The Week End Economists Court Little Miss Manners. June 18 - 19, 2016.

[Hugin]

Well... Wow... What a horrifying week.

There was only one bright spot I could find and it involved the simple courtesy and respect of being polite.

So, let us start there and maybe, only maybe, will things begin to be better for us all.

A Bit Of Afternoon Cheer: Google Charmed By Grandma's Polite Searches

As reported by Camila Domonoske at NPR



Ben Eckersley was visiting his grandmother's place to do laundry — he and his boyfriend don't have a dryer, he told the BBC.

Then he happened to notice this eminently charming search, and decided to share it with the world.

"I asked my nan why she used 'please' and 'thank you' and it seemed she thinks that there is someone — a physical person — at Google's headquarters who looks after the searches," he told the BBC.

"She thought that by being polite and using her manners, the search would be quicker."

It might not have helped speed up the servers, but it certainly warmed many an Internet-hardened heart.

The grandma in question — May Ashworth, who was born in 1930 — spoke to the CBC after her grandson's tweet went viral.

She said she's not very computer-savvy; she uses Google only a few times a week.

"I thought, well somebody's put it in, so you're thanking them," she told the radio network.

"I don't know how it works to be honest. It's all a mystery to me."

Google UK and the main Google account have both responded on Twitter — politely, of course.

Meanwhile, how did Ben and his grandmother celebrate her new Internet celebrity?

"We've gone really British and she just made me a cup of tea," Eckersley told the CBC.

The theory behind her search was... Things work better when you are polite and treat others with respect.

Sounds like a good place to start.

Thank you for your time.

2 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	WELL EXCUSE ME!
	0 (0%)
	Pardon me.
	0 (0%)
	I don't get it... No, I mean it. I get no respect.
	0 (0%)
	You are reflected in how you treat others.
	2 (100%)
	I like pie, thank you.
	0 (0%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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