The internet trying to be helpful and failing

[DickyC]

Looking for the website of a huge engineering company based in Leatherhead yesterday - A Leading Global Engineering, Construction and Services Company - the search engine added helpfully, "You may also be interested in Wimbledon Fireplaces."

That's the sort of random connection that did not lead mankind to the discovery of the steam engine or penicillin.

[Kermit power]

DickyC said:

Looking for the website of a huge engineering company based in Leatherhead yesterday - A Leading Global Engineering, Construction and Services Company - the search engine added helpfully, "You may also be interested in Wimbledon Fireplaces."

That's the sort of random connection that did not lead mankind to the discovery of the steam engine or penicillin.

Actually, you're wrong. There are all sorts of things which we now accept in every day life which started out with someone investigating something completely different and making random connections.

As an example - admittedly not an earth-shaking one - Play Dough was never supposed to be a kids' toy. It started out life as a product designed to remove stains from wallpaper.

[DickyC]

Kermit power said:

DickyC said:

blah blah blah

Actually, you're wrong. There are all sorts of things which we now accept in every day life which started out with someone investigating something completely different and making random connections.

As an example - admittedly not an earth-shaking one - Play Dough was never supposed to be a kids' toy. It started out life as a product designed to remove stains from wallpaper.

Random connections in human thinking that lead to beneficial ideas is a marvellous thing; I see that. Perhaps it's just as well computers can't do it.

Anyway, I'll be tottering down to Wimbledon Fireplaces in search of a new oil refinery development later.

[Fer]

So did you find your like to Haliburton?

[DickyC]

Fer said:

So did you find your like to Haliburton?

My thirty years experience in oil and gas were not quite what they were looking for.

So I'm starting at Wimbledon Fireplaces on Monday as a sales assistant.

[Swilly]

DickyC said:

Looking for the website of a huge engineering company based in Leatherhead yesterday - A Leading Global Engineering, Construction and Services Company - the search engine added helpfully, "You may also be interested in Wimbledon Fireplaces."

That's the sort of random connection that did not lead mankind to the discovery of the steam engine or penicillin.

Hold on a sec. The search engine didn't supply 'Wimbledon Fireplaces' as a search result to your query, it appears to have simply suggested you may be interested in it, being polite maybe.

Edited by Swilly on Friday 8th January 08:57