On Accountability for Search Engine Content
December 6, 2016
For better or worse, Google and, to a lesser extent other Internet search engines, shape the way many people view the world. That is a lot of power, and some folks are uneasy about allowing those companies to wield it without some sort of oversight. For example, MIT Technology Review asks, “What’s Behind Google’s Secretive Ad-Blocking Policy?” At the heart of the issue is Google’s recent decision to ban ads for payday loans, a product widely considered to be predatory and currently under investigation by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Reporter Elizabeth Woyke observes that such concerns about gate-keeping apply to other major online companies, like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Baidu. She writes:
Consumers might not realize it, but Google—and other ad-supported search engines—have been making editorial decisions about the types of ads they will carry for years. These companies won the right to reject ads they consider objectionable in 2007, when a Delaware district court ruled that constitutional free-speech guarantees don’t apply to search engines since they are for-profit companies and not ‘state actors.’ The decision cited earlier cases that upheld newspapers’ rights to decide which ads to run.
Google currently prohibits ads for ‘dangerous,’ ‘dishonest,’ and ‘offensive’ content, such as recreational drugs, weapons, and tobacco products; fake documents and academic cheating services; and hate-group paraphernalia. Google also restricts ads for content it deems legally or culturally sensitive, such as adult-oriented, gambling-related, and political content; alcoholic beverages; and health care and medicine. It may require additional information from these advertisers and limit placement to certain geographical locations.”
Legal experts, understandably, tend to be skittish about ceding this role to corporations. How far, and in which directions, will they be allowed to restrict content? Will they ever be required to restrict certain content that could cause harm? And, where do we as a society draw those lines? One suggestion that seems to make sense is a call for transparency. That way, at least, users could tap into the power of PR to hold companies accountable. See the write-up for more thoughts on the subject from legal minds.
Cynthia Murrell, December 6, 2016
Web Search Engine Market Share: Some Surprises
November 29, 2016
Did you know that the Excite search engine, owned by IAC Corporation, still operates the Excite.com Web site in the US, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK? I must admit neither my goslings or I knew this fact. I was prompted to check out excite after I read “Is Bing A Thing? The Answer: It Depends.”
The write up points out that Google has a global desktop Web search share of 75.2 percent. Google’s share of the mobile table search engine market is 94.18 percent. The data appeared in these two charts.
and
Bing commands 1.26 percent of the mobile table search market which lags behind Yahoo’s 3.51 percent. In the back of my mind, a tiny voice says that Microsoft provides Yahoo search with search.
The second surprise after the data stunned me, was this series of statements:
What differences in search algorithms do Bing and Google have? According articles from HubSpot and Ignite Visibility, here are a few:
- Bing favors factually relevant results over socially relevant sites
- Bing places more weight on only websites with official domain names like .gov or .edu
- Bing places more emphasis on social media signals
- Bing still considers keywords used in page title, meta tags, and meta keyword field
Well, well, well. Bing is into facts despite its stake in Facebook.
Are the data accurate? Well, the Google mobile search market strikes me as unreasonably low.
Stephen E Arnold, November 29, 2016
Hear That Bing Ding: A Warning for Google Web Search
November 23, 2016
Bing. Bing. Bing. The sound reminds me of a broken elevator door in the Block & Kuhl when I was but a wee lad. Bing. Bing. Bing. Annoying? You bet.
I read “Microsoft Corporation Can Defeat Alphabet Inc in Search.” I enjoy these odd, disconnected from the real world write ups predicting that Microsoft will trounce Google in a particular niche. This particular write up seizes upon the fluff about Microsoft having an “intelligence fabric.” Then with a spectacular leap, which ignores the fact that more than 90 percent of the humans use Google Web search, suggests that Bing will be the next big thing in Web search.
Get real.
Bing, after two decades of floundering, allegedly is profitable. No word on how long it will take to pay back the money Microsoft has invested in Web search over these 4,000 days of stumbling.
I highlighted this passage in the write up:
Rik van der Kooi, corporate vice president of Microsoft Search Advertising, referred to Bing as an “intelligence fabric” that has been embedded into Windows 10, Cortana, Xbox and other products, including Hololens. He went on to say the future Bing will be personal, pervasive and offer a personal experience so much that it “might not be obvious users are even interacting with the search engine.
I think I understand. Microsoft is everywhere. Microsoft Bing is embedded. Therefore, Microsoft beats Google Web search.
Great thinking.
I do like this passage:
This is a bold call considering that Google owned 89.38% of the global desktop search engine market, while Microsoft owned 4.2% as of July 2016, according to data provided by Statista. With MSFT’s endeavors to create an integrated ecosystem, however, the long-term scale is tipping in the favor of Microsoft stock. That’s because Microsoft’s traditional business is entrenched into many people’s lives as well as business operations. For instance, the majority of desktop devices run on Windows.
Yep, there are lots of desktops still. However, there are more mobile devices. If I am not mistaken, Google’s Android runs more than 80 percent of these devices. Add desktop and mobile and what do you get? No dominance of Web search by Bing the way I understand the situation.
Sure, I love the Bing thing. I have some affection for Qwant.com, Yandex.com, and Inxight.com too. But Microsoft has yet to demonstrate that it can deliver a Web search system which is able to change the behaviors of today’s users. Look at the Google in the word processing space. Microsoft continues to have an edge and Google has been trying for more than a decade to make Word an afterthought. That hasn’t happened. Inertia is a big factor.
Search for growing market share on Bing. What’s that answer look like? Less than five percent of the Web search market? Oh, do that query on Google by the way.
Stephen E Arnold, November 23, 2016
Android Has No Competition in Mobile OS Market
November 23, 2016
Google’s Android OS currently powers 88% of the smartphones in the world, leaving minuscule 12.1 percent to Apple’s iOS and the remaining 0.3 percent for Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS and Tizen.
IBTimes in an article titled Android Rules! 9 out of Every 10 Phones Run Google’s OS says:
Google’s Android OS dominated the world by powering 88 percent of the world’s smartphone market in the third quarter of 2016. This means 9 out of every 10 mobile phones in the world are using Android, while the rest rely on iOS or other mobile OS such as BlackBerry OS, Tizen and Windows Phone.
The growth occurred despite the fact that smartphone shipments are falling. China and Africa which were big markets have been performing poorly since last three-quarters. Android’s gain thus can be attributed to the fact that Android is an OpenSource system that can be used by any device manufacturer.
Despite being the clear leader, the mobile OS is full of bugs and other inherent problems, as the article points out:
Android platform is getting overcrowded with hundreds of manufacturers, few Android device vendors make profits, and Google’s new Pixel range is attacking its own hardware partners that made Android popular in the first place.
At present, Samsung, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo are the leading Android phone makers. However, Google recently unveiled Pixel, its flagship phone for the premium category. Does it mean that Google has its eyes set on the premium handset category market? Only time can tell.
Vishal Ingole, November 23, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Microsoft Factoid of the Month: A Browser Downdraft
November 16, 2016
Most people think in terms of uptake. The approach is a sign of a healthy mind. Uptake means good things.
I read “Microsoft Loses about 40 Million Internet Explorer Users in One Month.” Let’s assume that the data are spot on, which is risky these days.
The write up states:
…In October alone, Microsoft shed some 40 million users, with the likes of Chrome and Firefox scooping them up.
What’s the outlook for Microsoft’s browser market share? The write up reports:
At the end of 2015, Microsoft’s total browser share was comparable to Chrome’s now and yet as we close out 2016, it has been reduced to barely a quarter. While it is unknown whether Firefox’s share can continue its upswing it has experienced lately, it seems Microsoft’s overall share will continue to diminish.
Let’s ask Tay what’s up?
Stephen E Arnold, November 16, 2016
Azure Search Overview
November 15, 2016
I know that Microsoft is a world leader in search and retrieval. Look at the company’s purchase of Fast Search & Transfer in 2008. Look at the search in Windows 7, 8, and 10. Look at the Microsoft research postings listed in Bing. I am convinced.
I did learn a bit more about Azure Search in “Microsoft Azure Search and Azure Backup Arrive in Canada.” I learned that search is now a service; for example:
Azure Search is Microsoft search-as-a-service solution for cloud. It allows customers to add search to their applications using REST API or .NET SDK. Microsoft handles the server and infrastructure management, meaning developers don’t need to worry about understanding search.
Here are the features I noted from the write up:
- Query syntax including Boolean and Lucene conventions
- Support for 56 different languages
- Search suggestions for auto complete
- Hit highlighting
- Geo spatial support
- Faceted navigation just like Endeca in 1998
The most interesting statement in the write up was in my opinion:
Microsoft handles the server and infrastructure management, meaning developers don’t need to worry about understanding search.
I love that one does not need to understand search. That’s what makes search so darned fascinating today. Systems which require no understanding. I also believe everything that a search system presents in a list of relevance ranked results. I really do. I, for example, believed that Fast Search & Transfer was the most wonderful search system in the world until, well, the investigators arrived. Azure is even more wonderful as a cloud appliance thing that developers do not need to understand. Great and wonderful.
Stephen E Arnold, November 15, 2016
Quote to Note: Microsoft on Mobile Phones
November 3, 2016
This quote is a short one. The source is “Microsoft’s CEO Admits They Missed The Boat On Mobile.” Here’s the statement attributed to Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella:
We clearly missed mobile. There is no question.
No kidding? Perhaps Microsoft can team with Samsung and give it the old college try.
Stephen E Arnold, November 3, 2016
Job Hunting in Secret Is Not So Secret
November 3, 2016
While the American economy has recovered from the recession, finding a job is still difficult. Finding a new job can be even harder has you try to be discreet while handling emails, phone calls, and Web traffic under the radar. A bit of advice is to not search for jobs while at your current position, but that is easier said than done in many respects. Social media is a useful job seeking tool and LinkedIn now offers a job search incognito mode. SlashGear discusses the new mode in the article, “LinkedIn’s Open Candidates Feature Helps You Find A Job In Secret.”
The Open Candidates feature allows LinkedIn users to search for a new job while hiding their job search activity from their current employer. It will try to hide your job search activity, while at the same time it will add a new search feature for recruiters that displays profiles of people who have listed themselves under the Open Candidates feature. The hope is that it will bring more opportunity to these people.
However, nothing is ever secret on the Internet and LinkedIn can only do its best to help you:
While the new feature will probably be welcome by people who would prefer to carry out a job search while ruffling as few feathers as possible, LinkedIn does warn that even it will try to prevent your current employer from seeing that you’ve listed yourself as an Open Candidate, it can’t guarantee that it will be able to identify all of the recruiters associated with your company. In other words, use at your own risk.
If you work in a company that tracks your online social life or for a tech organization, you will have difficulty using this feature. LinkedIn and Microsoft employees will definitely need to use the first piece of advice, search for a new job on your personal computer/device using your own Internet.
Whitney Grace, November 3, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Microsoft Can Understand Human Conversation Like a Human
October 31, 2016
I read “Microsoft Speech Recognition Technology Now Understands a Conversation As Well As a Person.” My wife’s Amazon Alexa does okay with her commands. I noted this passage in the write up:
This marks the first time that human parity has been reported for conversational speech.
Okay, I will inform my wife that Alexa is not able to do the speech recognition thing. She gave up on Microsoft Windows, laughed at the Windows phone I gave her, and bought a Mac laptop. She seems okay with what her iPhone 6 can do, but I will try again to explain that Microsoft really, really has solved a hard problem.
The write up points out:
In a paper published this week the Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research group said its speech recognition system had attained “human parity” and made fewer errors than a human professional transcriptionist.
Oh, not a product or a service she can test yet. The innovation is embodied in a paper. Is this content marketing or public relations? I suppose I could ask Cortana if we had a machine running that particular Microsoft invention. Windows 10 left us some time ago. Sorry.
The error rate of about six percent seems okay until you think about six words in 100 being incorrect. Some situatio0ns pivot on a single word, don’t they?
I will wait for the new system to be hooked up to Microsoft Tay. I remember Tay. The system learned some of the less savory aspects of language before the demonstration was sent back to the lab. The interaction of speech recognition and Tay will be something I want to test.
Maybe my wife will have a change of heart with regards to Apple and Amazon products.
Stephen E Arnold, October 31, 2016
Google Cloud, Azure, and AWS Differences
October 18, 2016
With so many options for cloud computing, it can be confusing about which one to use for your personal or business files. Three of the most popular cloud computing options are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. Beyond the pricing, the main differences range from what services they offer and what they name them. Site Point did us a favor with its article comparing the different cloud services: “A Side-By-Side Comparison Of AWS, Google Cloud, And Azure.”
Cloud computing has the great benefit of offering flexible price options, but they can often can very intricate based on how much processing power you need, how many virtual servers you deploy, where they are deployed, etc. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud do offer canned solutions along with individual ones.
AWS has the most extensive service array, but they are also the most expensive. It is best to decide how you want to use cloud computing because prices will vary based on the usage and each service does have specializations. All three are good for scalable computing on demand, but Google is less flexible in its offering, although it is easier to understand the pricing. Amazon has the most robust storage options.
When it comes to big data:
This requires very specific technologies and programming models, one of which is MapReduce, which was developed by Google, so maybe it isn’t surprising to see Google walking forward in the big data arena by offering an array of products — such as BigQuery (managed data warehouse for large-scale data analytics), Cloud Dataflow (real-time data processing), Cloud Dataproc (managed Spark and Hadoop), Cloud Datalab (large-scale data exploration, analysis, and visualization), Cloud Pub/Sub (messaging and streaming data), and Genomics (for processing up to petabytes of genomic data). Elastic MapReduce (EMR) and HDInsight are Amazon’s and Azure’s take on big data, respectively.
Without getting too much into the nitty gritty, each of the services have their strengths and weaknesses. If one of the canned solutions do not work for you, read the fine print to learn how cloud computing can help your project.
Whitney Grace, October 18, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
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