# Why we will always get stupid OPs in GQ
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [March 29, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187 "2004-03-29T23:07:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/1 "2004-03-29T23:07:37Z")
From the [BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578149.stm)
> [@](#):
>
> Six in 10 of those surveyed typed in just one word in order to find what they were looking for - a big ask, when market leader Google, for instance, indexes 4,285,199,774 documents.
>
> Add in those who use two words, and that’s four-fifths of searchers. Only 3% tie words together with quote marks, and 1% use other advanced search techniques to get better results.
Shouldn’t their be an internet version of Driver’s Ed that you are required to take before going online?
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### Author:  [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/2 "2004-03-29T23:40:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Shouldn’t **their** be…
Bolding mine.
🙂
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### Author:  [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/3 "2004-03-29T23:47:47Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#):
>
> From the [BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578149.stm)
>
> Shouldn’t their be an internet version of Driver’s Ed that you are required to take before going online?
Umm, no. Then it’d be so much harder for me to be the best googler on my block.
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### Author:  [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/4 "2004-03-29T23:58:50Z")
My high school Latin teacher once said to an inquiring student, “There are no stupid questions. But if there were, that would be one.”
[cracker]
It’s okay to never know the answer but ask why.
[/cracker]
I think it’s better to ask a question you could’ve figured out yourself with a bit of work than to harden a bigoted opinion in your mind without investigating the matter.
And if no one asked stupid questions, we would lose so many opportunities for mockery.
Thank you very much.
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### Author:  [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/5 "2004-03-30T00:22:28Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#):
>
> From the [BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578149.stm)
>
> Shouldn’t their be an internet version of Driver’s Ed that you are required to take before going online?
Whatever. This shows nothing significant what so ever. How do you know that the percentages just aren’t the same people going from a basic search to an advanced search?
Think about it. If I want to find Fords website, I would just go to Google and type ‘ford’. Chances are good that I will find Fords main website. What’s the point of using an advanced search for a basic inquires in which I’m guaranteed to get what I want with just one word, within seconds? I guess it really depends on what I’m looking for, but if it’s something I’m sure I’ll get, I’ll use one word. If I’m having trouble, I can use other Google tactics that include Boolean and advanced searching, quotes and all that…
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### Author:  [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/6 "2004-03-30T00:49:55Z")
Like **ParentalAdvisory** I consider myself to be a pretty sophisitcated googler, but I imagine that most of my searches are one or two words. Why? Because Google is damn good at returning what you want.
> [@](#):
>
> And when results are returned, few people look beyond the initial links provided. “If it is beyond the first page, it is as if it did not exist,” Dr Nielsen says.
Yep, that’s right. I hardly ever look past the first page. If I don’t find it there, that’s when I refine my search criteria.
The article doesn’t seem to distinguish between uninformed users and the power of today’s search engines.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/7 "2004-03-30T01:48:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> when market leader Google, for instance, indexes 4,285,199,774 documents.
Results 1 - 10 of about 5,660,000,000 for “the”. (0.15 seconds)
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/8 "2004-03-30T03:26:48Z")
That BBC article obviously misses the point. How many search terms does one have to use to find porn? That’s like 90% of searches right there.
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### Author:  [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/9 "2004-03-30T11:36:22Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> That BBC article obviously misses the point. How many search terms does one have to use to find porn? That’s like 90% of searches right there.
What KIND of porn?
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/10 "2004-03-30T12:11:23Z")
I don’t mind plowing through the pages. I’ll go twenty deep sometimes. And I’ve found very interesting and informative sites that way.
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/11 "2004-03-30T12:36:01Z")
> [@county](#):
>
> What KIND of porn?
Yeah, if you want goat porn, for instance, and you just type “porn,” it’s likely that the goat porn isn’t going to be very high on the list.
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### Author:  [@Achilles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achilles)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/12 "2004-03-30T12:44:52Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#):
>
> Yeah, if you want goat porn, for instance, and you just type “porn,” it’s likely that the goat porn isn’t going to be very high on the list.
On the other hand, knowing the internet, if you just type “goats”, then goat porn will probably be in the first 10 results…
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/13 "2004-03-30T12:52:58Z")
> [@Libertarian](#):
>
> I don’t mind plowing through the pages. I’ll go twenty deep sometimes. And I’ve found very interesting and informative sites that way.
I go as deep as the PDF files start becoming the norm. Tnen I know that it is time to use some different search terms.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/14 "2004-03-30T13:50:21Z")
The real problems with Google are that it is a popularity contest and that you can almost always find SOMETHING. Google does not distinguish between peer-reviewed journal articles (I assume there are some on the web) and theories spewed by idiots. But, one can almost always find something, so many college students do not have any inclination to look up stuff in a database through their college library. also, if they find an article that way, they might have to look up the actual journal, not just print the electronic full text version. Also, Google often returns so many results that if people can find something which is good enough on the first page, they are no longer interested in looking further. It may be true that many people need to learn how to perform Boolean searches and other techniques. But I’m not sure that teaching people to use Google more effectively is the solution to our\* information problems.
- “Our” in this context refers either to the average person or to an information professional (which I will someday be, hopefully). It does not refer to the SDMB, although the sentiment is probably true there as well.
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/15 "2004-03-30T14:08:49Z")
Just point everyone to [www.soople.com](http://www.soople.com) and they will be search wizards.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/16 "2004-03-30T14:21:35Z")
Hmmm…so when I am searching for ‘tits’ I should improve my search results by typing in a second or third word? Interesting.
I’ll google “human tits” next time. That oughta cut back on the monkey porn sites that pop up.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/17 "2004-03-30T14:40:40Z")
**Philster** , you “search moron”, you have to google “36DD tits”. What? Were you raised by wolves? 😃
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/18 "2004-03-30T14:59:15Z")
> [@Achilles](#):
>
> On the other hand, knowing the internet, if you just type “goats”, then goat porn will probably be in the first 10 results…
Mercifully, this turns out not to be the case:
> [@Google](#):
>
> goats: the comic strip
> … goats news. the pub. ring of fire. blatant self-promotion. patent pending. fan stuff. official stuff. … buy stuff, Help support Goats with a purchase from our store. …
> [www.goats.com/](http://www.goats.com/) - 57k - Mar 29, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Goats and more Goats
> Information on raising Dairy Goats and Pygmy Goats, including information on basic goat care, diseases and preventative health care, and breeding goats. …
> www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/Goats.html - 2k - Mar 29, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
>
> ```
> Goats and more Goats
> Goats. Irvine Mesa Charros 4-H Club Irvine, California ... Try the new improved goat game (If you have Java). Why raising goats is fun. ...
> www.ics.uci.edu/~pazzani/4H/GoatsHome.html - 8k - Mar 29, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
> [More results from www.ics.uci.edu]
>
> ```
>
> Breeds of Livestock - Goat Breeds
> Breeds of Livestock. Cattle, Goats, Horses, Sheep, Swine, Other Species, Look Up, World Region, Links, Research, Goats: (Capra hircus). The …
> www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/goats/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> the Mountain Goats
> Fan site includes discography, tour dates, database of past shows and song titles, mailing list, and FAQ.
> [www.themountaingoats.net/](http://www.themountaingoats.net/) - 1k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Cyber Goats… Your Internet Doorway to the Caprine World!
> All about Dairy Goats, Boer Goats, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Pygmy Goats, Angora Goats, Cashmere Goats, Fainting Goats, Goat shows, goats for sale, Spanish goats …
> [www.cybergoat.com/](http://www.cybergoat.com/) - 33k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> The Boer and Meat Goat Information Center
> … [boergoats.com](http://boergoats.com) site concerns Boer Goats For Sale Meat Goats Goats Goat Boers South African Boer Goats Raising Goats Goat Raisers Boer Goats boergoats boar goats …
> [www.boergoats.com/](http://www.boergoats.com/) - 4k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Fainting Goats
> Fainting Goats. “Fainting goats?” you ask. “This must be a joke!”. … Shepherds often kept the goats in with their flocks as insurance in case of predator attacks. …
> www-personal.umich.edu/~jimknapp/goats.html - 10k - Mar 29, 2004 - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Goats
> Goats - Sticky notes for Gnome. Goats is a yellow post-it note applet for the Gnome desktop , originally modelled after Knotes for KDE. … NEW! Goats for Gnome 2.2. …
> [www.menudo.freeserve.co.uk/goats.html](http://www.menudo.freeserve.co.uk/goats.html) - 4k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Agritech99 - Sheep & Goats
> Approximately 2,500 families raise sheep and goats. … Quantity (thousands of tons), Value ($ millions). Goats, Meat Milk, 2.4\* 12.5, 9.0 8.0. …
> www.israel.nl/ambassade/agritech/sheep.html - 15k - Cached - Similar pages
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/19 "2004-03-30T15:17:01Z")
It’s a wonderful day when “goat tits 36DD” can be considered a _refined_ search.
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### Author:  [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-will-always-get-stupid-ops-in-gq/237187/20 "2004-03-30T15:24:07Z")
> [@norinew](#):
>
> **Philster** , you “search moron”, you have to google “36DD tits”. What? Were you raised by wolves? 😃
Of course not. If he’d been raised by wolves, he’d be searching for “six tits”.
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