Google’s Search Stories

I’ve been playing with Google’s Search Stories and thought it was pretty cool at first. I’ve uploaded two Search Stories to YouTube so far, but not without difficulty.

Google says the whole point of this experiment is to make searching fun. That’s cool, but why can’t do I the same things I’m seeing done in the demos?

However, it’s pretty boring to watch someone else’s search. Unless it’s Jeff Beck, who put together his own Google Search Story promoting his new album.

Back to the drawing board…First, I had problems getting Search Stories to use Google Maps, it tells me it only uses KML or KMZ files from Google Earth. Strike one. OK, then Google Earth wouldn’t connect to the Earth Server. Back to maps. Loaded in my directions, switched to Street View, then I couldn’t save the file to Search Stories. Strike two.

I tried to spice it up with video by going to YouTube. It looked pretty sweet in Google’s demos, but again, Search Stories wouldn’t pick up the data from YouTube. In fact, there’s more than more example loaded on Google Search Stories home page that appears to have way more editing options that I find available. Strike three.

But I’m a die hard geek, so I’m trying it again. This time I actually planned a story, but Google only gives you six search lines to use, even though there’s seven search fields. The last one doesn’t have an active tab to select your search method, using Search the Web, Images, Maps, News, Blogs, Products or Books.

Idea! I’ll use a recent blog post as my storyline about Fiesta in San Antonio. That should be a good search criteria for images, and make a good movie. Right? Here we go…

After trying to upload to YouTube twice, I gave up (again.)
UH OH!! I’m using Firefox, better go back to Google Chrome. Maybe it’s browser problems.

See what I mean? I just can’t resist playing with this new toy! So I’m back in Chrome after closing Firefox, and starting over from scratch. Google didn’t even save my Description and Video Options, like the video Genre and Title. This time I’m saving everything in TextPad. (Don’t use Windows Notepad for text editing anymore; it drops in unknown lines you can’t see, and you’ll have problems later. Especially with code!)

Built my searches line by line, assigned the background music, do a quick demo, enter the Title, Description and Genre. Wait for the build…please wait…p-l-e-a-s-e w-a-i-t. OK done.

Uh Oh! Upon review, the first map comes up in New York! But I entered “Battle of Flowers Parade in San Antonio” into Maps, just to be precise. So what am I doing in New York? Oh wait, that’s just the default map location in their demo. Next slide please….there’s San Antonio!

More images, good. Uh Oh! Back in New York again?!? They have Fiesta in Manhattan too?!? Whoa, back in good ol’ San Antone on the next slide. Good thing I’m not in Google Earth, the whiplash from that trip would snap my neck like a pretzel.

OK, enter the Title, Genre and Description. Time to upload to YouTube and cross my fingers…

ERROR! Google tells me…”We were not able to submit your search story. Please try again later.”

What!?! That’s three times it’s failed and I rebuilt my search, and even switched browsers and made sure I was logged into my Google Accounts plus YouTube! Ah well, it’s just a new search toy anyway. They don’t say it’s a Beta…

OK, after going around the block a couple of times, I see some things I’m doing are wrong.

I was using URL’s copied straight from the browser’s address bar. Sometimes they work, if they’re under 50 characters. If longer than that, gotta use bit.ly to shorten them, but no guarantee Search Stories will pick up the information and use it.

Just use plain and simple search words, just like you do in a regular Google search. (or Yahoo, Bing, etc.) The URL’s don’t always work.

Also, make sure you’re logged into your Google Account or Gmail and of course, YouTube so the search service can find and authenticate you. Login or lose your work.

Maybe I’ll try again later. View my first Google Search Story.

Now what the..? I switch over to my YouTube account, and there are all THREE of the video searches in My Videos! Google Search Stories gave me the same error 3 times and fooled me into thinking my videos were lost. Haha, the joke’s on me, I guess.

In reviewing them I see the 2nd one really is messed up, it lost an entire Search line. Can’t afford that, there’s only 6. Yes, there’s another mistake on the other one. Scratch 2, I got one good video left.

Well, whaddya know? I’m finished with 2 Google Search Stories! Now what do I do with ‘em? Hmm, seems this would apply in the classroom, or used as a presentation tool. I sometimes wonder if Google ever asks “Why?” before they build something like this? Nah, build it and they will come. And Search.

Search Stories doesn’t always work like Google’s demos on their home page.
Where’s the cool video you can pull in from YouTube? I wasn’t able to click a link in a search result like the dude did on a YouTube page. Google’s Search Stories are just screen shots, as far as I can tell.

Where’s the awesome Map features with Street View that you can zoom in on and travel cross-country in two seconds? Did I miss something here?? Please tell me if you know, or leave a comment with your experience with Search Stories. That’s why I’m blogging this. Login, Live and Learn.

Thanks for reading, and Good Luck with Google Search Stories!

Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Written by: Mike

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Google’s Search Stories

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