Do you remember a life before you ever Googled?  Do you remember what was your first ever Google search? Yes and no are my answers. I am a Generation Xer. I saw the rise and complete take over of Google.  I distinctly remember when I first heard of Google. I was in school and my colleague recommend that I use this new thing called Google that was way better at finding things than anything else. She was breathing really hard with excitement about it. I probably crinkled my nose, arched my eyebrow and as a good New Yorker, continued on to full skepticism.

Soon after that exchange I started using Google. There was a time where we were all out a bar debating who sang “I think we are alone now“.  None of us, with cocktail in hand, could not remember whether it was Tiffany or Debbie Gibson. One of us called a friend who then Googled it. Note that we had to call a friend because our cell phones were not quite yet “SMART” but was definitely a preview of Who wants to be a millionaire would end up captivating Americans for a few months.  By the way, it was Tiffany the mall queen.

While Google came in handy to settle drinking-induced debates I did become  slightly annoyed with Google when I had to grade research papers that obviously had no real library research efforts in them.  I even approached one of my students and asked him why I had to give him a “D” as his grade. I was upset that he had pushed me to that.  And as a side note that was on a curb -as is every grade at Berkeley.  That is a topic for discussion at some other point I suppose . Although, I must wonder how can anyone claim to do any real literature review research nowadays with Google taking over every person’s research strategy. Back to the “D” student. He  answered me by letting me know that he hadn’t found the sources online. At which point I reminded him that the resources had been placed on reserve at the library. Now get this. He looked at me with full earnestness and said “the library.” I was done.

Apparently, If it isn’t on Google, it doesn’t exist–Jimmy Wales

How to boil an egg.  When I shamelessly mention to people that I have googled “how to boil an egg” they look at me with a horribly scrunched up face as if I’m super dumb.  I know they are wondering how I got a PhD. Then I ask “so you boil water first and drop the egg in or you place the egg in regular water and bring to a boil”. I Guess what? I never get a consensus answer. New rule. Don’t scrunch up your nose if you are just as clueless as I am but you didn’t know it.

Whether one should leave shower curtain in or out of tub. There are arguments for both sides. Its basically water drip versus mold. Pick your poison, I say.