Thursday, December 22, 2011

Searching limits



At the CSU technology symposium, we were once again alerted to the ways in which our casual searching behaviours may be shaped by search engines such as the mighty Google. This time it was Judy O'Connell issuing the warnings. So we learn to be sceptical of the JFGI approach. But since then I've got interested in something else about searching - and that's related to modality. I've been using the image above a bit lately, and have got quite interested in its provenance. A contact tells me that it shows the warehouse inventory process - possibly at a shipping line. Well that's OK, so far. But what I really want to do is search for the image and find out more about it. Of course Google (can I still mention it?),will allow me to search for an image related to a word, but it won't allow me to search with an image. Hence the modality issue. So I'm wondering if anyone's come up with a way of searching with an image? Maybe they have. Since some photo apps can now recognise your friends, image matching should be possible - and of course images are tagged and labeled. I wonder.

5 comments:

Sigrid said...

Hi Guy
Google has a function for searching with images in place. You can upload the picture or the URL of the picture and the results show where else on the internet the image has been posted. Furthermore it shows "similar items", which seems to based on color matching, not sure if other mechanisms are in place. too. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Sigrid said...

it seems to be a "telegraph station": Station télégraphique utilisant le télégraphe Baudot. Paris 1881.
http://seaus.free.fr/spip.php?article500
and here
http://seaus.free.fr/spip.php?article385

Guy Merchant said...

Hey! That's amazing - so Google/so good. Many thanks for this, Sigrid, I really appreciate it! Wishing you all the very best, seasons greetings, happy new year and so on.

Sigrid said...

:-) I use image search a lot, also to research abstract ideas, because it brings up unexpected results, such as metaphorical ways of seeing something, or simply leading to a website which otherwise would not have shoed high in the rankings. It suits my way of lateral thinking. All the best!

Guy Merchant said...

That's fascinating!