A few months ago, Google’s “Instant” search interface launched and got great press coverage. People were very excited - they claimed we would save 1 or 2 seconds every time we searched the web with it! pooh-pooh, I thought. Now I finally understand why it’s so great…
But it’s not about making web searches faster.
It’s about making Google better for browsing.
The way I see it, there are two modes of navigating information: searching and browsing (I wrote about this before when talking about music player interfaces). When someone knows what they want but doesnt know where to find it, they need a search interface. When someone doesnt know what they want and would like some help seeing what their options are, they need a browse interface. These two modes were very different, and led to very different ideas about how products should behave. For example, Yahoo was browse-centric with all kinds of information and links on their home page; Google was search-centric with a simple keyword entry box on their home page.
Instant search is a new middle ground between search mode and browse mode. It’s not a compromise, no! It’s better than either of the old modes: it’s faster and easier than search. And it’s faster and more relevant than browsing. Yes, it’s faster — but the other two advantages (easy, relevant) are more useful. It lets you explore a huge range of options and then narrow your focus to what interests you. You start from the most broad idea of what direction you want, and then can explore different avenues quickly, and then back up and try different direction. As I’ve used it, I’ve noticed that my original search terms would not take me down the right path, so I made a quick adjustment and found what I needed. Or I was able to see different items that were helpful but not exactly what I intended to find.
I think it should have been called Google Zoom. This fits its wide range of focus between broad and narrow. And yes it’s fast, too.
(And for those interested, here’s a simple music interface that can do instant search : muss)
If I had a time machine, I would travel back and tell my past self these things about running.
Why run? Running regularly is a great way to be ready for all kinds of activities that stress the heart and lungs, like bicycling, hiking, skiing, etc. With a base of running fitness, it will be easier to do these other things. Eventually running itself will start to feel good, but that will take some time.
It would be nice to be fast, but you’re not. You do not have world class running potential, nor national class, college class, or even high school varsity class. So to make running fun, you’ll need to set up your goals that make sense for you and keep you interested.
It would be nice to be able to run everyday, but you can’t. Your legs can’t take that much use and will break down.
Rest days are more important than training days. Your body must recover from the damage done in training in order to get stronger. Try not to run on consecutive days.
Find some other activities that you can enjoy, especially while you allow your body to recover from running. Swimming is the best for you.
Find other people and run with them.
Find scenic trails and run on them.
Find interesting events and sign up for them. This will keep you give you a reason to go outside for a run instead of doing something less productive.
Running helps keep you healthy. Consider it an investment in yourself.
To be fit, consistency in training is more important than intensity or duration. Three quick and easy runs per week can be enough.
Plan your training runs based on duration, not distance or speed.
Don’t get sick. Getting enough sleep seems to be the most important way to avoid illness.
It’s fine to run in the rain, being wet is OK as long as you stay warm.
Get “real” running socks, they’re worth it.
Run with a smile, most of the time.
California high speed rail
