Simply Google

[PhilB66]

"Simply Google is is the simple version of google.com that has been de-googlized"

Click on pic to go there.

[sri]

I use a somewhat similar http://www.soople.com/ from time to time, esp. site-wide search.

[Deozaan]

That actually looks more complex than Google. Google is pretty simple all by itself. One search box you can type anything in.

That seems a lot more simple than 30 different search boxes.

[Darwin]

That actually looks more complex than Google. Google is pretty simple all by itself. One search box you can type anything in.

That seems a lot more simple than 30 different search boxes.

-Deozaan (June 16, 2008, 01:45 PM)

Thanks for writing that, Deozaan! I'm not alone!

[PhilB66]

Complex? Nah. Google products and services are not easily accessible from the homepage. Try searching for books on google.com page. You'll have to click on more, look for books, click 'n wait for the new search page to load... searching for blogs would require several clicks... Google is as "complex" as SimplyGoogle once you click on "even more" button. SimplyGoogle is definitely UGLY but not complex.

[Deozaan]

* Deozaan shrugs.

I guess people just need to learn how to use the tools they rely on. Everything I ever need from Google I can get from the main page (because I know how to search) or in one click (for when I don't know how to search).

[zridling]

Granted, this is a lot easier to point someone to than explaining how to use Google. A page like this would make more people intelligent searchers, and at the very least that saves them time.

[jgpaiva]

I think this is pretty much the same discussion as Find and Run Robot vs LaunchBar Commander, the "memorization vs visual recognition". For some people, it works best having all the options right in front of their eyes (even though those look REALLY ugly), while for others it's better to remember the keywords.
I still think that as an introduction to all of google's features, this one works a bit better than a tutorial with all those keywords.

[PhilB66]

Well, those who envy Deozaan's Web search skills, check out Google Guide. 

Google Guide is an online interactive tutorial and reference for experienced users, novices, and everyone in between.

(dk70 mentioned it before).

Also, Google's Cheat Sheet and Search Operators pages might be useful.

[allen]

Granted, this is a lot easier to point someone to than explaining how to use Google. A page like this would make more people intelligent searchers, and at the very least that saves them time.

-zridling (June 17, 2008, 06:16 AM)

I've always felt that if you couldn't figure out how to use the tools at your disposal, you didn't deserve to find what you were looking for.  If not for over-simplification for those not inclined to figure things out for themselves, the Internet would be a much bigger place.  It'd be more like DonationCoder and less like teh kidz chattin it up wit a/s/l and lolzors.

I for one, want the Internet to become harder to use!

[Deozaan]

A good example, from just two days ago:

My mother wanted to show me a video on YouTube but couldn't remember how to get back to it. I told her to type YouTube.com and she didn't know if she should do that in the address bar or in the Google Search bar (in Firefox). After I told her which area to type it into, she still didn't exactly know how to find the video. All she knew about it was that is featured a song called "The Man Song."

Naturally, a search for "The Man Song" brought up a multitude of various results, none were the one she was looking for. I asked her to tell me more about the video. Was it a music video? Was it a real song by a band? She said it had a puppet in it. I told her to add "puppet" to her search and she immediately found it by using a more specific search.

It's a pretty funny video: The Man Song.

But anyway, I agree wholeheartedly with Allen. I don't understand how people could use tools every day but never take the time to learn about them.

[wreckedcarzz]

It'd be more like DonationCoder and less like teh kidz chattin it up wit a/s/l and lolzors.

-allen (June 30, 2008, 09:42 PM)

Sum of "teh kidz" that uzin teh "Instant Messangerz" and "MahSpace" also know how to search properly using Google/Yahoo/AOL search/YourSearchEngineHere, ya know

"Im in ur google searching ur history and checking wat ur asl is, lolz0rz!!1!!eleven!" (I had to say that)

Example: http://www.google.co....com&btnG=Search

Top entry was exactly what I was searching for - found it in about 30 seconds and 3 search term changes (its my DC profile)

-Brandon (just here defending the teens )

[f0dder]

I wouldn't call "Simply Google" simple at all. "Direct Google" would be a better name for it, imho. Which might be useful if you use many of those tools, but for plain search simplicity I certainly prefer the standard uncluttered google page

[tomos]

I've always felt that if you couldn't figure out how to use the tools at your disposal, you didn't deserve to find what you were looking for

-allen (June 30, 2008, 09:42 PM)

booo allen
for some of us it takes a bit longer to figure out these things than for others - also, how in the name of god is your "average" basic computer user supposed to figure out all the whachamacallem google keywords/symbols
I figure out things as I need them, the problem is if I need them very seldom, I cant figure out how to use them when I need them ...

I wouldn't call "Simply Google" simple at all. "Direct Google" would be a better name for it

-f0dder (July 07, 2008, 06:41 AM)

agreed

[Armando]

the problem is if I need them very seldom, I cant figure out how to use them when I need them ...

-tomos (July 07, 2008, 09:22 AM)

For some people, it works best having all the options right in front of their eyes (even though those look REALLY ugly), while for others it's better to remember the keywords.

-jgpaiva (June 17, 2008, 06:36 AM)

I share those views too.

I've always felt that if you couldn't figure out how to use the tools at your disposal, you didn't deserve to find what you were looking for.  If not for over-simplification for those not inclined to figure things out for themselves, the Internet would be a much bigger place.  It'd be more like DonationCoder and less like teh kidz chattin it up wit a/s/l and lolzors.

I for one, want the Internet to become harder to use!

-allen (June 30, 2008, 09:42 PM)

Don't want to drift off-topic but... Why oh why should it be hard to use... Since when "hard to use" was a synonym for quality, performance, "better", etc.? I for one, want the internet to be as easy to use as possible, when possible. Which doesn't mean that it should be simplistic and without potential. But I just hate complexity for its own sake, like  errrr... Jean François Lyotard or Jacques Lacan's books.

I can certainly see how that the webpage mentioned above can be better for some. The original Google page couldn't be simpler to use, sure. But its function is certainly different. It's a BRU type of webpage -- ok, bad comparison.

The internet can/is already be that "bigger" place. There is room for everyone and everything, and IMO this is one great aspect of it.