Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

I think the thing that frustrates me the most about people refusing to perform simple internet searches and asking others to do it is the not really understanding the psyche behind people asking other people to search the web for them.

It seems like the simplest and most direct route for someone to find answers.  For example:  If someone couldn’t find a post that had been written on GMG yesterday, last week or last year they could go two routes, right?

Route 1  They either search on the GMG Search box or if they didn’t know it even existed they could point their internet browser to Google, type in the search term and get the answer within 30 seconds.

Route 2: They write an email to me, wait til I actually have time to read it, perform the internet search for them, copy the results, email them back.  Could take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple days before I get through the emails that come in.

Now knowing how much quicker it would be to just perform the search themselves I just have to ask myself why?  Why in the world does someone refuse to perform the search themselves?

Now we all know those people who pride themselves on “Not being a computer person”. Not the feeble minded ones, but the genuinely smart people in every day lives that are really really smart and successful but they wear the “I don’t have a smartphone” badge like it’s something to be proud of.  These are the type of people who would bite their nose off to spite their own face.  If you have a smartphone (and it’s not about money because you can get free smartphones with any carrier) you know the power you have in your hand.  You know that knowledge is power and the information at your fingertips with a smartphone is nearly limitless.

So to trot out the “I’m not a computer person” line in the year 2014 makes you look stupid.  I don’t mean this to offend anyone.  I’m just telling you that saying this line out loud to anyone is basically telling people that you’re an idiot.  Computers are so dumbed down today, that if you can spell, then you can use an internet browser.  A two minute YouTube instructional video can explain how to perform a Google search.

Here’s a great internet tutorial for beginners.  You may ask how I found it.  By golly I actually found it using a search on Google!  Crazy right? I knooooow!!!  So Crazy!

So then after the “I’m not a smartphone person” or “I’m not a computer person” people, could it be laziness?  Do the people that write in these requests for information posted on the web just not want to perform the task of typing in the query?

Again I’m not meaning to offend with these questions, I’m trying to figure out for my own sanity the thought process (or lack thereof) in asking someone else through email to find something online for them when the act of writing out that email request took more time and energy than simply performing the internet search themselves.  It actually takes less time and keystrokes for the person asking the question.

So I guess that kinda answers my question there.  It can’t be that they’re lazy because it actually requires more work for them to type out the email than perform the search.  So strike lazy.

I genuinely believe the disconnect is a simple 2-5 minute lesson on how to point their browser in the direction of a search engine.  Could it be that simple you think?  Do you think that people are so afraid of technology that they intentionally refuse to learn how to find a search box?  That two minute lesson would open up worlds of information and empower them so much but they still won’t take that leap.  Being able to search for flights, bus schedules, sports scores, local events, international events, knitting patterns, free music, writing, art, ect, ect, ect, ect, ect, ect, ect, ect……

What percentage of the people who refuse to perform internet searches do you think is due to “

Laziness

Stupidity

Fear of Internet

Please help me understand.  Please.  I beg of you.  If you are one of these people could you write in (and you can make it anonymous) to help me understand why you wouldn’t perform an internet search.  Maybe if we hear from a few of these folks we can find ways to help them understand how easy it is.