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Fair enough then, if surprising; objection withdrawn. Joel Send a noteboard - 12/05/2011 01:17:28 AM
I've done some searches for specific information, with my usual array of keywords, quotation marks, etc...etc...

Aaaand I got substantially better answers after just phrasing it as a question.

I think it's FAR more likely that people googling "Who is Osama bin Laden" knew his role in American History, but wanted details as to WHO he is. Not what he is.

I guess they just got used to seeing so many interrogative words and question marks that they decided to incorporate them; I've always avoided those kinds of things because I didn't expect "who" and "?" to get a lot of relevant extra hits (and did expect both strings to get a LOT of irrelevant hits). Maybe Answer.com Wikianswer are responsible, though I've never really trusted places like that because they seem akin to shouting, "What's the atomic weight of calcium?" out your front door and waiting to hear the first answer. ;) But, hey, if it works there's no arguing with results.
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OK, Once and for All, WTF Is WRONG with Kids Today? Joel - 04/05/2011 01:28:52 AM 1807 Views
Cool story bro. *NM* Ghavrel - 04/05/2011 01:35:29 AM 577 Views
Clearly not. Joel - 04/05/2011 02:16:08 AM 1201 Views
Re: Duh. Winning. *NM* Gaps - 04/05/2011 01:46:39 AM 619 Views
The SEALS won. Joel - 04/05/2011 02:17:41 AM 1065 Views
They read Boing Boing. *NM* Chas - 04/05/2011 01:57:17 AM 648 Views
And use Yahoo, apparently. Joel - 04/05/2011 02:20:36 AM 1292 Views
I guess I have a pretty bright Child. and a good school district. StarrBecca - 04/05/2011 04:28:24 AM 1086 Views
Hopefully, and presumably respectable parenting skills. Joel - 06/05/2011 01:32:02 AM 1268 Views
You really have to wonder if our culture is decadent? *NM* Panorphaeon - 04/05/2011 06:24:25 AM 603 Views
Not at all, but it does make me wonder if we're TOO decadent. Joel - 06/05/2011 01:38:42 AM 1105 Views
I agree. *NM* Panorphaeon - 09/05/2011 10:36:40 PM 678 Views
Hope for the best and plan for the worst, I suppose, but that's what unnerved me here. Joel - 10/05/2011 03:14:24 AM 1160 Views
How is it the kids' fault that they are not taught (to care) about recent history? *NM* Helene - 04/05/2011 06:54:16 AM 555 Views
I just asked my son, and he said he was a boss of a criminal organisation who was responsible for Helene - 04/05/2011 06:56:18 AM 1099 Views
Good enough for me, thanks. Joel - 06/05/2011 01:59:40 AM 1101 Views
Yes and no, but I'd think an international network trying to kill you would motivate self education. Joel - 06/05/2011 01:57:06 AM 1230 Views
Good teachers don't allow overeager students to monopolize the classroom. Ghavrel - 06/05/2011 02:52:27 AM 1237 Views
We covered the material. Joel - 06/05/2011 02:57:52 AM 1281 Views
Which means... not a good teacher. Ghavrel - 06/05/2011 07:02:44 AM 986 Views
Good luck with that. Joel - 06/05/2011 11:51:48 PM 1145 Views
If they don't know about the terrorist organisation to begin with, why would they self educate? Helene - 13/05/2011 08:06:07 AM 1109 Views
If completely ignorant of terrorism itself, they wouldn't, but if not I'd expect they'd get informed Joel - 14/05/2011 03:01:37 AM 1078 Views
What?!? There are terrorists roaming the US, killing kids in their beds?!? Helene - 14/05/2011 07:45:27 AM 1230 Views
They're certainly trying. Joel - 14/05/2011 10:43:48 AM 1123 Views
Oklahoma city bombing was by American citizens, completely unrelated to Al Qaeda... Helene - 15/05/2011 08:02:11 AM 1323 Views
They were both terrorist attacks. Joel - 15/05/2011 02:53:51 PM 1331 Views
Obesity is a much bigger killer than terrorists Helene - 15/05/2011 04:01:51 PM 1154 Views
Sure, but obesity covers a lot of ground. Joel - 15/05/2011 04:19:51 PM 1137 Views
Obesity is a new problem Helene - 15/05/2011 06:09:33 PM 1134 Views
I gave you my explanation, but can reiterate it. Joel - 15/05/2011 08:00:03 PM 1182 Views
For god's sake... I didn't attribute all of obesity to sugar addiction. Helene - 15/05/2011 08:10:44 PM 997 Views
No, you blamed advertising and bad schools, too. Joel - 15/05/2011 08:20:32 PM 1056 Views
That's because you are incredibly annoying and I am wondering if you will ever not reply Helene - 15/05/2011 08:26:12 PM 1149 Views
An odd reason to stereotype the third most populous nation on Earth. Joel - 15/05/2011 08:52:57 PM 1102 Views
only about a third of the home schooled kids are home schooled for religious reasons random thoughts - 16/05/2011 09:35:36 PM 1215 Views
Fair enough... I can imagine wanting to avoid a crappy school. Helene - 17/05/2011 06:04:11 PM 1106 Views
getting your kid in the right school can be a challenge random thoughts - 17/05/2011 06:18:04 PM 983 Views
how many times have i told you "it's the internet, it's not real life"?? *NM* moondog - 04/05/2011 07:43:01 AM 587 Views
Sure, but in this case they intersect. Joel - 06/05/2011 02:02:19 AM 1190 Views
I met a lady who didn't know who Justin Bieber was. I told her I was very impressed random thoughts - 04/05/2011 06:49:49 PM 1204 Views
You should be? Joel - 06/05/2011 02:09:47 AM 1230 Views
He may have been dreaming about killing them but he was actually doing anything *NM* random thoughts - 06/05/2011 03:09:49 AM 614 Views
The short answer is "yes". Joel - 06/05/2011 03:19:31 AM 1099 Views
you would of have had to know who he is to know he was doing that though *NM* random thoughts - 08/05/2011 06:16:39 PM 559 Views
Yes, and the fact he WAS doing that is why I expected nearly everyone to know who he was. Joel - 08/05/2011 07:12:41 PM 1118 Views
I am not saying they shouldn't know who he is just that is isn't that shocking that some don't random thoughts - 09/05/2011 02:35:02 PM 996 Views
I get that, it's the size of the "some" that kinda floors me. Joel - 09/05/2011 05:02:46 PM 1118 Views
Rumsfeld was a bit of a tool but he was right about a lot of stuff random thoughts - 09/05/2011 05:05:56 PM 1033 Views
I did think he took heat unfairly for that comment; he's an interesting figure. Joel - 09/05/2011 05:59:58 PM 1222 Views
see that is why political comedy isn't really comedy random thoughts - 10/05/2011 02:15:48 PM 1126 Views
He was a college offensive lineman. Joel - 12/05/2011 01:47:52 AM 1147 Views
It was the media tqaking offense not just internet nutjobs random thoughts - 13/05/2011 04:16:34 AM 1239 Views
You're "the media" now? Joel - 13/05/2011 10:27:42 PM 1223 Views
you live in a fantasy world *NM* random thoughts - 16/05/2011 02:27:20 PM 578 Views
Not a rebuttal. Joel - 16/05/2011 09:10:33 PM 1100 Views
I am trying to be more concise and that summed it up *NM* random thoughts - 16/05/2011 09:26:32 PM 571 Views
Concise is nice, but that response was solely about me rather than my arguments. Joel - 18/05/2011 11:30:38 PM 1069 Views
No it was about your reply I am just to lazy to break it down random thoughts - 19/05/2011 12:54:38 AM 1050 Views
"You live in a fantasy world" is 100% about me. Joel - 19/05/2011 01:53:07 AM 896 Views
OK *NM* random thoughts - 19/05/2011 03:15:04 PM 531 Views
Check. Joel - 20/05/2011 12:08:24 AM 1377 Views
13-17 year olds. Kronin al'Sulc - 05/05/2011 01:51:27 AM 1298 Views
Call me crazy, but I tend to notice people who want to kill me when they've shown the ability. Joel - 06/05/2011 02:53:26 AM 1149 Views
Re: Call me crazy, but I tend to notice people who want to kill me when they've shown the ability. callandor1000 - 06/05/2011 09:21:10 PM 1179 Views
As I asked below, did you click the link? Joel - 06/05/2011 11:35:45 PM 994 Views
Re: As I asked below, did you click the link? callandor1000 - 09/05/2011 05:37:29 AM 1014 Views
And yet you found a way; full marks for effort. Joel - 09/05/2011 07:50:32 AM 1320 Views
Re: And yet you found a way; full marks for effort. callandor1000 - 11/05/2011 02:52:45 PM 1287 Views
Well, based on the consensus, I can't really argue with that first line. Joel - 11/05/2011 11:33:53 PM 1199 Views
well then, let us who've somewhat recently been educated as to internet searches assure you... LadyLorraine - 11/05/2011 11:41:54 PM 1035 Views
Educated about how to conduct them, or how they ARE conducted? Joel - 12/05/2011 01:13:25 AM 1096 Views
Re: Educated about how to conduct them, or how they ARE conducted? callandor1000 - 12/05/2011 04:50:23 AM 1054 Views
So we're back to criticizing claims of superiority I've never made? Joel - 14/05/2011 07:06:10 AM 1335 Views
Thanks for the mis-analogizing. Kronin al'Sulc - 10/05/2011 06:26:40 AM 1511 Views
Not a mis-analogy, but perhaps ambiguous. Joel - 10/05/2011 07:02:31 AM 1112 Views
Re: Not a mis-analogy, but perhaps ambiguous. Kronin al'Sulc - 10/05/2011 04:58:59 PM 1135 Views
Re: Not a mis-analogy, but perhaps ambiguous. Joel - 12/05/2011 01:22:38 AM 1100 Views
Re: 13-17 year olds. callandor1000 - 06/05/2011 09:14:47 PM 1117 Views
What are you doing to earn a living now? *NM* Urza - 05/05/2011 03:04:28 AM 574 Views
Jeg øver norsk, men ikke mer nå. Joel - 06/05/2011 02:54:44 AM 1102 Views
Debt collection is kind Urza - 06/05/2011 07:16:53 AM 1034 Views
Just don't repeatedly say you're seriously buying tickets to come kill them. Joel - 06/05/2011 11:40:51 PM 1022 Views
Theres a reason you're banned from skype chat. Dont be a cunt Urza - 07/05/2011 02:22:30 AM 1068 Views
You threadjacked me to take a potshot, so I don't want to hear it. Joel - 07/05/2011 03:57:47 AM 1146 Views
it must be a very good reason if they haven't banned you as well random thoughts - 09/05/2011 05:09:07 PM 1054 Views
Joel decided it would be fun to blackmail us with filing a false poilce report. *NM* Urza - 10/05/2011 12:07:46 AM 592 Views
I sent Skype the log; they said to contact the police. Joel - 10/05/2011 03:54:51 AM 1241 Views
Re: I sent Skype the log; they said to contact the police. Camilla - 15/05/2011 11:55:23 AM 1031 Views
I think most of the relevant details have been covered here. Joel - 15/05/2011 04:06:09 PM 1182 Views
Silly laptops.... *NM* Joel - 15/05/2011 04:11:38 PM 580 Views
Now I am certainly not going into skype chat. Camilla - 17/05/2011 10:36:04 AM 1043 Views
Can't say I blame you, but that's always a possibility online. Joel - 17/05/2011 05:07:23 PM 1018 Views
Re: Can't say I blame you, but that's always a possibility online. Novo - 19/05/2011 12:59:14 AM 1346 Views
For people who categorically objected to all bans of any kind ya'll embraced them very abruptly. Joel - 19/05/2011 01:50:26 AM 1469 Views
You failed to respond to the main thrust of my argument, but, whatevs. Novo - 19/05/2011 03:01:07 AM 1088 Views
I did, but will try again; then I'm done with this subject and rebutting Adams false accusations. Joel - 19/05/2011 03:51:24 AM 1008 Views
I joked to Roh "If I kill him will you be my alibi... Great, I'm pricing tickets on travelocity now! Urza - 17/05/2011 12:02:28 AM 1144 Views
That sounds ridiculous. *NM* Helene - 17/05/2011 06:06:39 PM 573 Views
When did I ask for attention, niceness or an apology? Joel - 18/05/2011 11:28:12 PM 1145 Views
It is nice to see even without chat the chat drama still seems to bleed into the main pages *NM* random thoughts - 10/05/2011 02:17:11 PM 640 Views
And that is your analysis? Really. Kids sure are dumb to ask questions and do research. Vivien - 06/05/2011 10:15:41 PM 1026 Views
I wish there were an applause smiley. Ghavrel - 06/05/2011 11:02:01 PM 1103 Views
No, but any kid whose research beings by finding out who he even WAS is dumb, period. Joel - 06/05/2011 11:31:08 PM 1036 Views
Any kid whos research doesnt start by finding out who he was must have been born with the knowledge. Urza - 06/05/2011 11:39:56 PM 1203 Views
Finding out, yes; finding out by actively searching, no. Joel - 06/05/2011 11:42:34 PM 1087 Views
You and I turned on CNN one morning to see the WTC burning. *NM* Urza - 07/05/2011 02:05:26 AM 626 Views
Again I cite the attempted "Christmas bombing" in 2009. Joel - 07/05/2011 04:01:27 AM 1071 Views
Any rational person wouldn't do a yahoo search. Other than that, the questions you posed are Helene - 15/05/2011 11:28:02 AM 1011 Views
So their search engine makes them dumb, but their questions are OK. Joel - 15/05/2011 02:57:27 PM 1013 Views
By gods, you are hopeless to talk to. *NM* Helene - 15/05/2011 03:56:27 PM 566 Views
I repeat, one of us certainly is. Joel - 15/05/2011 04:20:07 PM 1181 Views
If you learned people are sometimes flippant Helene - 15/05/2011 06:13:52 PM 1092 Views
I'm sometimes flippant, too, but have always been adherent of Poes Law. Joel - 15/05/2011 08:11:04 PM 1031 Views
So quipping that rational people wouldn´t use a certain search engine is really about terrorism?!? Helene - 15/05/2011 08:14:59 PM 1039 Views
Terrorism, and knowledge of it, was the subject of the thread. Joel - 15/05/2011 08:38:35 PM 1133 Views
I don't think the article says much of anything at all. Dan - 07/05/2011 03:28:35 AM 937 Views
Maybe; I don't always appreciate deadpan jokes online.... Joel - 07/05/2011 03:43:51 AM 1204 Views
I think the linguistic conventions governing search engines and typical conversation differ is all. Dan - 07/05/2011 04:00:38 AM 1062 Views
Hopefully that's all it is. Joel - 07/05/2011 04:17:21 AM 1024 Views
actually, search engines are getting better towards "questions" now LadyLorraine - 11/05/2011 11:06:42 PM 1021 Views
Fair enough then, if surprising; objection withdrawn. Joel - 12/05/2011 01:17:28 AM 1144 Views
I think you're reading too much into this Isaac - 10/05/2011 12:58:20 AM 1140 Views
Possibly; I really hope so. Joel - 10/05/2011 04:01:50 AM 1054 Views
Re: Possibly; I really hope so. Isaac - 10/05/2011 05:18:43 AM 1151 Views
Again, fair enough. Joel - 12/05/2011 01:52:07 AM 1092 Views
Re: Again, fair enough. Isaac - 12/05/2011 02:04:53 AM 1125 Views
Acknowledged. Joel - 12/05/2011 02:41:38 AM 1081 Views
HA! Vivien - 12/05/2011 10:50:50 PM 1262 Views
Re: I'm more disgusted by this thread than by its original topic of conversation. *NM* Gaps - 15/05/2011 09:41:43 PM 587 Views
Just as well; I conceded on the original topic ages ago. Joel - 15/05/2011 11:10:20 PM 1067 Views
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