Search, don't sort

Search, don't Sort

Keeping things sorted used to be part of discipline.

Used to be. May not be well into future. Google has started changing that concept. Discipline is keeping the right tools handy with you.

Search was always a problem. Kids started with searching the number of birds in the picture problems and later grew into efficient sort and search C programs. The problem of search. My father used to advise me a lot for keeping things at proper places to avoid seach when needed. Still I remember my mom complaining that my father does not search well. And my wife, she is bothered I spend more time seaching for things than actually doing anything productive. The search problem prevails!

Thanks to Google, but this looks like changing. They have made search a solution than a problem. Really. With all long file names and all folders and file details- how many of us can find a file right when needed. The meeting notes - what did I name it - MinutesRiyaz, RiyazMeeting, NotesMeetingRiyaz, BullshitConsolidated……We all ended up searching. Why not do it at the first place? Windows had a file search - when did you modify, when did you create, what did you name it - well, if I had remembered all these

Google web search was a normal search for me. I still don’t know how good it is. I am fishing in a vast sea. How do I rate the quality of the choonda? It does something. That’s all. But I knew Google was making a lot of money and they were giving all other search engines a ride for theirs. Anything, anytime, I googled. Google images helped me beautify (?) many a presentations. Google news allowed me read specific news alone than all stories that the so called newspapers run through. I added Google toolbar to avoid typing Google everytime.

When I was invited for gmail, I was not passionate. Even now, I don’t use that much. I had to wait for the Google Desktop search to even understand the slogan of Google mail. Don’t delete, don’t sort, SEARCH. There is no folders in gmail. Why do you need. You need to find something, search. Simple, one step.

Google desktop is fantastic. Really great tool. I have been using Outlook for years now. I have developed a lot of discipline on that. A hundred folders. Key board shortcuts for moving to folder and copy to folder, for category, for flagging. A mail can belong to three different topics. Keep a copy in every folder. Category is the theoritical answer to that. I always wanted to use that. I tried to use to many times. And never did I succeed. Mails in Outlook was kind of dreaded for me. Keyboard shortcuts and fast moves caused errors - some mails move into wrong folders - and that’s it! Outlook search means I have lost all confidence of getting back a lost mail - the trust I have is almost the same as the trust I have on MS.

But again the Google desktop is good. Now I search for everything. Hey, this guy had sent me his phone number sometime in mail. Search. Which is that presentation that talked about such-and-such? Who sent that? Search. Hey, I had seen a web page recently that talked about sushi ingredients - what was that? Search. All in one search. Files, mail, chat, web history… I really enjoy. Though I still have folders, I still move mails around (with less fear of losing them), I still name files meaningfully (don’t worry it is Minutes or Notes but), when I want something, I just search. Do not sort, search. Good.

The main worry I have now is that I have to open an IE window to search my desktop. I wanted a simple text box in my task bar. Great, I found Google deskbar yesterday. I can type in my taskbar, and a small window opens up with the serach results. I can go back and forth or even choose to get it on a normal browser window. Cooooogle. The only thing is missing is what I wanted - this does not include desktop search, only internet search. Hope Google will merge these soon.

I remember Sindhu (receptionist at NeST) had a good algorithm for people search. In those days of no mobile phones and with the management feeling of phone-per-desk will be a nuisance, she had a nice algo to locate anyone in just 4 calls. She could not patent it nor make a tool out of it!!

I am waiting for Search solution to solve all our sort and locate problems. I am sure TI will also want this soon with the no-static-cubicle concept. A future Google@Office would locate a person with data from computer, cell phone, RFID readers and voice.

Where is Mr.X

X came to office at 9:29 in the morning. Had tea till 10:15, went for a smoke till 11:03, was talking over phone for 37 minutes, went for lunch, was found chatting with Y for 11 minutes, came back to his desk at 2:29 and no updates after that. Must be sleeping. You want to call him up?