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Friday, May 16, 2003

Ten Ways to Search Google

Microdoc News describes Ten Ways to Search Google (Friday, 16 May 2003).

Google Answers Researcher Interview: Sublime1-ga

Let’s introduce today’s Google Answers Researcher Interview featuring Sublime1-ga:

“I wish God were alive to see this...”
– Homer Simpson

Sublime1-ga

What’s your first name?
John

Where are you from?
Washington, D.C. originally. I loved playing in Rock Creek Park as a kid, but I’ve no relation to the ’bushes’ there.

What’s your profession?
I’ve played many roles in the mental health profession for over 20 years, but I recently quit the field due to the astonishing insanity demonstrated by management (in contrast to the clients, who know when they need a dose of common sense) engendered by the system becoming managed-care and for-profit.

Post 9/11, I decided to spend my time in such a way that I wouldn’t feel it was wasted if I died tomorrow, which required that I be able to end each day with a sense of completion. The mental health field didn’t fit the bill. After a time, it occurred to me that I’d really enjoy assisting the 87 year old man that has supplied me with raw honey for the past 20 years. I gave him a call, and a week later he called me back. I’ve never been happier.

I’m also the president of the condo association where I live, and a licensed AvatarĀ® Master. Here’s where to learn more on that:

AvatarĀ® is actually the source of my nickname. During an ineffable experience which occurred when I took the course, only one word came to my mind — sublime. I later looked it up and realized that the chemical definition refers to a transition from a solid to a gas without the intervening liquid state. This turned out to be a perfect metaphor for what I had experienced — a transition between physical and spiritual without the intervening states of emotional and mental.

What’s your age?
I’ve read that the oldest cell in my body is only about 7 years old, and many were born yesterday (which explains a lot). In short? Timeless.

Sublime1-ga on Google Answers

When did you become a Researcher?
I received notice of my activation on 6/26/02, and answered my first question on 6/27/02.

How did you find out about Google Answers?
Google was my homepage long before I became a researcher, since they actually live up to Microsoft’s buzz phrase, “Where do you want to go today?” Google delivers. I found the site by googling Google.

What do you like best about answering for Google Answers?
Someone once said that it’s not about having the right answers, but rather, the right questions. I’m endlessly fascinated by the questions which interest people, and thoroughly entertained by learning and exploring the answers for them, and with them.

Would you consider taking this up as full-time job, provided the question volume would be high enough (or is it already full-time for you)?
My (now 88 year old) honey-business mentor won’t be around forever. If the question volume was adequate at that point, I’d happily make it full-time. Otherwise, I would probably take over the honey business.

What kind of question subject do you usually like to answer?
I enjoy anything with the opportunity to learn something interesting, but I seem to have the greatest ease with computer questions, relationships and society, human potential, spiritual growth, and general fix-it questions. I have a background in electronics and never saw a mechanical device I couldn’t fix.

In one sentence, what’s the trick to a good answer?
Become the customer. Use logic, intuition and genius to know what they want, and then give it to them. If you’re not sure, ask.

Which Researcher would you take as guide on a dangerous island?
PinkFreud, without a second thought. She has the most enjoyable personality I’ve ever encountered online, and I have no doubt she’s as wonderful in person.

Sublime1-ga’s Favorites

What are your favorite research tools and websites (please include browser and text editor you are using)?
Mozilla browser, for the best skin ever, and tabbed browsing. I usually compose and edit right in the answer box, with a final look-see at Iain’s previewer. I don’t use a spell-checker, as I was a regional spelling champion in 8th grade.

What are your favorite websites and newsgroups?
Since GA, I have less time for entertainment, but if you’ve never seen the amazing multimedia artistry of Brokensaints.com don’t wait another moment.

I will just suppose Google is your favorite search engine (right?).
Right!

Do you remember which one you were using before, and why you decided to switch to Google?
Would you believe, AskJeeves...? I enjoyed the idea of asking a question in sentence form, but I soon realized it was only responding to keywords anyway. When I first saw Google, I was very impressed by their clean, minimal approach, which took no time at all to load, but produced results far beyond AskJeeves, especially their cached pages, which produce highlighted search terms and pages long gone.

What are some of your favorite questions & answers by others?
My favorite answers are beyond counting. I’m positively thrilled to be in the company of what is, I’m sure, one of the most creative and intelligent group of people in the world. My favorite question is still unfinished, since it requests ’Most Comments Ever!’. Questions like this bring out the other-than-professional side of the researchers and the ’peanut gallery’, which I’m pleased to discover. I’m very happy that the GA editors have tacitly approved such excursions into our humanity.

What are some of the questions that were really a lot of fun answering for you?
Without a doubt, certain questions seemed to have my name on them:

and

...were right up my alley.

What would be a fun $200 question for you to answer?
“Please upload an album of original music.”
I am an amateur musician, playing guitar, flute and synthesizer by ear, and I’ve composed over 8 hours of original music — mostly meditational, new-age and light jazz. I have a page on MP3.com, and I’d love to share more of what I’ve done.

Sublime1-ga’s Spare-time

Got any weird hobbies?
Hobbies? No. Lifestyles? Maybe. I’m a tantric sex practitioner.

What was the last book you read, the last movie you saw, and the last album you listened to?

Final words by Sublime1-ga

If you’d write a book about your life, what would be the first sentence?
How long does it take to learn that you cannot heal what is already perfect?

Anything else you’d want to add?
Thanks for my 15 minutes of fame...and:
“Be yourself to see yourself to free yourself to be your Self...”
- me

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