1) The document discusses how using social media like Facebook as a search engine to ask questions is inefficient compared to using Google. While friends may be able to answer questions, it takes much longer than simply searching online. 2) It notes people should be wary of asking too personal or embarrassing questions publicly online as others may mock or share those questions on sites like Failbook. 3) The author acknowledges friends want to help but argues it is inconsiderate to essentially make them an unpaid secretary by outsourcing simple searches to them via social media instead of using proper search engines.

1. AndrewStamps
Dr. Gillis
EDMG 4404
15 September2014
Social Googling: A Public Service Announcement
Imagine it’sbeenalongdayat work,or school,or both.You plopdownat yourdesk,
determinedtocatch up onall the funthingsyourcarefree friendshave beendoingwhile youendlessly
toil awayyour week.Youclackat the keysa bitand sitback as the blankwhite page developsexpertly
designedandredesignedboxesof blue andtext,andthere theyare at the top of your newsfeed:
vacationphotos,complaintsaboutwork,andthe one personwhowantsto know,“whattime doesthe
bookstore close?”I’mkiddingaboutthe lastone of course,because people seekingthe answertothat
questionwouldwithoutadoubtaska farsuperiorsearchengine,y’know,likeGoogle.Insteadthe
questionisposedtothe entiretyof the guiltyparty’sfriendslist.These are the peoplethatproclaimto
the worldthat theymighthave herpesorthat theycan’t rememberif the taggoesinthe front or the
back whenwearingashirt.These are the people thatthinkthe Facebookstatusisa search engine.
NowI mightsoundas thoughI’mbeingoverdramatichere,butthisisa matterof the utmost
importance.Mostpeople are probablyguiltyof askingquestionsonFacebook,buthere’sthe thing,in
some casesthey’re notreallyguilty.Sometimesthe questionisjustsodarn specificthatGoogle can’t
returnany results,and,aslongas it isn’ttoopersonal,that’sfine.Othertimes,people justwanttobe
snide andrhetorical.These aren’tnecessarilythe people I’maddressing,buttheyshouldstillbe wary
because theymightinadvertentlybe anidiottoo,despite anoutwardappearance of beingawitty
asshole.

2. The firstthingto keepinmindhere isthe time factor.Google will findthe exactansweryou’re
lookingforandabout 10 linkstoYahoo!Answerswhere someonealmosthadthe rightidea5 yearsago.
These resultsappearinstantaneously.Seriously.Eveninthe fastestcasesof postingaquestionto
Facebook,it’sbarelyasfastas a postto Google.The difference here beingthatGoogle alreadyknew
your answerbefore youaskedit.Facebookcombinesall the manpowerof your30 friendswhoare
currentlyonline,20of whomnow secretlydespise you—andone whojustdeletedyou—foraskinga
stupidquestion.Meanwhile,the nine availablefriendsare puttingtheirheadstogetherandarguingover
howmany flavorsof ice cream Baskin-Robbinscarriesatanygiventime.Notwillingtotake the chance
of runningintoyou while theygettheirice creamfix thatyoujustremindedthemtheyneed,half the
people whonowdespiseyouhave made it toBruster’sand backin time tosee that youguys still aren’t
evensure if Baskin-Robbinssellsice creamorfrozenyogurt.
Do youknowwhy itseemslike people stoppedusingYahoo!Answersnearlytwoyearsago?
There are a fewreasons:1. Justabouteveryquestionimaginable hasbeenasked,2.If Google didn’t
knowthe answer,itcouldlinkto the Yahoo!Answerthatdid,and 3. People realizedthatrandom
strangerswere makingfunof theirstupid,embarrassingquestions.Doyouknow how Facebookhas
changedthat? Nowall yourfriendsare seeingyourstupid,embarrassingquestions,andthey’reposting
those questionstowebsiteslike Failbook.Congrats,now everyoneknowsyouaren’tsure if the worldis
2014 yearsoldor not.Friends,family,acquaintances,andstrangersalike,andthey’re all laughingatyou
and hopefullyremovingyoufromtheirwills.
Now,let’sbe clear,yourfriendswillwithoutadoubtcome up withyouranswer.Barringthe
untimelinessof the response thereare afew positivestothe situation.Yourfriendscertainlyknowyou
betterthanGoogle,or so you’dlike tobelieve.They’ll returnresponsesspecifictoyouandyou alone,
whereasGoogle will give youeveryresponsepossible.Of course,these peoplealsocare aboutyou—in

3. the best-case-scenario—anditprobablyisn’tgoingtobe a huge inconvenience tothem, if that’sthe
case,to do your Googlingforyou.Despite that,isn’titjusta hairinconsiderate toessentiallycall upon
themto be your glorifiedunpaidsecretaries?
The worst part aboutreadingthisentire rantisthe revelationtowardthe endthatyouhave a
cripplingsocial dependence,andyoubelieve everyone shouldknow everylittle thoughtthatflits
throughyour mind.Youhaven’tactuallyusedsocial mediatobe social,so muchas you’ve useditas an
outletforyouregocentricinquiries.Youfullyunderstandthe utilityof Google,butthat’snotreallythe
point,isit?There’snopointif you don’thave the satisfactionof knowingthatatleastone personis
fallingforyourcleverlittle ploy.There’snoattentionordramaina Google search,justresults.Ican’t
blame youfor anyof that; it’ssociety’sfault.Justknow thatyou’re notalostcause to me.I sincerely
hope I changedat leastone mind,because even one personwhosaw the lightisworthall the twisted
self-centeredlosersI’ve emboldenedbygivingthemthe attentionthey’re lackingintheirreal lives.