The dumbing down of intelligent search
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The document discusses the "dumbing down" of intelligent search and provides suggestions for improving search experiences. It contains several quotes about search engines, users, and the importance of understanding user needs. The document advocates that search engines should be configured by those who understand the business domain rather than just engineers, and that users, content providers, and search engine builders all have responsibilities in delivering a quality search experience.
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The dumbing down of intelligent search
- 1. The dumbing down of intelligent search Eric Reiss @elreiss Enterprise Search May 10, 2011 New York, NY
- 2. Waddaya mean? Who’s dumb? The dumbing down of intelligent search ”Smart Search” you jerk! We’re gonna nail Eric Reiss @elreiss you on Twitter! Enterprise Search May 10, 2011 New York, NY What’s this stupid sign all about?
- 3. Screw the app… solve the problem!
- 6. A philosophy “If people can’t figure out how to use your search engine, maybe you need a search engine that’s figured out how people think.”
- 7. A metaphor “Search engines are the receptionists of cyberspace – and like the real world, there are good ones and bad ones.”
- 8. A statistic “Are visitors getting as much out of your site as you put into it? According to industry analysts, probably not – a third will leave before they find what they came to get. So much for ‘return on investment.’”
- 9. Let’s continue on an upbeat note...
- 10. The Death of George Boole 1815 - 1864
- 11. Three quotes…
- 12. Sept. 1998
- 13. A timeline… ‘91 ‘93 ‘95 ‘98 2011 You are Gopher here MondoSearch Mosaic brochure Yahoo! Google
- 14. Just sayin’… #1 Maybe it’s time we started singing a different song… It’s not that what we say is wrong, it’s just not working. We need to teach by example.
- 15. The three faces of enterprise search
- 16. Algorithm Implementation Use
- 17. OH “It must be true. It was on Google.”
- 19. Just sayin’… #2 People learn skills in one environment that they expect to be able to use in other, similar environments.
- 21. But even Google doesn’t always get it right…
- 23. “No battle plan can survive contact with the enemy” Helmuth Graf von Moltke – 1800-1891
- 25. algorithms
- 26. The joys of enterprise search We control the environment We can move beyond pattern matching We can create custom-tailored UX
- 27. Don’t ignore that man behind the curtain We make the magic. No one else.
- 28. Just sayin’… #3 The fatal flaw is to ignore the spirit of the task.
- 30. People Technologies Processes
- 33. Well… If only the damned content providers would supply us with meta-descriptions…
- 36. Ah! Ultimately… it must be the fault of those idiot users…
- 37. “The problem with making things foolproof is that fools are so damned ingenious!” Laurence J. Peter – 1919-1990
- 38. What the search test subject says: “I’m looking for a pair of red, patent-leather, peep-toe pumps with a medium heel and a strap.”
- 39. What the search test subject types: red shoes
- 45. Just sayin’… #4 If you can do something on Google, but you can’t do the same thing on your own site, find out why and fix it. This is a business imperative if you rely on benefits from the long tail.
- 48. Just sayin’…#5 Any idiot can enable bad behavior. The trick is to encourage good behavior. This is the difference between mere “design” and “good design”.
- 56. Just sayin’…#6 Too many enterprise search engines are still configured by engineers. But this only works if your dev team understands the language of your business. Do they?
- 57. Algorithm Implementation Use
- 58. The French built this… …without power tools!
- 59. Just sayin’…#7 A good craftsman never blames his tools. A sharp knife will help a master chef do his job better. But buying a sharp knife will not make you a master chef.
- 60. Some thoughts for algorithm-builders Until you learn to read minds, there will be no magic bullet Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should Hey CMS folks – make it easier to add metadata! Singing the praises of technology is not going to get businesses to sit up and take notice.
- 61. Some thoughts for implementers If you don’t understand the business, you shouldn’t be tampering with search Content providers need to understand search (so what else is new?) Matching patterns isn’t matching needs You control the environment. Use this power to truly enhance the experience. This is hard-core UX!
- 62. Some thoughts for users Garbage in, garbage out “Error 40” Be critical. Demand quality. Speak up. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You can’t break a search engine. Learn some basic search techniques Use phrases Use multiple words Write query as an answer rather than a question
- 63. Five questions
- 64. What’s the date of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address? What’s the key ingredient in bearnaise sauce? What’s the most fuel-efficient car in the world? When did Daniel Defoe write “Moll Flanders”? How many stripes does a zebra have?
- 70. Your mission, Mr. Phelps… Stop making excuses for bad search Go to your kid’s school and teach the class about search Has anybody bothered to build the business case for search in your company? Don’t wait for someone else to do the heavy lifting! You’re here in NYC at Enterprise Search. You ARE the vanguard!
- 71. Don’t just prevent bad things from happening… Please, make wonderful things happen!
- 72. Thank you!
- 73. Eric Reiss can (usually) be found at: The FatDUX Group ApS Strandøre 15 2100 Copenhagen Denmark Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77 Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44 Twitter: @elreiss info@fatdux.com www.fatdux.com