The internet is doing as much to create history, as it is to document history. In this section of the World of Questy we look at the concept of "truth by consensus" and explore the mind boggling proliferation of myths and legends.

I cringe every time I hear someone say "Google it."

There are countless numbers of websites where people can ask questions looking for answers. I frequent online forums where people share information and ideas. Inevitably some know-it-all overachiever will answer a question with a phrase such as "let me Google that for you."

The overachiever is trying to look smart by insinuating that the question being asked is so simple that a search engineer query should have been used to find the answer, rather than bother the overachievers on the forum. What the egotistical overachiever does not realize is they show their own ignorance by believing that a Google search should be considered the ultimate authority for all answers.

Google Search is the most used search engine on the World Wide Web. Because the term "Google" has become a word in the English language to describe a common action, do you assume that the answers it finds are always accurate? Google gives weight to web pages of a certain length. Sometimes the short and to the point answer is seen as less relevant that a long and rambling answer that misses the point. Ah, if only life were that simple.

Google rates and ranks websites based on popularity, not accuracy. According to Google, "Democracy on the web works." Google says, "We assess the importance of every web page using more than 200 signals and a variety of techniques, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, which analyzes which sites have been 'voted' to be the best sources of information by other pages across the web."

Google filters out websites that they decide are bad, and gives extra value to sites they decide are good. Why let them filter your answers? Do the most popular people always have the correct answers?

On television and radio talk shows I often hear the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" to describe a person who follows someone mindlessly, without thinking about the consequences. In many cases the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" is used in conversation as mindlessly as the person it describes. I often wonder, does the person using the phrase really understand the very ugly event associated with that phrase.

The connection of the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" with the actions of an individual who mindlessly follows some idea or individual comes from one of the largest mass murders in modern human history. In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones persuaded over 900 of his followers to drink a fruit drink laced with cyanide. The event known as the Jonestown Massacre has been called a mass suicide by some, but survivors have told the story of mind control and manipulation that lead to one of the greatest cult tragedies in modern history. The tragedy at Jonestown included the murder of a U.S. congressman and NBC News correspondent during an incident that took place prior to the mass murder that resulted in the deaths of more than 900 people.

Charismatic cult leader Jim Jones

The leader of the Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, had a vision for a Utopian world. In 1956 Jones started the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis, Indiana as a racially integrated church that focused on helping people in need.

Jones moved the Peoples Temple to Redwood Valley in Northern California in 1966. California seemed much more open to accepting an integrationist church than Indiana. As the Peoples Temple expanded into the San Francisco Bay Area they established homes for the elderly and the mentally ill. They also helped addicts and foster children. The work done by the Peoples Temple was praised in newspapers and by local politicians.

At first people trusted Jim Jones, and believed he had a clear vision for his followers. As his community grew larger, Jones became infatuated with power, and his delusions grew as well, as Jones began to describe himself as Christ. Fueled by drug usage Jones became paranoid and believed that the government was after him.

Over the years I have amassed quite a collections of inspirational life quotes, assorted pearls of wisdom, and research material on the origins of many popular idioms. I am fascinated by various words and phrases that get used in everyday language that people use and have no clue as to their origin. Many axioms and idioms are pretty simple to explain. They are handed down through the generations and used when they fit the occasion at hand. Idioms are not always inspirational but they can be interesting.

What's the significance of the 30,000 foot view of the 800 pound gorilla?

The view from 30,000 feet is meant to describe looking at something from a very high level to see the total picture without a lot of details. Because people don't understand the origin of the phrase you will see many variations of the phrase such as the 10,000 foot view, or 20,000 foot view. The significance of the 30,000 foot view is that 30,000 fee is the average cruising altitude of a commercial jet.

Much like the view from 30,000 feet the size of 800-pound gorilla often varies because people do not understand the origin of the phrase. There is a classic joke that asks the question, "Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit?" The answer is anywhere it wants to. The phrase is used to describe large corporations that can do whatever they want because they are so large.