Thursday, December 14, 2017

GOOGLE: Twenty questions

One of the side effects of keeping the "location" function of my phone activated at all times is that it allows Google to keep track of my movements. Their algorithm even tries to predict my next destination and it's often spot on (not too tricky when it involves my fairly regular gym schedule). 
Supposedly to provide helpful information to other users, Google often asks me a litany of questions about the places I've visited. When I have time, I answer them. Most of them are straightforward, asking about parking, takeout food, and wheelchair access, but others are judgment calls: How are my inquisitors defining "expensive"? What do they consider a "good" place for vegetarians? What does it take for a venue to be easily noticed from the street "in normal traffic"?
Other questions are just plain bizarre, like the one asking whether the Kennett Walmart sells borax.
I've bought some strange things in my day, but never borax. What is borax? What aisle would it be in? (Back in the day, wasn't there a cleaning product called 40 Mule Team borax?) 
Perhaps they're just trick questions to make sure you don't answer "yes" to everything indiscriminately.

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