Today as we were walking in the park, I asked ST* if he had ever read about how best to phrase a search in a web search engine. Here's a transcript of our talk:
ST: No.
Me: Why?
ST: Never needed to.
Me: ? *lifts collie ears and tilts head*
ST: Well, like the other day, right, I put in a search for 'marrow tentacles' and most of the results that came up were to do with horror films, so I knew I had to change the search to something like 'growing marrows'. I didn't need to read any instructions on using the search engine to know that I hadn't used a good search term the first time.
Me: Oh. Do you know how web search engines work?
ST: Yes. There are all these spiders, all over the place they are, even in your house! 'Cos it's a web, see? And you put in your search terms and if one of the spiders is near the answer it holds up a card.
Me: What?
ST: It's true. There are spiders in your house, yeah, and that's how they can make your address appear on the web. They know where you live.
Me: ! *left collie ear at full extension*
ST: And then, yeah, the spiders - when they've got your answer and are holding up your card - they wait for a mega-pixie to come and paint it and that's how you see it on your computer.
Me: Is that a sqirrel over there?
ST: Where? No, I think it's a beer can
Me: Are you sure? I think it's a squirrel...
Anyway, that's kind of word for word how I found out that there's a lot more work to be done on ST.
*ST's knee has been poorly - a sickie knee. But it's getting better so I'm letting him come on walks again.
