Does Google really customize search results per-site?
I was curious to see how many times the phrase "What have you written so far?" occurred on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/what-have-you-written-so-far
Then I notice that the search results show the number of posts in the topic as well as the number of unique authors. Does Google really customize search results like this for individual websites with arbitrary forum systems? That's impressive, especially considering that they have to write algorithms to parse the HTML since this site has no public API. THough, I was slightly disappointed that the dates on the search results were wrong in several cases.
Are there other sites that get this treatment too? Or is it just major sites like this one?
Also, only 41 results? I would have thought the phrase appeared more than that...
http://tinyurl.com/what-have-you-written-so-far
Then I notice that the search results show the number of posts in the topic as well as the number of unique authors. Does Google really customize search results like this for individual websites with arbitrary forum systems? That's impressive, especially considering that they have to write algorithms to parse the HTML since this site has no public API. THough, I was slightly disappointed that the dates on the search results were wrong in several cases.
Are there other sites that get this treatment too? Or is it just major sites like this one?
Also, only 41 results? I would have thought the phrase appeared more than that...
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I don't know the answer to the major question, sorry, however...
Surely because the question can be phrased in many ways. What do you have so far? What have you done so far? What code do you have so far? Show us your attempt? Show us what you have so far? etc... If you put all these results together, it will be a lot more than 41.
| Also, only 41 results? I would have thought the phrase appeared more than that... |
Surely because the question can be phrased in many ways. What do you have so far? What have you done so far? What code do you have so far? Show us your attempt? Show us what you have so far? etc... If you put all these results together, it will be a lot more than 41.
Well, indeed it does. If you look on even some of the most obscure of forums, you will occasionally see a user on by the name of Google[Bot]. It, I imagine, collects all of the data that you mentioned in order to ensure accurate search results.
It's probably all automated. The dates are often wrong because they just pick a date they found on the page.
If they can get the number of posts and the number of unique authors, how can they not get at least one of the dates from one of the posts in the topic?
I have a feeling it might have to do with difference in timezone. Only reason I say this is because of all the ones I seen that had differing dates from the thread all happen between 8pm - 12pm or so (Maybe even sooner).
Here is some of those examples
Google = Mar 1, 2014 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/124920/
Google = May 14, 2013 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/102048/
Google = Feb 15, 2013 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/92681/
This is really just a guess but if it is correct it could mean Google is actually doing much more then just parsing the html and has a different method of obtaining the threads information.
Here is some of those examples
Google = Mar 1, 2014 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/124920/
Google = May 14, 2013 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/102048/
Google = Feb 15, 2013 - http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/general/92681/
This is really just a guess but if it is correct it could mean Google is actually doing much more then just parsing the html and has a different method of obtaining the threads information.
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Not to derail the thread, but I think Google goes farther and customizes the search per user.
Go ahead, search for "boost", "c", "queue".
Maybe I'm paranoid, but for me the first results for each of the above are programming related.
Go ahead, search for "boost", "c", "queue".
Maybe I'm paranoid, but for me the first results for each of the above are programming related.
@Catfish
You are right about the per-user bit. I've done some experiments with friends and we get completely different first-page results... I got paranoid enough to stop using Google. I felt like a change anyway, and Duck Duck Go was too hilarious a name to resist.
You are right about the per-user bit. I've done some experiments with friends and we get completely different first-page results... I got paranoid enough to stop using Google. I felt like a change anyway, and Duck Duck Go was too hilarious a name to resist.
Catfish, that is true. Google constantly installs cookies and such on your browser to track the webpages you go to as to redirect you to the right sites. Of course, you can always opt out of this (which I did), if you're paranoid.
I personally enjoy getting results that are relevant to me. If I want generic results, I just use a Chrome Incognito window.
| Ispil wrote: |
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| Of course, you can always opt out of this (which I did), if you're paranoid. |
How exactly to opt out? For example I don't even use a Google account.
I know Google provides a "Dashboard" but it's only accessible for registered users. (And I'd be surprised if they didn't track everyone just the same.)
| L B wrote: |
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| I personally enjoy getting results that are relevant to me. |
Well yes, if they'd be irrelevant then the search engine wouldn't deserve to be used.
However, since when does "getting results that are relevant to me" have to do with anything other than what I search for right then? Edit: I don't mean to come across as hostile towards your post, LB.
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When I search in incognito, I get search results that are completely unrelated to programming.
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