Johnson's Law of Searching

It's easier to find something than to find it again.

Comments

[Artichoke]

So true Doug, so very true

[Dee]

I would add that the law of averages says that the chances of you finding it again shrink in direct proportion to how urgent the need is LOL

[Andrew Pass]

Doug, Why is it that I am able to bookmark just about everything that I think I'll need. But I'm always frustrated that I haven't bookmarked that one thing that I really need.

[Doug Johnson]

Andrew,

You probably bookmarked it, but just can't find the bookmark. ;-)

Doug

[futhermet]

Great insight, Doug. There are billions of ways to find *something* and only one way to have in hand that one particular thing. I am reminded of a sort of related discussion on Innumeracy by Paulos:

"The paradoxical conclusion is that it would be very unlikely for unlikely events not to occur. If you don’t specify a predicted event precisely, there are an indeterminate number of ways for an event of that general kind to take place."

Predicting that *something* is going to happen is much more likely to be successful than predicting a specific event.

Budding con artists take note.