Talk about zero learning curve

The “blunt instrument” training in our Sacramento office last week really drove home — and vindicated — one of the core rationales we made in our TIG proposal, namely, that the simplicity and pervasive familiarity of Google search would enable LSNC staff to hit the enterprise-search deck running. What an understatement.

We anticipated doing a presentation that would last about 30 minutes to explain the temporary project portal page and then demonstrate how to do basic searches, using standard Google search syntax. It took 30 minutes alright, but only because we insisted on walking through all the examples while the staff sat there respectfully listening and watching. Personally, I got a touch nervous because there were no questions. After debriefing folks after we finished our presentation, we learned that we could have done it all in about 10 minutes or less.

How so? Here is what we learned:

• “We get it.” We spoke personally with about a half dozen of those attending. All said they already understood how to do all the basic Google search syntax. They know from years of using Google the effect of using unadorned keywords, i.e., it means that Google finds the page that includes all those words; the effect of using “OR” to search for alternate keywords; the effect of placing keyword phrases in quotes, and the pruning effect of a minus sign before a keyword. And that adding keywords narrows the search.
• To quote more directly one of the folks who attended: “We already know how to do this with Google. It seems to me that if there was someone in the room who doesn’t know how to do this, it’s probably someone who would never use the new search portal anyway.”
• While familiar with how Google search results display file types, those attending were not familiar with the Google “filetype” parameter. They really liked how search results could be filtered that way, and we explained (but could not yet demonstrate) how the search portal would include clickable filters so they did not have to key in a filetype parameter.
• Other than maybe having done an occasional OR search, few ever use the Google advanced search options. So little, in fact, that most were somewhat amazed to view Google’s advanced search dialog page that dynamically constructs the search syntax for you.
• One correction: Actually, there was one question after we finished the presentation: “Where do I go to find the link to this findability portal thing?”

What we concluded from this experience is that we can do our upcoming online presentations with the rest of the staff in just a few minutes, just hitting five marks:

• Tell them “Here’s the temporary search portal” and explain briefly what’s up with its layout.
• Tell them it works just like Google because, uh, it is Google.
• Walk through one example to demonstrate that this is, indeed, Google land and leave it at that.
• Explain that we are still experimenting with Google Sites, which is part of the whole Google Apps thing, and how to search or navigate it.
• “Questions?”

Ten minutes, tops.