Search vs. Find
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Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
Collin Jasnoch wrote:
Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
I've always seen the distinction as method vs. goal (to find something, you search for it). Still, now that you mention it, from now on until the time of retiring synapses, no matter if it says "search" or "find" I will ponder whether they chose the right icon, and forget what I wanted to find. Tell me again, I like you... why? :mad:
FILETIME to time_t
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No, not really, and... http://www.codeproject.com/Lounge.aspx?msg=4268806#xx4268806xx[^]
As I pointed out in DD's comment that is something different. Obsolecence happens and is uncontrolable. This is actually misuse.
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
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I've always seen the distinction as method vs. goal (to find something, you search for it). Still, now that you mention it, from now on until the time of retiring synapses, no matter if it says "search" or "find" I will ponder whether they chose the right icon, and forget what I wanted to find. Tell me again, I like you... why? :mad:
FILETIME to time_t
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Collin Jasnoch wrote:
I would like to now draw your attention to the "Search Site" at the top right of this page. Specifically the icon on the right of the textbox.
Does this make it correct? IMHO, no, it does not.
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
"No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012)Depends. Some would argue standards must be met for "correctness". I agree. It has no place for search or 'find' for that matter. It was already used as the zoom icon.
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
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Most users probably wouldn't make a distinction between the two though, so why not use the same icon for both?
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magnifying glass is for zoom. binoculars are for find/search. Anything else is just silly, to me.
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
"No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012) -
As I pointed out in DD's comment that is something different. Obsolecence happens and is uncontrolable. This is actually misuse.
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
Yes, but I seem to call that this topic was mentioned in there... somewhere... I don't seee it now. But I did see this topic around that time.
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I think the point is, who in their right mind would actually try to use binoculars to find something, or a magnifying glass to search for something?
BobJanova wrote:
who in their right mind would actually try to use binoculars to find something
the military, perhaps?
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
"No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012) -
Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
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Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
I think the idea of using the magnifying glass for search/find comes from magnifying glasses being associated with detectives, a la, Sherlock Holmes. Detectives are always searching for something...
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering” - Wernher von Braun -
Chrome gives me a malware warning for this link :suss:
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magnifying glass is for zoom. binoculars are for find/search. Anything else is just silly, to me.
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
"No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012) -
enhzflep wrote:
FTFY!
You didn't really fix anything, sorry. :)
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
"No, that is just the earthly manifestation of the Great God Retardon." - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "It is the celestial scrotum of good luck!" - Nagy Vilmos (2011) "But you probably have the smoothest scrotum of any grown man" - Pete O'Hanlon (2012) -
I think the idea of using the magnifying glass for search/find comes from magnifying glasses being associated with detectives, a la, Sherlock Holmes. Detectives are always searching for something...
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering” - Wernher von BraunBut it's used to study something in detail once it has been found. :-D
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But it's used to study something in detail once it has been found. :-D
So true.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering” - Wernher von Braun -
Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
One of the first associations springing to my mind at the sight of a looking glass is Sherlock Holmes trying to find evidence. It's true that a looking glass primarily serves for magnification, but the purpose of that magnification is _find_ing more detail. (or some specific detail) A spy glass however I associate more with trying to find out what is there at some far-away place. I could make sense of that when searching the internet, or the contents of some 'far-away' web site, but not so much when I search the contents of my hard drive right under my nose! Then again you use a spy glass to see what you couldn't otherwise see - and that is not really true of searching on the internet: Nothing you could find on the internet is truly hidden from your sight. The problem is just that there are so many items to see that you need a filter to cut down on the number of objects you have to inspect. Therefore a better icon for an internet search function would be a funnel or a sieve. That said, you could use almost the same argument against a looking glass icon: you use a looking glass to spot details invisible to the unaided eye. This is not really the true purpose of search/find functions. So, no, a spyglass icon doesn't make sense to me in the context of searching (or finding). And while I'm more inclined to accept a looking glass, anything representing a filter would be more fitting!
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Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
I don't care about the icons, but I'd rather find, than search. Finding what you search for is the goal. Searching doesn't mean you'll find it. Therefore, find > search. The term "find" gives a user more confidence. *renames "search" page to "find".*
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I think the point is, who in their right mind would actually try to use binoculars to find something, or a magnifying glass to search for something?
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Many websites and applications offer such features. Does it bother anyone else that the search feature tends to always have a magnifying glass even though it is searching outside of what you are looking at broadly while the find has a binnoculars and is searching with in what you are looking at finely? Who the heck originally set these icons as a standard?
Computers have been intelligent for a long time now. It just so happens that the program writers are about as effective as a room full of monkeys trying to crank out a copy of Hamlet.
I would be interested to know how many readers share your distinction of search (expanding) vs. find (narrowing). While I'm not disagreeing with your definitions, I'd like to add that I haven't ever noticed that I use similar semantics: to me, search is synonymous with find. Also, in common usage (i.e. when talking with non-technical people, using those verbs in a context other than the internet & web sites) I've not noticed that other people make that distinction, either. RANT On the rare occasions when I use search on a web site (other than Bing or Google), I generally am cautious as to what to expect (site search vs. web search) ... and I'm also quite annoyed that I have to ask myself that question. A search field in a web site SHOULD ONLY EVER SEARCH THAT SITE (IMHO!) unless the site exists only to provide internet search (i.e. Gingle and Boob). END RANT So, if search === find, then the choice of icon present in the search/find box is, surely, meaningless. Further, if different people associate search/find to binoculars/magnifier icons differently, perhaps neither icon is appropriate for the purpose - because neither icon's 'orginal object's common value (making a view of things bigger ... bringing out details not otherwise visible) is close enough to the meaning of search or find (locating something that you anticipate being accessible, but you don't know where/how to find it - an interpretation that seems to apply equally to search and find).
