Most of us have Googled ourselves at one time or another.  Sometimes running a Google search is a matter of idle curiosity.  Other times it may be part of a regular regimen to monitor your online reputation.  When the search results are returned 0.25 seconds later, how far do you go digging?  Do you read the excerpts?  Click on a link or two?  Check out your Google Wonder Wheel?  Wait a minute …wonder what?

The Wonder Wheel was released by Google about a year ago and offers a graphical portrayal of your main search and related results.  You’ll find it under + Show options after you run a Google search: 

Sometimes we’re in such a hurry, we forget +Show options offers 21 different ways to filter, sort, or view results.  The Wonder Wheel is one somewhat whimsical option.  The results may be accurate, inaccurate, or somewhat misleading.

The above is true for me – in some respect or another.  I either attended, worked at, was a member of, or involved in the activities or organizations listed.  Why “pro hac vice” appears as a significant related search result puzzles me.  Years ago, I wrote an article about pro hac vice admission.  Admittedly, I have uploaded this as part of my article archive through online resources LinkedIn, Justia, and JD Supra, but my writing has been more prolific on other subjects.  Ah!  That’s the whimsy of it all. 

So the next time you’re surfing the ‘Net on a rainy day, Google yourself.  Click on +Show Options and check out what the Wonder Wheel has to say.  (Hopefully the idea of the Wonder Wheel will stick in your mind sufficiently that you use +Show Options more often as part of your search arsenal.)

Copyright 2010 Beverly Michaelis