Most companies stumble when technology shifts. How can that happen with search engines? In 10 years the web will be 32 times as powerful as it is now. So instead of many results you may get a single Answer. At least that is what Kevin Maney suggests in his Atlantic Monthly article.
Actually, Google does have an option for this-it is the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button which takes you directly to the 1st web site. Not exactly a button to inspire confidence in Google’s ability to give the Answer. In Hebrew it is worse-the rough translation is “More luck than brains“.
Google’s Hebrew Interface’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button is roughly translated as “More Luck Than Brains”
I personally don’t think there is one correct answer to many questions, so we will continue to get many results for searches. In any case, I wouldn’t want the search engines to decide for me what the Answer is. That is not to say they can’t do a better job of organizing and filtering the answers. Bing’s search engine results are a step in the right direction.
Maney explains how Microsoft worried about companies like Novell and Netscape Communications. Its real competition – Google – was 3 years from starting operations. Google’s real competition has probably not been invented yet. It will be interesting to see if Google is able to buck the trend and reinvents itself when the competition shows up.
About AIMS Digital