Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

Almost four years ago I made this comment about social search:

I may know and trust lots of people, but I'm not sure that my searches will be improved by understanding what they are searching for. Having working previously for a search technology company, I consider myself and expert searcher, often finding detailed information in one or two searches. I might therefore find my searching less effective if matched with even similar searches done by my friends.

And almost four years later, Mathew Ingram shares pretty much the same sentiment:

I can see that if you were searching for companionship, for example, you might want to know that others were searching terms like “lonely” or “desperate for a relationship” or whatever your search might be. But how many searches would actually benefit from having a social component? Would you want to know that others were looking for the definition of “amanuensis” or the location of a good hardware store? I’m not convinced that really makes any sense.

A search is a unique occurrence. Unless my friends are searching for exactly the same thing then they won't be of any help to me. So what are the chances of that happening?

Now there is a particular situation I can see working. If I am searching for something and can connect my search, not with friends but with experts in the field, then my search could become focused much closer to what I am looking for. For example, if I am searching for a particular infectious disease and my searches are correlated with those of reseachers at the CDC, then I am likelier to get exactly what I am looking for.

But it isn't that likely that my friends will be looking for that same thing.