Chris Willis wrote on 23 January 1998 23:16:
> The mind boggles! Perhaps some (not all) problems arise when people
> aren't familiar with how to use search engines (I say this very
> hesitantly - I'm sure it doesn't apply to anyone on this list!)
> Perhaps when we include links to search engines from our sites it might
> be worth including a paragraph or two on how to get the best out of
> them?
Yes...this would be very helpful. I'm sure I for one am not using search
engines as effectively as possible.
I'm in the middle of a study of Internet use at a computer company. These
are well educated, well resourced, high achievers. They have lots of
problems with search engines (lots of false drops, don't trust the
information they receive, feel they're missing out on potentially valuable
material etc) and rarely use advanced search techniques and are impatient
and dismissive of help pages.
They have very little time to learn how to use search engines properly and
they cringe at the sound of boolean operators...well, don't we all :-).
They generally are not offered training by the company (being self starters
and expected to be self sufficient in their information needs). Very few of
the people I have observed use anything like subject gateways (although
some resources do exist in their subject areas offering pretty good
Internet navigation aids).
They tend to rely on their own tried and tested search launching strategies
being heavily reliant on their own personal tips and tricks such as
guesssing likely URLs (a big favourite), sticking to familiar Web sites as
starting points and generally using very round about ways of getting the
information. So yes, there should be more readily available online guidance
on how to make the best use of search engines, from whatever source.
But enough about this...let's have more talk about sex....it's what Fridays
are for after all.
Alison
Alison Scammell MA MIInfSci
Information Management Consultant/De Montfort University Researcher
42 Beadon Rd
Bromley
Kent BR2 9AT
email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 0181 466 1372
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|