search engine requests

Reading through some of the terms that people put in to the BBC search engine you realise just how bizarre people can be:

egs of bizarre search requests:

- what is a dog?
- what is the biggest collection of naval fluff?
- what is the best way to get what teacher is saying when he is lecturing?
- how do you say basketball?
- how do i spell onamatapier?
- i am searching for my family history all i know that i have an aunty doreen before her marriage she was known as huet living in plymouth devon
- what is better one long vacation each year or several short vactions throughout the year?
- what is so special about the swiss?
- what do you do when the person you love tells you he loves some one else?
- how do you say unperfuct in spanish?

Question based and long searches are updated here:

- Questions
- Extended search requests

I can't imagine what response they would get let alone the outcome they were expecting. I love the idea of a modern Oracle though: type in a question and get one definitive indisputable answer in response. Preferably in three words or less.

I guess the real issue is: should search engines "learn" how to better handle such requests or should requesters learn how better to use a search engine?

Friday, January 07, 2005