Google Pranks
Published by Christy Dena October 21st, 2005 in search, Criticism.As of now you can see a google prank:
> > 1- Go to www.google.com
> >
> > 2- Type in “Failure”, without the quotes
> >
> > 3- Instead of hitting “Search” hit “I’m feeling Lucky”
> >
> > 4- See what comes up!
> >
> > 5- Tell your friends before the people at Google fix it
It won’t last long, the last one I got involved Paris Hilton. I find these pranks pretty thrilling if you manage to catch them before they’re removed.
[view academic citations]
So, I couldn’t help but try some more random searches:
I’ve heard about that one. I believe there’s also a prank using Microsoft Word and thesaurus. Does anyone know that one.
Then I wondered what the best search engine was:
(Not using explicitly sponsored links I found the following.)
Searching “the best search engine” on Google turns up dogpile.
Searching “the best search engine” on Yahoo turns up google.
Searching “the best search engine” on MSN turns up Homerweb.
Hmm. Is there a lack of self-esteem plaguing our search engines?
Though Google beats all in Google fight!
Oh, and here’s another that in some ways redeems the web: Deep Thought versus Deep Throat
The “Failure = Bush bio” meme is the result of a Google bomb - enough websites listing the link text to the page that it rises in the index. Google bombing is interesting example of the people saying the same phrase \ enough times to make it so, which coincidentally resonates with this administrations widely acknowledged focus on sticking to talking points and repeating them.
While Google bombs come from users, Word easter eggs are all in-house pranks done by developers. I’ve never actually heard of a search-engine easter egg - it seems like something a search engine company would try to avoid, sort of like how Excel doesn’t contain certain equations which give wrong answers, as that would compromise its core functionality. Google won’t manipulate the results by hand even block even notorious Google Bombs - which is wise, given the can of worms that would open up. When it comes to massive processing of digital text, live by algorithm, die by algorithm.