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Summer Camp, Space Camp, Search Camp?
October 10, 2005
Some of my favorite memories as a kid were from summer camp. I looked forward to that week every summer because of the fun, the games, and my friends. As I look back I realize that what I really loved about it was the glimpse of freedom that it gave me. For a whole week I could be my own boss, (sort of), and make my own decisions, (kind of). It was pure heaven on earth for a week.
Now days, there are all kinds of themed camps, Space Camp, Band Camp, Baseball Camp, and on and on. But they are mostly for kids, or grown-ups who have a lot money. I for one would love to attend a baseball fantasy camp, but I digress. I came across a snippet of an idea, given in jest on the Daily SearchCast, that I thought was pretty good. Search Camp.
The premise would be this: A set aside time to teach the basics of “quality� Internet searching. Now I realize that a lot of kids (probably zero) would sign up for this fun-filled week of sitting indoors behind a computer monitor with no computer games. So my iteration of the idea would be to have the “camp� for adults. And as adults the closest we get to a “camp� is a 1-day seminar that work pays for us to go to. But what an idea, more importantly what a productivity enhancing idea.
Productivity, efficiency, and I’d like to add relevancy (I agree with Google, it’s important). All buzzwords, and all important. I wonder how much time is wasted by people doing valid Internet searches in an un-productive, in-efficient and irrelevant manner.
Let’s think of it in terms of how there is always one person in the office who can fix the paper jams in the copier. This poor person is always interrupted with requests to come fix the copier. Usually after the “jammer� has wasted 15 or so minutes trying to fix it themselves. I think the same is true for searching. In previous positions, I was known as “the searcher�. When people couldn’t find what they were looking for on the Internet, they asked me to search for it. Imagine if everyone, or even a few, had the ability to perform more productive, efficient, and relevant searches. It would be an exponential gain in productive office time.
So therefore, on behalf of all “the searchers� out there, I call for a “Search Camp�. You can change the name to “Search Seminar� if you must, but I guarantee that attendees would acquire valuable skills to harvest the incredible resource that is the internet, and leave us searchers alone to do our own searching, preferably on things that have to do with our weekend plans.
see all posts by Brent Sharp
posted by Brent Sharp at October 10, 2005 09:44 AM
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