Does Google Know Everything?
I wonder if there is anything you Can’t find on Google? There seems to be an answer (or Millions of them) for any word or question, no matter how obscure. Just now, I started to type in a search for “does Google have an answer for everything?” I got as far as “does Google have an…” and up popped a list of suggestions to complete the phrase, one of which was — you guessed it — “does Google have an answer for everything”. In a split second — no, a Nano second — I had Billions of responses!
I’m not sure how to quantify “everything”, but I’m pretty sure Google had close to that number of responses. Kind of made me want to page forward a few thousand pages to see what kind of information is in those links…
I never had access to Google when I graduated from college Summa Cum Laude in 1991. The college did have computers. I remember being slightly intimidated by them. I had an electric typewriter at home and I thought that was the height of modern writing. The computers at school were big, boxy Apples. Learning to use them was simple enough. If I had trouble going through the user tutorials, they helpfully offered suggestions, talking me through like I was five years old. (Years later, 5-year-olds would show me how to use their classroom computers!)
Just when I was getting comfortable with how to use the Apple computers, the college “upgraded” to something called “PC’s”. These machines didn’t offer helpful suggestions, so I had to figure out their use alone, or with the help of the friendly “geeks” who staffed the computer lab. It was stressful getting my final years of term papers done; saving them to “floppy discs” and then — being able to retrieve what I had written! I still used my electric typewriter for my rough drafts, not trusting the computers at school or the thin wafers that stored the information. Fortunately, professors accepted papers that were done either way.
Hard to believe but I went from reluctant user to near-expert status in a pretty short time. It helped that I married a man who was a computer “geek” himself. We even owned a computer store for a year, and I learned a lot about the components during that time. I even built a computer with help from my husband. I decided that part was pretty boring, but it did give me even more respect for people who were able to do that kind of work.
It feels sometimes, like I’m right back in those early college days — baffled by the use and inner workings of electronic brains. Only now the electronic brains are much smaller than those chunky boxes of — gasp! — thirty years ago. “Smart phones” make me feel stupid and touch screens make me feel clumsy. Every restaurant and store has an “app” that you are required to use in order to save money. Employees who grew up using computers are unsympathetic with anyone who can’t navigate the app easily. They just can’t relate. I often long for the days when there was an alternate option — an electric typewriter version of smart phones and their endless, confusing variety of apps. And passwords! Don’t even get me started on passwords!
Most grocery stores still have paper coupons. I hope that continues. Because there are a Lot of us “Boomers” who are not computer-savvy. I consider myself to be more experienced than many people my age and I still struggle with many apps. But I have talked with friends and neighbors whose knowledge is sorely lacking when it comes to utilizing apps to save money. They also are the population most at risk online.
So I’m asking — if you are one of the lucky ones who use and understand apps, please look around and see if there is someone you can help. Maybe you have a neighbor who has expressed frustration with the grocery store apps, or who frequents a restaurant you know offers money-saving coupons. Start a conversation. Ask them if they know of a sale or have seen the latest coupon. Offer to show them how to use an app. They’ll be eternally grateful.
And if you are the one who is confused or uncertain — reach out. Ask a friend or neighbor or relative for help. When we had the computer store, I often would jokingly suggest that customers ask a grandchild. “They know more about computers than us”, I’d say. “And they work cheap. Maybe for cookies!”
If you don’t have anyone to help, I’d suggest going to https://www.google.com/ and typing in your question. Any question. Because — Google knows everything.
