Tim Berners-Lee is the
creator of what has become the World Wide Web. Here's a comment of his about what's in
store: "Whereas phase one of the Web have put all the accessible information into one
huge book, if you like, in phase two, we will turn all the accessible data into one huge
database."
WALLY'S COMMENT ... Tim Berners-Lee is a bright guy, but I think he is absolutely, totally
wrong on this one.
First of all, we haven't got all the accessible information into one huge book or even
into one huge library.
Second, and more important, the idea of turning all of the Web into "one huge
database" is simply unreasonable. Here's why.
There's too much stuff. The best we can do right now is HotBot, the largest search engine,
can only get about 30% of the available public Web pages. It's a long way from that to
everything.
Second, there's more and more all the time. We're still looking at exponential growth
rates in the publication of the pages out there. That's only going to accelerate as areas
outside North America come on stream and go shooting up the exponential curve. That's
already starting to happen in Europe and we're on the verge of it in South America.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, having everything in a database means that we have it
in an ordered and structured form. Card catalogs work in libraries, for example, because
they have an agreed upon indexing system. Databases such as Lexis-Nexus work because they
have a controlled vocabulary which sets out the system and which users can learn. On the
other hand, crime reporting statistics in most countries are based on lots and lots of
subjective judgments. There is no controlled vocabulary that's meaningful.
Even if we could get all of the pages into one huge database and even if we could keep up
with the additions, I'm not sure it would be possible ever to get agreement on an indexing
system and vocabulary in the multitude of languages out there on the Web.
A couple of years ago I heard someone refer to the World Wide Web as "the world's
largest library with all the books scattered on the floor and no card catalog." At
the time, I thought that was a great analogy. It's not.
The Web, in fact, is nothing like a library. There's no card catalog, even in prospect,
let alone in existence. Instead, what the Web really is is a bunch of people like an
industry, a company, a country, or a club.
That's what makes searching the Web different. If you search the Web they way you were
taught to research in the sixth grade, you'll have trouble. That means that if you expect
there to be a good index and that the index will lead you to the right information source,
you're doomed to frustration. Searching that way, it's important to get the keyword right.
You assume that if you get the keyword right, you'll find the answer you're looking for.
But, since there's no agreed upon set of keywords, searching on the Web is more like most
of us do it most of the time in business.
When you're presented with a business problem, probably your fist question to yourself is,
"who knows something about this?"
That's the best way to start searching the Web as well. Think about who might know the
answer to the question you're asking. Then go looking for that person or group.
Searching for information on the Web is not like searching a card catalog. Instead, it's
like searching for information from your friends. It's about finding the right path and
source, not the right keyword.
Mot of the time, when you're searching for information from friends in the physical world,
you do that by telephone. You pick up the phone, call the friend you think is most likely
to know the answer that you're seeking, and ask your question. You may get the answer. Or,
you may find out that the person has not only no answer, but no clue about who has the
answer.
Most often, what you get on the first call is a pointer to someone more likely to have the
information. You keep making calls and checking out the paths until you find the answer.
Most of the time it takes you about six calls.
Use that same analogy when you search the Web. Figure out what person or group is likely
to have the answer you want. Go looking for a Web site where they're likely to be or post
information. Then look to see if the information is there, or, if not, if there are
pointers to information..
From Wally Bock's Briefing Memo -- 31 August 1998
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