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Mr Anti-Google

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the proof-of-success dept.

MrNovember writes "Salon is running a story on some guy named Daniel Brandt who they call "Mr. Anti-Google." Mr. Brandt runs a sort of anti-establishment database of citations called NameBase as well as Google Watch. He claims that Google's PageRank system is undemocratic primarily because it doesn't rank his NameBase information very highly. He also points out that Google maintains a log of all you've ever searched for associated with a long-term cookie. Google's system seems to work the best if you ask me but, on the other hand, link popularity may not provide the most intelligent top rankings."

7 of 494 comments (clear)

  1. Is it just me? by Aiku1337 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I'm lazy, but a direct link to the story would have been nice.

  2. Why isn't there a link to the ARTICLE? by smallpaul · · Score: 2, Redundant

    Thanks, I already know how to get to Google and Salon. What I don't know is how to find the Salon article, especially after it scrolls off of Salon's front page.

  3. Actual Link to Story by pgrote · · Score: 2, Redundant

    Here is the link to the story:

    Slon Article

    1. Re:Actual Link to Story by Stuart+Gibson · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Why would anyone reading a /. story ever need a link to the original article?

      Goblin

      --
      It's all fun and games until a 200' robot dinosaur shows up and trashes Neo-Tokyo... Again
  4. note.. by mattyohe · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The only link that actually does anything in this story is the google.com url... there isn't even a link to the story he was referencing.

    http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/08/29/googl e_watch/index.html?x

    --
    - what is the definition of simultanagnosia?! I've been meaning to look it up!
  5. Boo Hoo by maggard · · Score: 3, Redundant
    Brandt thinks his material should be ranked higher because it's more relevant.

    To his agenda perhaps.

    However Google isn't used by most folks as a directory - it's a search engine. It simply pulls up entries according to a formula (see pigeonrank for the inside scoop) and gives those back. No bias beyond what smart webmasters can impart, no artificial clustering, etc.

    If Google were to start doing as Brandt wants it would quickly run into endless battles, loose it's searching edge, become just another pay(or agenda)-for-play roadkill.

    No thanks.

    --
    I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
  6. Re:It seems to me... by susano_otter · · Score: 3, Redundant

    It's not that he's using Google, but that other people using Google don't find his site.

    According to the article, his complaint is twofold: Google favors popular, established sites over young or unpopular sites. Also, he fears the cookie.

    I am Slashdot's complete lack of interest in his problems.

    --

    Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.