> > Google is VERY interesting. > > > > It is highly inconsistent and extremely erratic - yet few notice and no one cares. > > Some of that is intentional. Google filters search results based on your > assumed location and a few other parameters it uses to guess stuff. > There are some very interesting studies of google censorship.
Yes. For instance, try a search on Danica McKellar - the actress who played Gwendoline (Winnie) Cooper in "The Wonder Years". Then add her qualifications - she graduated in math from UCLA "summa cum laude". Then try taking words out one at a time, leaving 'cum' in. When you hit the threshold, the search results turn COMPLETELY from innocuous to solid porn. (It might be an idea not to try this in the office.) But the "Google dance" is about different results from the same location using the same search arguments. My point is - Google is often held up to us as an example of how truly massive applications can be run on thousands of hobby machines. T'ain't so - Google makes no attempt at the kind of internal consistency required in enterprise systems - no matter whether they are z/OS-based or Linux-based. -- Phil Payne http://www.isham-research.com +44 7785 302 803 +49 173 6242039