Is infoseeking/googling common?

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Yes they can!

I'm lucky that my husband and kids don't feel put down by my need for facts. I just get the general groan and "No use arguing, we'll find out whos right or wrong in a minute anyway. Moms on the computer..." LOL

When a neighbor asked me if I knew what type of tree was in his yard, I don't think he realized that I wouldn't do anything else that entire day until I found out. Eventually, after taking a sample of a few leaves, I was able to match it up to a type of small pear tree. When I knocked on his door around 6pm that night and excitedly told him what type of tree it was, and when it would flower, how big the fruit were, and were it originated from.... he blinked at me and seemed surprised. Not happy surprised...but disturbed surprised. As if he just realized that someone had been following him and stalking him for the past year. When all I was doing was answering the question he asked me. He asked what kind of tree it was. I found the answer.

I've come to learn that NT's don't really want you to find the answer most of the time, even when they ask you a question that HAS an answer. This same thing holds true when people cry on your shoulder, or vent. They aren't looking for you to give answers or help. They just want to vent. I am not capable of listening without solving!! Its incredibly hard for me. Either vent and cry and I'll figure out what you can do to fix the issue. Or don't vent and cry to me! I don't see it as something thats productive. And thats probably why I don't have many friends. LOL

I try to imagine what it would be like for someone to come over and say, "Hey, do you know what type of flower is in my yard? I can't seem to figure it out." and for me to glance, say.. "Hmm. Nope I don't. Not off the top of my head. Sorry." ..... How can people do that? How can they brush off something that has an answer? Search. Look. And if you really can't find it, then fine. But to not even bother looking? This perplexes me. Just as much as I perplex the NT's by actually finding the answer to what they asked.

I do this when someone asks me for directions. I will look up directions on both Google and Mapquest, evaluate the recommended routes, seek alternatives, etc. I have a tendency to think possibilities and alternatives through as completely as possible and like to share this information. Most people just want a list of where to turn when. But my directions will go something like this:

"Well, you could go this way, but that may be longer depending on the time of day you're leaving. When are you leaving again? Your best bet, if you like back roads, is to go this way, but that one turn at Rt. 32 might be really tricky and there may not be a sign for it, but it's two streets after Mitchell Road."

I'm hardcore about this. It gets pretty insane.

I kind of hate it, because I'm addicted and can't stop myself most of the time.

And I'll waste a lot of time looking up stuff I already know just to squeeze out a bit of information.

I haven't gotten the, has to be right all the time, vibe from people. But when I get some random facts that I find interesting, most just get sarcastic... they can't fathom the interest in this random information.

I especially like researching why something works, and less the specific facts.

I do this all the time. I can spend hours online googling a word. If I hear, or see something somewhere that grabs my attention, the first thing I want to do is go google it & find out everything I can about the subject. It's like a need that I just have to do. Not just with google or search engines, though, but with YouTube, dictionaries (online, usually), documentaries (if there are any on the thing I'm interested in), or anything else that will give me more & more information about whatever it is. It laso plays into my obsessions. With an obsession, I have to know everything about it. I even search for the same thing every day or two, just to see if there's any new info (with some things, if new info is possible).

Trying out my NT translation skills.... they think you are showing off and seeking to take you down a peg, humble you a bit.



O gawd, I can so totally relate to this. I've come to think of NT questions as brain farts... just passing gas out their mouths. And I have gotten better at not giving them answers... better, not perfect. I've been working on sitting through class "discussions" which I'm figuring out aren't really discussions; only the teacher can share info. Not me. Which drives me WILD... last night a fellow student asked a stimulating question, to which the teacher gave a good answer and I had supplementary info, as in what worked for me with a similar problem and I watched myself want to help, give the info and the teacher try to gently silence me with... yes, yes, but... he's very sweet and--quite frankly-- brilliant.

I think this is why some people think I'm not respectful. Illuminating and baffling!

Yeah that sounds like me. I don't rely on my opinions or what I think might be true I always look things up and/or ask input from other so that I can gather information and be more likely to make an accurate descision.


Lol yeah that sounds like me too I even have a cell phone with internet so I will 'google' information in the middle of a conversation. It bothers me so much if, for example, we're talking about movies and someone brings up an actor but can't recall their name. I will pull out my cell phone and look in the IMDB database to find the actor's name and will then announce it to everyone I must find the answer or I will not be able to relax. Mostly, people don't get mad at me for it they just go 'oh ok' and give me a look like uuhh ok I didn't really care that much haha.

I also have a thing with accurate vocabulary. I pick words up from reading books and I deduce the meaning from the context but if I am going to use the word myself and I am not 100% clear on its meaning (denotation and connotation) I will look it up on dictionary.com as I type my email or whatever and make sure I am using it correctly before I proceed.

Another thing, too, is that this 'obsession' with accurate information will often cause others to think that I'm being a know-it-all when I 'correct' something that they say. I don't do it to put them down I just am trying to clarify the information being presented. NT's veiw this as some how demeaning to them.

I'm a self-confessed Wikipedia addict.

With me it's a case of "so many interests, so little time". I want to know everything about my interests, but my interests are very broad subjects so it would take several lifetimes to learn it all. And I have to go to school (where I never learn ANYTHING), which really interferes with my reading time. School is ruining my education!

Right now I'm reading about anthrax, and the human papilloma virus. And I printed off the article on SARS to read in class when I get bored.

Oh yes, its in no way limited to search engines. I can easily look at You Tube or Wikipedia or anything else like that, as long as it has a connection to whatever the interest is at the time. In fact, I know that in one of my "autism" obsessions I've searched You Tube up and down looking for examples, and trying to connect with other adults diagnosed with Asperger's. I'd get my coffee in the morning and sit down and immediately go to You Tube. The ferocity of that obsession lasted quite a few months before dying down some. Of course with that one it was full blown. I took out books from the library, I talked nonstop about it to anyone that would listen (and even some that wouldn't. ) I wrote about, blogged about it, dreamed about it, researched it, joined every possible group I could, etc.. Most of my obsessions, little or big.. are obsessed about over the internet largely.

Oh! Oh! Oh! I wish I had a data package so that I could look up things on my cellphone... A few times I thought of bringing the laptop with me on long car trips.. you know, just in case I had to Google something. Seriously, the anxiety of NOT KNOWING the answer is pretty brutal.

Sometimes I look up word usage, proper pronunciation, for my own knowledge and not prompted by someone else. But again, I can't just look up how to pronounce "loam" I have to find out the history behind it, who first started using it, different meanings for it, where to find "loam", what its used for, the different between soil and "loam", how much loam costs, where you can buy it locally, and by the way... maybe I want some for the garden.... honey do you think we should pick up some loam? LOL all because I heard someone pronounce it as "loooom" and I wondered how it was supposed to be pronounced..

I can't watch TV without a laptop. I get so totally wigged out if I can't remember where I saw someone before. Though I generally have superior recall when it comes to actor's names, who they married/ divorced, the names of their offspring... when my brother was in hospice, he scared the bejeepers out of me by calling in the middle of the night. He'd been trying to remember the name of the guy who played Pennywise in 'It' and it was driving him bananas. He said he knew I would know, and it couldn't wait 'til morning. (Tim Curry, btw... before I drive any of you bananas )

anywho... Google isn't that bad. It led me here.

Hehe me too

This could explain a lot... think I'll google it....

http://popdirt.com/britney-spears-says- ... eard/3455/

So apparently this is either a clever ruse or Britney is not God.

Can I come live with you and your family?...They would probably understand me. I've got about 6 research projects going at any given time in addition to getting answers to anything and everything that happens to come up..I'm one of google's most frequent and faithful users.

Yep I do this "info seeking " all the time .

Fave sites :-=

IMDB.com for Movies and TV info
LastFM.com for Music info
Wiki for general stuff.

I would say its perfectly normal for intelligent people to seek the truth to questions they have(AS or NT or whatever...). Stupid people on the other hand.... they seem to willfully choose ignorance. Ignorance may be bliss, but intelligence is superior.

Long before the advent of Google or Wikipedia (and many years before I even had Internet access - we're talking the '70s & '80s), I started collecting reference books.

I can remember keeping lists of things I absolutely HAD to look up at the library - and it soon got to the point where I couldn't wait until the next day. So instead of going to the library, I would go to a bookstore, find a book with the answer & buy it. Over the years, I've filled many bookcases with reference books.

Certainly, my first stop these days is the Internet - talk about instant gratification! But there are still times when (as Rupert Giles would say) "I must consult my books."

OMG, yes. [rocking back to admire my shelves of books] The numbers of books I've saved just in case I need to look something up...