politics, love, art and philosophy?

It seems to me that it implies conversations will center around truths (or at least googled tidbits) rather than assumptions.

Re: I Google everything

#9

Post by droob » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:09 PM UTC

When you hold a bunch of information in your head, you benefit from your brain's penchant for making weird collisions and connections. Serendipity rules.

Re: I Google everything

#10

Post by bcl » Mon, Aug 20, 2012, 2:12 PM UTC

The ability to 'Google it' does not mean you have the ability to understand it. There is a difference between looking up Jeopardy facts and building a fundamental understanding of the subject and being able to discuss it, or build upon it to come up with new ideas.