Andrew Diddel Blog 4, 11/9/10
IS 251, Tallon
Though Google has held its place as the most dominant online search engine for many years, they seem to be continually progressing and installing new ideas and innovative ways to enhance the online search process. As highlighted in Thomas Claburn’s recent article, Google Debuts Instant Previews, the latest advancements in Google’s technology allows users to see images of the available Web sites following the Google Instant search. The goal for this application is to allow users to access information more quickly, as well as maximizing the relevance of the search, as the users receive aid from the pop-up windows containing screenshots of the link.[i]
As a reader, I found that the most intriguing piece of the article was the information on what Instant Previews can and cannot provide. Claburn informs his readers that one of the intentions of the new technology is to improve the way that the Google searchers can anticipate what they are clicking on, following their search. “Previously, Google relied on contextual snippets, the one or more lines of text culled from Web pages and matched to users’ queries for display on search results pages” (Claburn). In the past, I have always found that the website titles as well as the snippets have been sufficient in the preview of my search results. Considering that I typically search for pretty specific things, I would not need screenshots of the Web site in order for me to click on the link. If I typed “Lebr” into Google, in .28 seconds, I would have the most recent and relevant news and links pertaining to LeBron James. Following my search, the first three links available to me are LeBron James’ Wikipedia page, his NBA.com player profile, as well as www.lebronjames.com. The main purpose of this argument is that, the search engine is already so advanced, and so filtered, that as a user, the images are not necessarily going to convince me to go to one website rather than another, as I already know what I am looking for.
This being said, it would be irrational for me to completely ignore the effect of Instant Previews when searching for topics that are not so familiar, or so clearly in the public eye, i.e. LeBron James. With the hopes of allowing for more interaction within the search, Google product manager Raj Krishnan said, “It allows quickly comparing the results in a way that wasn’t possible before.” When doing research on foreign topics or statistics, having Instant Preview would be a HUGE help considering the amount of time that could be saved without having to click on each link, hoping to find which results seem credible. In her recent article, Google adds Instant Preview to search, Sharon Gaudin points out that Instant Previews “will also at times highlight the most relevant parts, as well as where the search term appears on the page. If a user is looking for a chart or list, they'll be able to see if one appears in the preview.”[ii] Initially, I found that some of the points that Thomas Claburn made did not necessarily help promote the new technology, as I found Google’s online search to be flawless, and of the utmost simplicity even after each new improvement. However, after trying out Instant Previews for myself, and further reading on Gaudin’s views of the technology’s benefits, I feel as if Claburn definitely understated its relevance and overall helpfulness to the typical online searcher.
1 comment:
The recent introduction of Google Instant Preview is one of a slew of changes made by the company in the past few months. Including Google Instant, which completes “searches while they're being typed,” Google has been working hard to reduce search times and the work inherent in typing out full queries and clicking on individual links to find relevant information (Conneally). Since Google’s Instant Preview has been released, I have already noticed a time difference in my own Google searches. For example, I have a research project for my Econometrics class that involves finding data regarding fast food location and obesity. Since I have to find census data by county, it was convenient to have a preview of each webpage before I clicked on a link (I was also able to discern how reliable a source was based on its layout as seen in the preview). As a result, I noticed my search for information became much easier and faster with Instant Preview. Indeed, Google’s mission for this new aspect of the website was accomplished, for as Product Manager Raj Krishnan says, Google Instant Preview compiles a preview that is “completely customized to your search--usually in under one-tenth of a second” (Conneally). However, there are a few noticeable downsides to this Google application, including technological kinks that still need to be worked out. As demonstrated in David Erickson’s YouTube video “Google Instant Preview,” websites with flash components and lots of pictures do not fully load in their preview forms, limiting the amount of the website we can see unless we click on the link. This provides potential complications if your search requires finding a site with a lot of visual information (which renders the preview component useless). Also, it makes me wonder about the future of marketing for most websites after the advent of this new technology. In such a visually-focused modern world, companies will now have to attract us to their websites through not only their homepage, but through a tiny mashed-up preview version of it. As a result, while Instant Preview has its advantages, it also has some cons associated with the fact that it is an application still in a relatively early stage of development.
Sources:
Conneally, Tim. "Google Instant Preview: Making Linked Pages Visible Improves Search." Betanews. 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. .
Google Instant Preview. Prod. David Erickson. Youtube. 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2010. .
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