#SLAchat: The Polarizing Effect of Autocomplete

Do you find autocomplete helpful for discovery while searching, or do you hate it?

"Hate" is a strong word, but when this discussion took life in the PAM Division retreat room at the SLA's 2012 Conference, the consensus was surprising.

Many people had not one, but three or four reasons why they are quick to denounce the "autocomplete" feature of whatever engine they are searching.

What do you think? Is autocomplete a time-saver, or major annoyance for you?

Comments

[mebs]

I like the autocomplete feature when I'm not sure about a celebrity's name (yeah, I don't get out much...) or something else in the zeitgeist; I start typing and the "right" answer pops right up.

For other kinds of research, though, I turn autocomplete off. I don't :hate: it, but it distracts me.

-Mary Ellen Bates

[Lorri Zipperer]

I agree with MEB that it can come in handy when one isn't sure of search terms. I soemtimes find it to be problematic when I am in a hurry and end up with the wrong results - an unintended consequence that opens the door to wasted time and potential errors. Of course, if I were a better typist and speller, it might not be a problem ;-). I really don't like it at all on my cell phone.

[Brian McGreevy]

When you set Google preferences to 100 results per page, you lose out on the AutoComplete feature and I don't miss it when I search using a computer. However, on a mobile device with a touchscreen keyboard, I find it to be a real timesaver especially when tied to location-based results.

[Kama Siegel]

I tend to like AutoComplete more than dislike it, simply because sometimes it comes up with a different variation on my search than I had thought of. But it can occasionally be misleading.

[Karen Bleier]

It's handy sometimes, and I ignore it the rest of the time. Really, hatred is a very strong reaction to something that you don't have to use.

[LibrarianNelly]

I dislike them, on our database it can bring back the wrong Act/case in the limited autocomplete list. But maybe more useful for junior lawyers/trainees who don't know the full name of an Act/case?

[Karine Richer]

I think it can be helpful but it all depends on the search you are doing. If you're not familiar with the subject and you don't know how to spell the keyword, it's great, but when you know what you are looking for, it can be frustrating.

[Jamal]

Interestingly enough, the feature is meant to improve usability by anticipating the users words. However, the drawback that often came up during usability testing was that everyone would question where the autocomplete information came from. Most information retrieval services allow you to turn off if necessary. However, as a UX, I like the feature because of the conversation it can spark! :-)

[Jill Hansen]

I love using auto complete! It's been very helpful for me...