Why we still need classification in the age of Google

Life has trumped blogging for me lately. Just thought you might be interested in what's at the top of my reading pile: a new post on the VocabControl blog titled "Google is not perfect."

Perhaps I am starting to suffer from “deformation professionelle”, but I am constantly surprised by how often I am still asked “Why do we need classification now we have free text search and Google?”. This post is designed to answer the question. If you are an info pro, it won’t tell you anything you don’t already know, but as always I’d appreciate suggestions and additions.

The question seems to me a bit like asking “Why do we need scalpels now we have invented scissors?”. Scissors are a brilliant invention and they do many wonderful things - just like Google - they make all sorts of cutting quick and easy, but there are also many situations when they are not the right tool for the job. I don’t want a surgeon cutting me open with scissors except in a real emergency.

Comments

[Fran]

To think that Google isn't perfect is denying the evidence. In my work, in the day to day, and I'm talking about professionals, scientists, etc., we all use Google as our main information source. Google resolves our information needs in a quick and efficient way. Obviously people need to use their own judgement to know how to search and determine which information is relevant and which information is reliable. But does every professional not know how to do this? I think so and if not, it's something that can be learnt over time.

Furthermore, with regards to the problems raised by the post's author, many of them will be resolved by the technological advances that Google is working on. The semantic web, the web of data, Google Books, Google audio indexing and the increasingly effective indexing of the deep web will all mean that Google makes our life more and more easy.

While classifications done by professionals are becoming increasingly outdated, the improvements mentioned above and those which Google and other search engines will implement in the future will mean that these classifications will be unnecessary.

Google isn't perfect, but it will be.

Many thanks!

[Christine Schwartz]

Thanks for the comment, Fran.

I'll have to respectfully disagree. I don't think any person, much less a company, is perfect.

[Darren]

I too use Google daily as a professional. I was flabbergasted when I had to consider the options for the finding 20 sources on a topic of my choice without using Google! Indeed, I knew Google would have found me what I wanted and it was much complicated using other sources.

However, in researching more I realised the rub. Without being paranoid or suggesting any level of malfesance by Google, you are not getting a pure information service. 1. Results can be weighted in an adverts favour (commercial information overload?). 2. You are reliant on Google not censoring information which Google.uk (I hope) is not doing. To consider just those two points of a business that is a commercial venture, one has to wonder the risks involves in totally depending on a business for your information needs?

[Darren]

O! One more thing, not everyone is a professional and yet Google has 81% of the Search Engine market.

So because of that the judgement of people and the quality and value of information recieved per individual is going to be different.