Google mobile search is transforming the way I work. It is very irritating — I’m checking details all the time that people mention in conversation. I try not to correct them…that seems rude. Or at least my husband keeps telling me it is rude.
So I’m not surprised, but still amazed, at the New York Times article yesterday by John Schwartz on jury mistrials due to mobile search, Tweeting, and blogging. This seems incredibly obvious, but perhaps spins into a different type of “I know before you” wisdom.
And how do these mobile searchers know what they are reaching online is better than what they are hearing from the jury box? That’s an unspoken issue here as well. I trust Wikipedia ahead of the courtroom experts?
Where is this going? Ten years ago, there was a very nice restaurant I went to in Europe where everyone had to check their phones. If they rang, the waiter answered them for you. I’m not advocating this in juries (though I miss the idea in restaurants — that would be great), but why are people not having to park their phones at the door. Sorry, can’t hear testimony, I’m tweeting…
Almost as bad as Congress…
