For me, in order for the Memory metaphor to work, Google searches would have to do a better job of meshing with my existing memory. There are two big components that are missing, without which I have trouble of thinking of a search engine as memory replacement or augmentation:
1) Personalized context. When I remember a fact that I read in a book, I don`t just remember that single fact—I also remember a wide range of associated context (what the book looked like, some of the more interesting concepts I learned at the same time, the cute girl that was in the library as I was reading the book).
2) Permanence (or a time dimension to results). Sure, Google can bring up the most relevant Wikipedia article to my search. That may not be what my brain remembers, though. Most likely, it should bring up the most relevant article to my search, given the state of the internet back when I was first learning about the topic. Data on the internet, and search results, update in real time, while my memory lags behind, and until that is bridged somehow, it`ll make for a tough match between the two.
Relying on wetware to remember information in detail can help deal with these problems.
For me, in order for the Memory metaphor to work, Google searches would have to do a better job of meshing with my existing memory. There are two big components that are missing, without which I have trouble of thinking of a search engine as memory replacement or augmentation:
1) Personalized context. When I remember a fact that I read in a book, I don`t just remember that single fact—I also remember a wide range of associated context (what the book looked like, some of the more interesting concepts I learned at the same time, the cute girl that was in the library as I was reading the book).
2) Permanence (or a time dimension to results). Sure, Google can bring up the most relevant Wikipedia article to my search. That may not be what my brain remembers, though. Most likely, it should bring up the most relevant article to my search, given the state of the internet back when I was first learning about the topic. Data on the internet, and search results, update in real time, while my memory lags behind, and until that is bridged somehow, it`ll make for a tough match between the two.
Relying on wetware to remember information in detail can help deal with these problems.