Google: An Uneasy Alliance

I'm a researcher at heart, and search engines on the internet have permitted access to millions of pieces of information that even 20 years ago would have taken weeks to research. Often, in the middle of an on-line conversation, I'll multi-task with several open windows, and invariably something will require clarification.

I've learned the hard way to bookmark sites that have multiple uses, such as the Urban Dictionary. If someone mentions meat spin or pink socks, you might blindly type this in the search window and click on a Google link. If you follow this instinct, your innocence is not only in jeopardy, it's forever compromised. The Urban Dictionary, however, alerts you as to what to expect and the choice to click on a subsequent link goes with you to purgatory.

I do not recommend clicking on the links mentioned -- in fact, they are a cautionary tale. Some links clicked in innocence haunt you forever, or at least it seems to take forever before you feel cleansed again no matter the spyware, adware, or virus protection software product you use.

Don't forget to clean out your computer's history drop-down either -- your fourteen-year-old grandson uses it as a shortcut to get to his Star Trek games page. You might notice that nothing in this article is hyper-linked except the Google logo. So, tag, you're it!