Google is your friend

NCTexan

NCTexan

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"Google is your friend"

We've all seen this response to a question on this or other forums. Sometimes it is used "helpfully" but more often somewhat snidely.

Anyway, I like most people use Google search to get the answers and views on many things. And like most folks, I look at the first few search results and forget the rest. Most of the time I consider the first few results as being the most accurate in meeting my search criteria.

I always knew that Google did some engineering that swayed the results that I receive... but I wasn't sure how, how much, or why. I figured that it had to do with $$$ or their "belief system".

This morning I was watching a news show on a network and heard one of the substitue hosts mention that she was from NC. I didn't know her name but decided to Google whom she was and where she hailed.

I entered "Name of the Show*" and "substitute host". (I'm not including the name of this morning show in this post.)

The #1 result came up with the Wikipedia for that show name. The #2 result really surprised me.

It was a two year old story in a very politically oriented website that headlined "Female 'Name of Show' Host Walks Off Set Due to Sexist Comment by Co-Host".

Looking further into this, I read that the co-host was interviewing a female member of the Navy Band and noted that women first became band members in 1980. He joked that "Women are everywhere. We're letting them play golf and tennis now. It's out of control." This was obviously a joke as he was laughing and this co-host is always making jokes or qwips about most everything on the show.

In my opinion this was a non-event and the article was a just hit piece on the show and network.

What's most troublesome is that the Google results came back #1 Wikipedia, #2 Hit Piece, #Shows web site.

OK... So I'm no longer sure that "Google is my friend" anymore. And not so sure that I'm getting the real or best facts to any of my queries.

So I decide to try BING. Exact same query... almost the same results.

#1 Shows web site (so far so good)
#2 Same two year old hit piece by a different political website
#3 Wikipedia for the show

This is NOT a POLITICAL STATEMENT nor intended to solicit political responses! KNOW THE FORUM RULES

This is just a statement and warning that these pervasive search engines are working hard to shape our lives and our view of the world and what we think are the facts or news.

For me now... "I Googled it" no longer means end of conversation.
 
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I've been using Google less and less. Most of that is for political reasons, such as they won't accept advertisements from firearms or related vendors. Another reason is that they seem too cozy with the government in terms of handing over data.

I've been using Duck Duck Go lately with good results. Try your search there with the same terms and see what you find.
 
I trust Google to lead me to tangibles.

Such as, "What it the name of that song?", or "How do you load music onto a smartphone?", "How do you remove the striker from an M&P?", etc.

No way to install a "slant" into searches like that. :cool:
 
Texan, I don't know whether this pertains to your query -- probably not -- but just so you'll be aware: There's a marketing concept that's been around for a decade or so called "search engine optimization" by which, through using multiple key words, regularly updated postings, and so forth, Internet marketing gurus can help companies ensure their website names appear as near the top as possible in search results. That's because, like you, most folks concentrate on the first few results, and companies want to be as near the top -- or at least, on the first page -- of results. There's more to it than can be easily explained in a post, but the upshot is that those first results in searches are very likely there because of a combination of behind-the-scenes factors that, most likely, have been paid for. These are different from the advertising "sponsored links" that appear at the top or on the sides of the results, which are out-and-out advertising.
 
It goes by what's search clicked the most. If you open a website and want to be on top of the first page just Google your website and keep clicking on the link. It will start to bring the popularity of your website up. That's how people generate business.

So that 2nd website has been clicked enough to be the 2nd link in your search. If it's something or someone popular Wiki will always be in the top 3. A lot depends on how you search as well. What you enter. If you phrased it differently your #2 could have been #1 or #5. When I Google "how does a revolver work" the website How stuff works is #1 however, if I replace "work" with the word "function" that same website is now #3 and a youtube video is 1st and 2nd
 
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There's more to it than can be easily explained in a post, but the upshot is that those first results in searches are very likely there because of a combination of behind-the-scenes factors that, most likely, have been paid for. These are different from the advertising "sponsored links" that appear at the top or on the sides of the results, which are out-and-out advertising.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that there are more factors affecting general search results than any of us truley know. The "Paid For" results at the top are pretty obvious as well.

However, it's pretty easy to see a "bias" or "world view persuasion" in their general presentation of "news" in the Google News general display... and also the results you get when search the news section of their site.

SEARCHER BEWARE
 
Has anyone tried

ixquick.com
Click to expand...

Yes, it's been my default search engine for years. I highly recommend it, as there are lots of good privacy features in it.

The phone lookup features are nice, also.
 
I dont know anything about google politics and frankly dont care, maybe I should. However I dont know about anyplace else where I can get fast free info like I get there regularly. Whats better?
 
To me, "Google is your friend" is the (possibly slightly snarky) response to give to someone who comes on the forum to ask a question that can easily be searched out on the web. If I trouble to search it out and report back to the OP, he might get a 'Google is your friend' from me. It's only slightly snarky, because the OP may not have been just lazy, he may be coming to the forum looking for the kind of cameraderie that can be found here, or he may just be mildly trolling, looking to stimulate a discussion. In any case, I won't do somebody's Googling for them unless the question also interests me, so I have only myself to blame, and no call to be really snarky.
 
google has changed how they look for things the last few years - I still use it, but its not near as accurate as it used to be. I feel that just a few years ago you could get much better results.

There are many web search engines, not fond of really any of them ;)
 
I always laugh at the suggestions of using yahoonor bing instead when they have had the exact same policies but for a lot longer. Those are some of the reasons many of us switched to Google, thee lack of censorship used to be part of their do no evil. Sadly they have decided to be like the others.

I've tried duck duck too and start page but neither give decent search results so I'm still searching.
 
I googled myself recently and read of some stupid little thing I did as a kid over 60 years ago. I couldnt even remember the event but it also mentioned my sister and a school teacher. Came from a local newspaper on file. Other stuff of relatives came up too. Actualy, this stuff is too good! Sadly I also found a picture I once posted from photo bucket of a gun, maybe from this site, and it lets you in to another couple hundred family pictures on the old account. It wont do it now with newer pictures since I did something security wise when I found it but that one deal still shows what I had/have at the time and I dont know how to purge or stop it! That should be illegal!
 
Any company that keeps track of each and every key stroke you enter and every site you visit can't be your "friend". Then they pass all of that information straight to Big Brother!!

Hardly a Friend...............more like a paid spy for the guvment!
 
Like any friend it behooves you to take carefully consider what you share with that friend and whether or not to trust the results.

There are of course sponsored results and their algorithms can be manipulated. Sometimes I go through a dozen search result pages to find what I want.


Using modifiers such as "search terms" site:domain.com can be very useful and often better than the search function on a given site.
 
No matter what search engine you use. Always remember a large portion of what you find will be opinion even if the author believes it is fact.

I most often use my 'Norton' program. At least it'll warn me about dangerous websites.
 
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