Google and PageRank under Siege

February 20, 2010

Well, well, well. I am plugging away on a new Google study and what do I spy with a casual glance at my feedreader? Several interesting items that are going to force me to make some working changes about Google’s position in dataspace.

First, Investors.com’s story “Google Search Results Manipulated? Clooney Clue Tips Off Researchers.” If true, PageRank and the search engine optimization crowd have held a shoot out at the Not-OK Corral. The winner, if the write is accurate, are the “hackers” who gunned down Google’s force field to manipulate search results. Yikes. Crown jewels ripped off after the Google takes bullets? If true, big news indeed.

Second, WebProNews’ “Links Not Always the Best Indicator of Relevance.” The categorical affirmative is off-putting to me, but the killer passage in my opinion was:

Google is all about providing users with the most relevant results for the best user experience, and maybe the fact that these kinds of sites aren’t often featured near the top of results could be considered an area where Google isn’t necessarily delivering the best results.

Check out the full write up. Is PageRank losing pride of place at the Google”

Third, PCWorld reports in “Google Gets US Approval to Buy and Sell Entergy”. Isn’t this what Enron explored? Interesting and potentially exciting for gullible states like California whose energy costs were whipsawed by some interesting folks as I recall. Could this again occur? Could Google be focusing on controlling energy costs to the detriment of other tasks?

Stephen E Arnold, February 20, 2010

No one paid me to summarize three items. This type of free work must be reported to the FAA, an outfit that is good at multiple instance analysis.

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