We are going to reveal a big secret, but first – some definitions.
1. Browser: this is the window you open to search on the internet. On apple devices, it is often Safari. On PC’s, it is often Chrome or Edge and sometimes Firefox. These are just programs that allow us to “connect” to the internet.
2. Search Engine: these are internet sites that allow us to look things up (i.e. to search). The most common is Google (www.google.com), but there is also Bing (www.bing.com), and Duck Duck Go (duckduckgo.com).They are all quite similar and are all good. That last one promises not to use your searches to send advertising your way, and seems to keep that promise.
Okay, now for the big reveal. When you call us or email about a problem, we usually ask you what device you are using (mac, pc, android phone, etc) and what is the issue. Why do we do this? So we can type the problem into a search engine and see if it has come up before with other people!
99 times out of 100, the problem has come up before. So we read it, understand the solution, and then come over to your place and look like an expert. Now that you know our secret, feel free to try it yourself! Go to your favourite browser, type in your favourite search engine, and try putting in your problem. If you are getting an error message, try copying that into the search bar, adding quotes around it (“error message”) and then searching. You can make it as specific as you want.
A major innovation that you can use is inside the Bing.com search engine. There you can click on “chat” and type any description you like about your problem in natural sentences. It will respond with questions or a natural sentence, and you can have a “conversation” about your issue. This is an example of AI or artificial intelligence that you may have heard about. It is quite startling to see it in action, and this is a great example of how you can use it.
Happy Searching!
The IT Doctors