Tag: google
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When Google sneezes, does the internet get flu?
by
Andrew Orlowski
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Much of the web-based new economy hinges on the behaviour of how one company deals with two mammoth challenges next year. Both are potentially lethal, and a poor response to either will have dire consequences for many operations doing business on the internet. Fortunately, that company is supremely well-equipped to deal with problems of a…
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Are Google’s glory days behind it? – Colly Myers
by
Andrew Orlowski
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Colly’s prognosis was sound. In December 2008, Google announced its intention to make “social search” a significant factor in its search results – the end of the hegemony of the algorithm. “It’s a well known aspect of man and machine systems. Complex systems with no control fall over. Every example of it you can think…
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Google vows to keep hoarding your porn queries
by
Andrew Orlowski
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“With so many people searching for keywords like murder, kill, suicide, etc., are we a mentally/emotionally sick nation?” writes a concerned AOLer at AOLSearchLogs.com, a forum that accompanies a searchable database of AOL user’s queries. Another AOLer moves swiftly to quell his concerns. “As a whole, no,” responds ‘Matthew’, with the confidence of a veterinary…
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AOL’s search logs: the ultimate “Database Of Intentions”
by
Andrew Orlowski
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AOL Labs prompted a weekend of hyperventilation in the ‘blogosphere’ by publishing the search queries from 650,000 users. This mini-scandal may yet prove valuable, however, as it reveals an intriguing psychological study of the boundaries of what is considered acceptable privacy. In his turgid book on Google – one so obsequious and unchallenging that Google…
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Old net geezers play trip-you-up
by
Andrew Orlowski
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The rolling net “neutrality” debate brought two of the internet’s most distinguished elder statesmen together in mortal combat this week. The two gentlemen, Vint Cerf and Dave Farber, said they agreed on most things. But where they didn’t, they tried to pull the chair away just as their opponent tried to sit down.… Read More