A while back, I wrote about how the shame you are supposed to feel when someone uses Let Me Google That For You illustrates how finding answers to your questions on the knowledge base that is the internet has become a distinct literacy. That sort of thing is really an example of how making use of collective intelligence for work and life is becoming something we expect people to be able to do.
I thought this XKCD from a few days back gets at the same idea.
The collective intelligence point is also evident in what you see when you mouse over the comic on XKCD. “All long help threads should have a sticky globally-editable post at the top saying ‘DEAR PEOPLE FROM THE FUTURE: Here’s what we’ve figured out so far …'”
Like the answer is on the tip of our collective tongue
Discussion threads are not simply records of conversations, they are part of the global knowledge base. When we get so close, like finding the thread, finding the same question, but can’t find the answer, we experience something a bit like the feeling of having a word on the tip of your tongue. At some other moment of time someone else had this problem, and if someone had just answered it for them it would be answered for me too.
How many times have I been tempted to use “let me google that…” but can’t bring myself to “humiliate” others despite the fact they probably deserve it? I’ve gotten to the point of just ignoring questions with obvious answers. Same thing if they follow me and ask questions about me that are answered clearly on my website (“What do you teach?” is one).
I love that XKCD post, too!
I am paying “blog calls” to all @scio12 attendees to say “Hi” and give a shoutout on twitte (I’m @sciencegoddess) . I look forward to meeting in January!