From: blockedofcourse@foo.invalid   
      
   > |I cannot suggest searching the Web, because search engines deteriorated|   
   > |beyond any usability. Just ask what you need here.                     |   
      
   Search engines (in the sense of Google, DDG, etc.) are different beasts;   
   a much wider domain and range.   
      
   But, a product (e.g., GPS) can provide "assistance" in specifying   
   destinations by constraining the destinations to those that it   
   recognizes.  This accelerates data entry as well as eliminating the   
   "Invalid destination specified" error phase of unconstrained input.   
      
   In the US, there is a retailer named "J C Penney".  Most folks likely   
   refer to it as "Penney's".  Or, misspell it as "Penny's".  As *both*   
   are valid destination names, there is no way for the user to realize his   
   spelling mistake *or* incorrect name usage.   
      
   And, the device sees this as "valid" input ("Hey, maybe the guy   
   actually WANTS to go to Pennys!  Someone must as it is a valid   
   destination in my internal database!")   
      
   Likewise, "The Home Depot" is typically referred to as "Home Depot"   
   despite the actual name being "The Home Depot".  But, again, there   
   is a valid destination called "Home Depot" (that is NOT the destination   
   intended as "The Home Depot").   
      
   Again, no way to alert the user to his mistake as it's NOT a mistake   
   in the eyes of the GPS!   
      
   However, in each of these examples, the *intended* destinations are   
   within a few miles of my location.  Not 1200 or 1400 miles from here!   
      
   When the destination found is displayed, none of the details on the   
   map make any sense.  You only realize it is incorrect ("not desired")   
   when you notice the distance field (off on the side) indicates more   
   than 1000 miles and a few days driving time!   
      
   "Common Sense" would suggest the results offered in these cases   
   are likely NOT what the user sought -- simply because they are   
   so far away even if you ignore the fact that past driving history   
   suggests purely "local" driving -- and, often included destinations   
   (based on their GPS coordinates) that match similar entries in   
   the database.   
      
   [Remember, the user isn't sitting at a computer keyboard but, rather,   
   behind the wheel of a vehicle using a kludged keyboard to enter his   
   selections.  And, can only do so when the vehicle is stopped (or,   
   rely on voice input).  So, you *really* want to take the extra effort   
   to sort out what the user likely wants -- instead of providing the   
   answer you THINK is "correct" based on a naive system design.]   
      
   [[If the cashier at the grocery store indicates that your total   
   bill is $3,428.94, the cashier is daffy to even speak that figure   
   aloud without prior checking what you've purchased and the prices   
   charged for each item.  Even data retrieved from a database via   
   barcoded product labels can be in error!  "Common Sense"]]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)