Auto Parts for Brains

The web is just full of cool stuff nowadays that it is virtually impossible for an awesome piece of information to be hidden for quite a while.  Once one starts to look closely, one may even feel overwhelmed at the sheer volume of data that comes to us every minute of the day.  Popular sites to day have made sure every person is supplied with the coolest stuff around.  With the rise of Social Bookmarking sites, the barrage of information is filtered so that only the “likable” ones will reach our computer screens.

 The irony I guess is that these filtering mechanisms actually invite a heavier barrage of information, putting more clutter with the info we need.  This makes it harder for users to search amongst all these data to find what one wants.  From Flickr pictures, to YouTube videos, to the latest Digg-popular news; one must have the right tools to search thru all the clutter and find what one want.

Google, is perhaps the premier tool when it comes to search engines.  They have managed to outrank other search engines like Yahoo and Live Search, probably because of their unique way of ranking sites and entries according to relevance.  Since, the company took the spotlight a few years ago; Google has become a giant in the eyes of many.  Internet marketers have been on a quest to find their algorithm.  Some call it the SEO’s Holy Grail.  For geeks, Google has defined cool when they gave everyone a look at their unique corporate life and culture.

I agree with the geeks on that aspect and a recent post on the Google blog is one clear evidence why Google rocks.

On a recent post Google has asked for some advice from their Research Scientist T.V. Raman.  Mr. Raman is a totally special fellow.  For one he is blind.

Raman was blinded with childhood glaucoma and works closely with his guide-dog Hubbel.  For almost a year now, he is working with Google on their “Accessible Search” effort.  Today’s information overload has nearly made the use of screen readers that convert text and graphics futile.  Usually, these software are tripped as well by streaming videos and other stuff available on the net today.

Raman’s efforts have made a lot of difference in making the search engine work for the blind as well.  Now, even the security measure called captcha is friendly to the visually impaired.  Imagine a site saying you are not human just because you can’t see the picture.  On his latest post, Raman gave an update on his work with Google.  He gave as an example searching for pictures he took using his digital camera.  Yep.  You read that right!  DIGITAL CAMERA.

He told of the idea of using “conversational bookmarks” which corresponds to the long URL’s that are just impossible to pronounce.  So this means that instead of saying all the letters and slash and the garbled codes, one can just say “Hubbel on plane”, and it will take them to that site where a text or picture tagged as such is located. Now that is cool.

I have visited the Google lab and have seen that the Accessibility Search still needs a lot of work.  I for one don’t know how to use it- if I we’re visually impaired that is.  Hmmmm, I guess I was expecting to have more audio and less text.  I was thinking of getting something like this:

 Computer: Hi, you have just entered Google’s Accessible Search tool….  Please say your query clearly.

Me: Auto Parts for Brains

Computer:  Your query gave a 4500 results.  These websites are on the top ten…  Please give a more detailed search value if the site you want was not mentioned.

Me: (After going to the site I want to visit)  Save site with following tags…  next search please.

Imagine that.  And now that they are working on personalization I think it would be a good idea if they can put in voice pattern recognition as well for security purposes, conversation bookmarks archive and history search.   Ooooops, looks like I got carried away.

I think it is a cool idea though to list sites that they feel are accessible.  Their algorithm may need a little tweaking though, for some of the sites I have visited through that tool are not as “friendly” to the visually impaired.

My suggestion is to totally create a page made up only of sound.  I guess I was expecting an online based screen reader that talks to me than asks me to read.

I guess there is still a lot of work needed there.  Still this does not change the fact that Google rocks.  it gives site to those who have none.