Subscribe GE Home Page Wins Crappy Web Search Award
posted by MR WAVETHEORY at 12/12/2006 07:01:00 PMI was looking for corporate blogs written by executives at General Electric Company (NYSE GE), one of the largest companies in America when I stumbled upon some crappy web search. I typed in "blogs" into the search box at General Electric's home page.
Then I clicked Search. The result: A big blank page!
Blank! Imagine the horror.
A Second College Try Since it didn't like "blogs", I tried something different: "blog". Maybe this search engine doesn't understand plurals?!
I clicked Search. The results.
GE is no Google and Google is no GE, but my experience raises alot of questions about the basic web capabilities of GE. I can't believe that no one caught this bug. I can't possibly be the first person to search for "blogs." If I were a GE shareholder, I would have several questions for management:
1) Does anyone at GE search their own website? I just can't imagine that a casual user of the GE website would be the first one to encounter this bug. If no one is using the search, then this is a very serious problem, because it means the search is either crappy or the website has no useful information: both of which I don't imagine can possibly be true.
2) Who runs the GE website? This person ought to be held responsible for launching such a crappy product. GE invented quality improvement and quality control and Six Sigma and it's a disgrace to shareholders that the site doesn't work - or selectively works based on your search term.
3) How much does GE spend on its website? Many websites are contracted out. If this site has been outsourced, then the outsourced vendor better have a good explanation for what's going on.
Search is a very important tool that I use to find information. I can't imagine living without good search. Maybe Jeff Immelt should take his site for a spin and start using his own home page.
Update: I tested this using FireFox.
Then I clicked Search. The result: A big blank page!
Blank! Imagine the horror.A Second College Try Since it didn't like "blogs", I tried something different: "blog". Maybe this search engine doesn't understand plurals?!
I clicked Search. The results.
GE is no Google and Google is no GE, but my experience raises alot of questions about the basic web capabilities of GE. I can't believe that no one caught this bug. I can't possibly be the first person to search for "blogs." If I were a GE shareholder, I would have several questions for management:1) Does anyone at GE search their own website? I just can't imagine that a casual user of the GE website would be the first one to encounter this bug. If no one is using the search, then this is a very serious problem, because it means the search is either crappy or the website has no useful information: both of which I don't imagine can possibly be true.
2) Who runs the GE website? This person ought to be held responsible for launching such a crappy product. GE invented quality improvement and quality control and Six Sigma and it's a disgrace to shareholders that the site doesn't work - or selectively works based on your search term.
3) How much does GE spend on its website? Many websites are contracted out. If this site has been outsourced, then the outsourced vendor better have a good explanation for what's going on.
Search is a very important tool that I use to find information. I can't imagine living without good search. Maybe Jeff Immelt should take his site for a spin and start using his own home page.
Update: I tested this using FireFox.
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