In the early 21st century web based technology has become so pervasive it has become an integral and sometimes invisible component for undertaking activities at work or in the home.
And often the web user does not even realise they are using the technology. For example, several years ago when SMARTPAGES staff first started to conduct infield research about how office workers search for ‘local’ businesses online it was observed that subjects regularly utilised search engines (nearly always Google) without even considering if the tool was suitable for the task.
Our researchers wondered : “Why not try an online directory such as Yellow Pages which was designed for this purpose?” particularly when you consider Google, Yahoo & Co were primarily constructed to search the world wide web (that’s why the default settings are always the Web – not Australia).
The researchers duly noted it was only when a suitable response was not forthcoming (very common in those early days) that the subject actually stopped to consciously think: “How can I find a local business?”
Interestingly, when questioned (both before and after attempting the local search) the subject nearly always could not recollect how they had contemplated or even attempted to find the information!
This type of behaviour has in fact been observed for over 80 years and is central to Activity Theory (a psychological framework originally developed by the Soviets in the early 20th century) and although conceived many decades before the internet was actually introduced fits the use extremely well.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_theory
The most common parallel, which springs to my mind, is driving a car where the driver can only recall driving to a destination not how many stops and starts, turning corners etc were actually required to get there.
I personally call this effect the ‘auto pilot’ and it is how our brains handle the storage of repetitive tasks and do not become clogged up with thousands and thousands of simple common actions like repeatedly opening or shutting the front door at home.
For readers wondering: “How does this effect me?” my response is “don’t worry”. The fact is it’s how our brains are ‘wired’ and it requires absolutely no conscious thought on our part.
As an aside, it may help explain what some people call intuition, or when they just sense they know the right action to take without consciously thinking about it.
Based on Activity Theory if you have done it before, and sense you are right … you probably are! | 
