Stark realisation: I no longer depend on Google to find stuff -

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Today I had a stark realisation: I no longer depend on Google to find stuff. I still use it to locate things: e.g. “find me the Wikipedia page on Ted Kennedy’s acquatic activities”. But I rarely - if ever - use it to find businesses, places to visit, interesting blogs, etc.

The difference between finding something and locating something might seem mere semantics, but it is essential to this discussion. When you’re trying to find something you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for - you are searching in some general direction. When you’re trying to locate something, you know exactly what you’re looking for and you just need help getting to it.

As an example: let’s say I’m at work trying to find a tool to make it easier to track social media conversations. A few years ago I would have Googled “social media tracking” and checked out each site on the first page of results. Today I wouldn’t even bother Googling it. I’d remember that someone I vaguely know told me about a product called Radian6 at a party a few months ago. I would check that out. I’d go find the Forrester report on social media conversation tracking products and see what they recommend. I’d ask some people at media agencies and they’d recommend Nielsen BuzzMetrics. I’d send an email to our colleagues at sister WPP company Ogilvy PR 360 Digital Influence and ask them what they use. I’d ask my Twitter followers if they have any recommendations.

Or let’s take another example. I wake up on a Sunday morning in my home-suburb of Fitzroy. I’m hungry and I want to find somewhere new to have breakfast. Not too long ago I would have started my search on Google with “fitzroy cafe melbourne”. Now - not a chance. In the back of ...

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http://www.alexjcampbell.com/post/175271559/stark-realisation-i-no-longer-depend-on-google-to-find