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@jeffw@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish • 1 year ago

Before Smartphones, an Army of Real People Helped You Find Stuff on Google

www.wired.com

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Before Smartphones, an Army of Real People Helped You Find Stuff on Google

www.wired.com

@jeffw@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish • 1 year ago
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Not too long ago, services like GOOG-411, 118 118 and AQA used actual humans to answer questions with witty responses and encyclopedic knowledge. Today’s search engines could learn something.
  • @sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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    11•1 year ago

    I used SMS google search and SMS ChaCha, they were great at a time when mobile data was super expensive.

    • @LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      8•1 year ago

      I remember texting chacha if every rose has its thorn, to which they would respond that according to the 1988 song released by Poison, every rose does have its thorn.

      I can’t remember so many things from that part of my life, why that stuck, no idea.

      • @sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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        2•1 year ago

        That’s a fantastic song though. I didn’t grow up in that era, but it’s most of what I listen to these days.

        • @LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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          3•1 year ago

          I wasn’t born till 89, so not my era either. But music comes from all eras. I think I spent half yesterday with Ain’t No Sunshine stuck in my head. That was 71? I think

          • @KAYDUBELL@lemmy.world
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            2•1 year ago

            Great song to have stuck in your head

            • @LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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              1•1 year ago

              2 validations in a row. It’s 9:41am here. It’s going to be a good day. I hope you have a great one as well!

    • Harold_Penisman
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      2•1 year ago

      Totally forgot about ChaCha. Those were the days.

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