Google is amazing and most of us know it. One of the new things that I have learned to ‘Google’ is my symptoms when I am sick or when I have any kind of medical problem. I leave doctors baffled , when I guess the problem they are about to tell me.
Recently I had a skin problem, and I ‘Googled’ my symptoms. When my doctor started asking me questions like ‘do you have it on your knees and elbows’ and blah blah, I knew where it was heading. I told her if she was suspecting XYZ, and she looked at me and started smiling, and confronted me as to how did I know. I replied ‘My job involves computers, I read it on the Internet’. Not just that, once you know where it is heading, you also precisely know the biological cause and the treatment.I am serious, doctor had nothing new to offer me, I knew more than she told me (I am not saying 'I knew more than she knew' ).
This is not the first time I have done this, last time I left a doctor baffled was in Bangalore.The doctor there did not even tell me the ‘side effects’ of the medicine which were pretty serious in nature. I had to confront him as to what if I have the side effect XYZ.
I am sure we software engineers can make these doctors feel really insecure, with the knack that we have for googling any damn information.
Google has become synonymous with Internet for so many of us.I don’t know about you, but I have no clue what will I do without Google or what will the Internet do without Google for that matter.
Alright - Time to cook. Ah! Wish google knew how to cook and serve food..:)!!
14 comments:
Well, it's become part of our lives. Once, I found a mouse in my apartment. My land lady gave me a mouse trap and cheese to catch it but it was a very different mouse trap and I didn't know how to use it. What do I do? Google, what else! It helped, but then, the mouse turned out to be smarter.
Google is great but self diagnosis can also be dangerous. There are many sites giving misleading medical information on the web.So one should be careful.
Can you change your comment form? I am not able to comment from my cellphone in your blog.
@ Maald
Its awesome! Google is just awesome. I am sure everyone can list out 'n' number of weird but helpful things that they have 'Googled'.
Setting up a mouse trap with the help of Google is a wonderful example.:)!The mouse probably 'googled' its prevention much before!!:)
@Charakan
Oh shit - Yea, I had it in my mind to put a disclaimer.For serious - I don't know how I forgot! I mean I wanted to put something like "This is not recommended, its just FYI", because I would always go to a DR ( after googling ).
I can surely change my comment form - But I don't know how to make it compatible with cell phone - is there a way out?
@Charakan
I just changed my comment form. 2 changes :-
1)Now the 'window' pops up
2)Word verification is disabled
Hope it helps - if this doesn't and there is another way out - do suggest.
If you see this comment it means the changes you made is working
@Charakan,
Cheers! It worked!
Very True... yu shud write this to Yahoo and Microsoft :) wonder what they ll feel abt it..he he..cya around
H a R y
@Hary!!
They probably know it..:)!But I will consider writing to them..:)!
I typed and lost a comment!
What I said was I do this too, I google the symptoms and fond out my frequent throat infection was an allergy to dust mites.
I even google the medicine prescribed and to see exactly what we are popping in :) (Though I fully agree with the disclaimer, I also always consult a doctor too)
Google is like the kind of magic books we read in old fairy tales, a book with answers to every query. The cat looks unwell, there is a house to rent, an insurance premium to be paid, not sure how to cook something, not sure what to buy... Google is amazing.
@IHM
Oh - you google symptoms too?so cool. I have just started doing that. Its just magical when you already know things before your doctor actually starts speaking.
Good news is google is working to launch the next version of search, they are working on their algorithm.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6009176/Google-reveals-caffeine-a-new-faster-search-engine.html
google is a 2 edged sword. it depends who is using it and who is feeling the slash -
@Anrosh
Thats a completely new perspective. Who is feeling the slash?
Google is awesome for sure!
But like others pointed out, finding health related info on the net can be counterproductive, as one can start imagining things at times.
Hypochondria, i believe it is called ;)
Post a Comment