An IP address is to DNS as a URL is to Google

I just read this post from Mike Clark. Now, I agree with some of what he says. It’s true that it is a whole lot easier to remember terms you were searching for than a URL. Words and concepts are just plain easier to remember than strings where the slightest mistype will give you a 404 error. That’s why we use DNS rather than just typing in IP addresses everywhere. However, IP addresses work almost all the time, even when the DNS server is down or misconfigured. If I know the IP address of a mail server, then I can still check my email even when I can’t resolve its domain name.

This is true of the search engine/URL dichotomy as well. Have you noticed the size of the uproar when Google changes PageRank? Every time a search engine changes its ranking algorithms, it will throw into havoc any sites you’ve memorized via search terms. And search engines change their systems more often than DNS goes down. But cool URIs [URLs] don’t change.

Another issue is that when it’s so easy to search vast amounts of information, you don’t end up looking anywhere else. This rant, which circulated a few months ago, highlights that issue. It’s almost like, if you can’t find something online, you can’t be bothered to find out about it. I do it myself. Even results of search engine queries don’t get fully explored. How often have you viewed anything other than the first page at google?

I understand the power and love of search engines, but folks, including myself, need to be sure to understand the implications of using them as shorthand for permanent links and/or shortcuts for true research.