Search Engines...

...don't talk to me about search engines. What we need is a 'find' engine (and yes, I did coin that phrase before ask.com started using it...but I probably can't prove it!).

What am I talking about? Well, the simple thing is, few of us are actually very keen on searching for anything. If I have misplaced my wallet, I have no vested interest in the search process itself, but in finding the wallet. Hopefully still full of cash and credit/debit cards! OK, I'll concede that in searching I may stumble upon something worthwhile. The pound coin down the back of the sofa, the album under the pile of stuff gathering on my desk or whatever. But essentially all I need is to find my wallet. On the web I have found all sorts of discoveries whilst looking for something else. This can be fun 'surfing' the web. But often to the detriment of the actual task in hand.

I think a true 'find' engine is years away - one that knows whether you're looking for a car or a fictional character when you search for 'Ford Prefect'. The subtlety of human communication is way beyond current AI computer capabilities. But boy, if I could crack the 'how' of that one, I'm sure my fortune would finally find me!

I'm entering a competition from Heartinternet http://www.heartinternet.co.uk/blog/2012/12/win-a-new-home-office-worth-over-1700-for-christmas/.

Great idea! When I first trained as a computer programmer, back in the early eighties, it was assumed I would be working on Mainframes. By mere chance the job I took meant I worked with the new-kid-on-the-block IBM PC. Since then I've ended up working almost exclusively with PCs throughout my professional life, but have always lusted after Apple Macs. Unfortunately they have always been out of my price range.

It would be ironic that so late in the day (when my career is almost over?) if I were finally to become an Apple-ist! To win this would make a real difference to me.

If we only had control it would be so much better...

...or would it?

Like many companies in our position we outsource our hosting. We use a small firm who specialise in that field and charge reasonable rates for the service. Today, the server went down, which happens occasionally. There is no such thing as 100% availability, but after an hour we're starting to feel the pain.

"I know, let's build our own server and connect it to the web, that way we'll have control". Ah, but the trouble is, all that means is instead of busily writing this blog and all the other things I need to do I would be slaving over a hot computer trying to resuscitate it. Having control is somewhat illusory - stuff happens when we least expect it and whatever control we may have is no guarantee we can use it effectively.

A long time ago a friend once said to me "I'm a great believer in people doing what they're good at". Quite. So, for the time being at least, I'll let them worry about the problem with the server, and now I'll go and build another website.

What's all this blogging that's going on?

Who cares what I think about anything? I honestly don't know, but I guess this could be a place to get things off my chest. Maybe I'll be the only one reading this, but who knows....

...there might be the odd gem placed here!