The Power of Google

Back when I was in college, I had the worst possible thing happen to me: my TV broke. As you can imagine, I was pretty devastated. I didn't know what I was supposed to do without the ability to play video games between classes or watch the now-defunct UConn movie channel while I did my homework (RIP old friend). I still had the gym and dining hall, I suppose, but you can only lift and eat so much before its time to head home and veg out on the couch. (As a side note: have you ever tried sitting on your couch without any form of entertainment? I'm talking no TV, no laptop, no book, no magazine, no tablet, etc. It's pretty weird. Just sayin'.)

Anyway, back to my story. So my TV broke and I didn't know what to do. I didn't have the money to buy a new one or have it shipped off somewhere to be repaired; hell, I barely had enough money to do my laundry at that point. Instead, I did the only thing I could think of...I turned to Google.

I like to imagine this guy showed up to help me.

Google is truly an amazing thing. I think because it seems so simple and because we all throw the term "Google it" around so liberally, people tend to forget just how powerful it really is. Any problem you've ever had, big or small, has happened to someone else at some point in time, and chances are they've posted about it online. All you need to do is a little research, and more often than not you'll find an article or a forum post directly addressing your issue. For me, all I had to do was Google "TV picture dark but can still hear sound, Dell monitor" to find out that the type of TV I had (a converted HD Dell monitor) tended to have an issue where the backlight would burn out after a certain period of time. Digging a little deeper, I found a technical forum where a guy took the time to show people how to fix this problem on their own, step by step with pictures. From there, all I had to do was order the part I needed, follow this guy's instructions, and voila: my TV was fixed for the low price of $8. I was blown away.

Ever since then, I've used Google to solve virtually any problem I've run into. Car making a weird noise? Google it. Have a tiny lump on the roof of your mouth after you eat? Google it. Can't remember where you left your keys? Google it. (Okay, so maybe it can't help you solve EVERY problem in your life...but it's close!)

You can even use Google to find Google. Warning: May collapse universe.

Even things that should be complex and out of my league have become doable with the help of Google. I recently solved an issue I was having with my Xbox where it wouldn't hook up to the internet because it didn't want to connect to the standard Xfinity Gateway set up at my house. Now, I still have no idea what things like "Port-Triggering", "DCHP", "Demilitarized Zone", and "Bridged Network" mean, but I have functioning internet on my Xbox because I Googled the problem I was having and followed the advice of people who'd been through the same thing. I didn't even need to fully understand the problem to fix it! How great is that!?

Anyway, moral of the story: if you have a problem, you should absolutely take the time to Google it before spending any time or money on a professional or some form of customer service. Chances are, someone out there has had the same problem as you and has either found a way to fix it or can let you know what your next steps need to be. Knowledge is power, people, and the internet is filled to the brim with the stuff. Take the time to use it. I promise you won't be disappointed.

So, with that, let's all lift a glass to the power of Google (or your desk flask if you're at work). Let's take a moment to appreciate our thankless hero, to pay our respects to this truly life-changing creation. Here's to you, Google! May you never become self-aware!

-Nate