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Re: No Google bubble?



On 20/11/14 04:04, Darac Marjal wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 19, 2014 at 03:49:09PM +0000, Curt wrote:
>> On 2014-11-19, Renaud OLGIATI <renaud@olgiati-in-paraguay.org>
>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> The claim is your Google search history affects your Google
>>>> search results.
>>> 
>>> Seems Google tailors your results depending on what you look
>>> at; frinstance if they see that you often go to the Wikipedia
>>> article on the query subject, they will put wikipedia higher in
>>> your results.
>>> 
>> 
>> The link posted by Darac (http://dontbubble.us/) claims that
>> Google results are tailored *based on your search history*.
>> 
>> I don't have a search history. I had no cookies, either, when I
>> made the search. Nor was I logged in to their services.
>> 
>> So I don't see how Google could have tailored my results.
> 
> Do you regularly search from the same IP address? Do you regularly 
> search from the same browser? Do you regularly search from the
> same country?
> 
> Because Google don't publish their search algorithm, it's
> impossible to tell how they tailor their results for "anonymous"
> users. It's not beyond the realms of possibility (nor beyond
> Google's resources) to tailor results based on a number of factors.
> "Firefox users prefer github", "Internet Explorer users are
> generally conservative", "Chinese users should not be shown
> 'unacceptable' ideas" are all customisations that Google *COULD*
> implement, all with the goal of getting the best click-through
> statistics.

It's "possible" - but it's not the case. Click-through-statistics
isn't the primary purpose, relevant results is. It's possible that
people can live on orange juice alone - but nor is it the case. And
any demand to "prove it" does nothing to change a belief into a fact.

Google *can* tailor search results, the user can easily avoid tailored
search results. When Google tailors search results the fact they have
been tailored is clearly evident and a button is displayed, which upon
clicking, will give you un-tailored search results.

Impel != Compel


As previously stated (for those that can't or won't read) - there are
a number of factors that affect search results, the main ones being:-
;where you are when you make the query (the search engines are
distributed and not synched in real-time + they differ slightly
according to local language and laws)
;the index is based, mainly[*1] on backlinks harvested by Googlebot
i.e. it's dynamic (e.g. these posts modify the results)


[*1] Google employs thousands - while not published the search results
algorithm is not like the formula for Coke-a-Cola.


At what point does this thread become petty and stupid? While it may
satisfy the desires of those with a conspiracy axe to grind, or some
sort of resentment based on the false idea that Brian made them look
silly for not performing a simple search for an answer to their
question - none of this is remotely relevant to the OP's question.

--
"The pure and simple truth is that the truth is rarely pure and never
simple"


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