Understanding Context
Scoble isn't happy with the results he gets from the search engines. He gives an example of searching for the term HDTV in all the major search engines, and then focuses on Google's results for his issue:
But I'm in a different role. I want to buy one.
So, let's just focus in on Google since that's the hot search engine of the moment. First link: an introduction. I don't need that. I already had an introduction. Second link: how HDTV works. I don't care. Next. Third link: an info site about stations and some product comparisons. Hmmm, maybe useful later, but I'm looking for something else right now. Fourth link: Amazon.com. Huh? I'm not ready to buy yet. I wanna know what's available. It predicted I was in a different role. Fifth link: a magazine site. OK, it's clear the search engine isn't going to give me what I want, so I'll probably go off and read that site for an hour and come back. Sixth link: an ATI card? I'll have to put that on my gift list too. Seventh link: HDTV Buyer site. News and info. Another site I'll have to go and check out later. And on and on it goes.
The trouble is, there's absolutely not context available to the back end for that kind of search. It's 4 letters. I really don't know how anyone is going to satisfy Robert's request - he wants pre-sale info first, but someone else might well want "what is this HDTV thing I keep hearing about?". The thing to remember is, not everyone tracks technology like Scoble does. The other thing to remember is, how contextual do you expect a set of results for a 4 letter search term to be?
I suppose the engine could query you, but that adds clutter, and I suspect that usability testing would tell you that people get irritated by that. Further down, he writes this:
We know this can be done. Why? Cause Google did it for Seattle Hotels. Here's the Google result for Seattle Hotels. They make a nice little list of all the hotels available and even give you one of those Google Maps. MSN Search has the exact same thing. Yahoo goes even further. They have pictures and ratings!!
So, why can't they do this for HDTVs? Of course they can. It just hasn't gotten onto the dev list of any of the major engines yet. Yet.
Well, what he's missing is the extra context. If I type HDTV in, I've provided no extra context - no information on whether I need a definition, or information on buying, or what have you. It's a crap shoot. Seattle Hotels has that extra context - not only are you interested in hotels, but you are specifically interested in Hotels in Seattle. The difference between the two result sets is all about the amount of context provided.
Look at it this way - people are way smarter than search engines. If a guy stops you in the street and says one word - HDTV - in a questioning fashion - what are you going to think he wants? And the person won't be someone you know. The more context you provide, the better the answers. The less context you provide, the worse the answers will be.
Comments
Hotel and HDTV are not the same
[Anonymous Coward] October 7, 2005 9:06:02.741
Even without the "Seattle" qualifier I think the word "hotel" by itself already provides significantly more context than the word "HDTV". Most people are typically only interested in checking in to a hotel and the link structure of pages on the web reflect that predominant context. There are probably very few pages introducing what hotels are or explaining how they work. HDTV, on the other hand, is written about in many more contexts.
A case in point
[ Steven Kelly] October 7, 2005 9:32:18.741
Comment by Steven Kelly
Interestingly, I just happened to want to check what "turndown" meant in the context of hotels (I'd guessed right, but couldn't believe people would even pay for it in some cases). Google was absolutely useless for a web search 'hotel turndown service': I could get lots of results of hotels offering turndown, but they all expected you knew what that was. I tried adding things like 'what is' and 'mean(s)', with no better results. I guess nobody bothered to put a webpage together to explain that question ('define:turndown' was no help either).
My experience had already taught me the next step: if you have a "stupid" question, Google's no help, but Google groups is great. Sure enough, other dumbos had asked the exact same question, and been provided with answers.
If you want to find HDTV model details and reviews, look for 'HDTV dimensions'. The word 'dimensions' occurs pretty regularly if and only if the page has good details on a particular model. Searching is all about knowing how search engines work (a simplistic understanding is fine), and what words the pages you want contain (or other facts like URL, pages they link to etc.). If Scoble just types 'HDTV' he's either being deliberately obtuse or really doesn't have a clue.
Understanding Context
[Steve] October 7, 2005 15:10:13.691
Why didn't Robert use the annoying Windows Marketplace search engine? Or eBay?
Google isn't everything. It's a search engine. It finds web pages.
Regarding the definition of hotel turndown; I think that says more about the insular hospitality industry than it does about google :)
Re: Understanding Context
[ anonymous] October 7, 2005 23:21:58.421
Comment by anonymous
Regardless of the fact that mindreading AI is still a few years off...
There is a whole Google engine devoted to the "buy" context that he mention he was in twice:Froogle for HDTV
Froogle vs Windows Marketplace
[Steve] October 8, 2005 3:04:33.072
Froogle comes up with many relevant hits, however windows marketplace comes sorted by price, so the hapless user is inundated with $100 HDTV video cards. How useful
Personally I find the hotel example horribly annoying. It's telling that Scoble thinks this is the way all search engines should work. Any hotel search you do is likely to give back 90% crap results. The search is overwhelmed by the noise of literally millions of travel agents who would like to resell the hotel to you, rather than let you call the front-desk and book a room. Try and find the phone number for any hotel, and you'll be taken up in a twisty maze of websites all slightly different.
BTW, he didn't mention how a search engine should respond if someone doesn't actually want to buy something, but instead wants to understand how it works.
But maybe that's not what Microsoft thinks the web should be about.
hmph
[Bryan] October 8, 2005 7:27:42.199
purposeful cluelessness has often been a positive quality in mass media control.
are we supposed to believe that Scoble is so clueless that he doesn't know ho to add context to his search. my mom knows to add context to a search, who is this person who wants to buy a HDTV but doesn't know how to use Google. Do they exist outside of a hypothetical?
And why the hell doesn't he just use Froogle, if he's sincere about wanting to solve his problem.
I think the real context here is to attack Google from a weird angle.
Although what I would like to see, in the ability to add context to a search, would be to rate negative and positively valued words in the search. So instead of saying don't return any searches with the word introduction one could rate introduction as a negative value in the return, the value system to be determined later.
What is turndown service?
[George Paci] October 8, 2005 17:19:59.169
When I Googled what.is.turndown.service, I found the answer in a training manual in position 5. This took me a couple of tries (what.is.turndown, turndown.service hotel, ...), but so do some of my stabs at the physical Yellow Pages.
Interestingly, results 2 and 3 both record for posterity a few people searching on the same question at a hotel site  that just seems cruel.
I fault (a) the lexicographers who don't list this term, but are happy to include ones not used by tens of millions of people, such as "ramulus" and (b) the hotels, who could just possibly make some more sales if they explained what the heck it is (practice getting shot down at the hotel bar? a rub-down on both sides? something less savory?) instead of just listing it.
I don't see how Google could be expected to do any better than it did.
By the way, if this were a technical term, I'd go to the small bother of adding a page to my site explaining it, and put "What is turndown service?" as the title. That's how I got the top 2 spots for this query.
PS: If you've found this blog comment looking for the answer, it's basically thus: they come into your room, turn down the bed (flip the filthy bedspread off the pillows), stick a chocolate on the pillow, tune the radio to an easy-listening station (can I pay them to not do that?), empty the trash, replace any used towels, and restock the amenities. Hotels like to add signature touches on top of the above, but those seem like the essentials to this layman.