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Web Zeitgeist

An anonymous reader writes "CNN has a story about Lycos and its 50 top "searched for" items of the year. After excluding "sex", "Dragonball" was #1, followed by "Kazaa", "tattoos", "Britney Spears", and the "NFL" (american football) rounding out the top 5. IRS was #7, and taxes acheived #14. "The Bible" is #21 followed by "Marijuana" at #22. It appears that pop-stars, supermodels, computer games, sports, and september 11th related words heavily dominate the rest of the top 100. How about the biggest declines? Boy bands. nSync down from 36 to 163, and Back Street Boys tumble to 250 from 58. Lycos is hosting the top 100 results this year here with some commentary. Google also has their own comprehensive lists (and cool charts) as well."

264 comments

  1. Wait a second by enos · · Score: 4, Funny

    You mean to tell me that dragonball has nothing to do with sex?

    --
    boldly going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse
    1. Re:Wait a second by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      As in hyphenated 'drag-on-balls'? Yeah, weird, I'd think that would be related s*x (1) too?

      [1] americans are so modest about bold words that I dare not type that 3-letter word unobfuscated. Try out various vowels and see if you find the real word!

    2. Re:Wait a second by Superfreaker · · Score: 2, Funny

      Is it wrong that I want to have sex with Bulma?

    3. Re:Wait a second by mythr · · Score: 1

      Yes.

  2. http://zeitgeistw3.cjb.net by Istealmymusic · · Score: 2, Redundant

    I found a [URL=http://zeitgeistw3.cjb.net]Zeitgeist W3[/URL] which implements the qualities described in this article. Hope this helps!

    --
    "The lesson to be learned is not to take the comments on slashdot too literally." --Vinnie Falco, BearShare
    1. Re:http://zeitgeistw3.cjb.net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This link gives me a 404 advert.

  3. I'm sad by unterderbrucke · · Score: 0

    "NFL (american football)"

    GOD DAMMIT ROB YOU'RE DESTROYING A CIVILIZATION! INSTEAD OF WATCHING TV ON SUNDAY, WE SURF THE WEB!

    Lameness filter encountered. Post aborted!
    Reason: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.

  4. Hurry! We can still influence the 2002 results! by dagg · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Let's vote for a word or phrase and try to get it added to the 2002 results. I vote for: this.

    If all goes well... we should see something like this:

    December 15th, 2002: slashdot user calls on the world to search for the word insert word here so as to manipulate the 2002 Zeitgeist results
    --
    Sex - Find It
  5. http://zeitgeistw3.cjb.net by Istealmymusic · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    --
    "The lesson to be learned is not to take the comments on slashdot too literally." --Vinnie Falco, BearShare
  6. Hmm... Spears included? by mojotek · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would have shlopped Britney in there with the sex searches... There's no way she's number 4 without the slashdot crowd's celebrity nude searches.

  7. Question by bayankaran · · Score: 4, Funny

    CNN has a story about Lycos and its 50 top "searched for items of the year.

    Wow, are there people searching using Lycos?

    --
    Tat Tvam Asi
    1. Re:Question by br0ck · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And tonight's number one most popular Lycos search phrase, omitted by Lycos staff from the zeitgeist results, was... best search.

      Google's first on the list.

    2. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, fifty of them.

    3. Re:Question by dynoman7 · · Score: 1

      Wow, are there people searching using Lycos?

      yeah, but even Lycos didn't make this worst ten list...

      http://www.faans.com/10-worst-engines.html

      But then again...who ever heard of faans.com before this post? *shrugs*

      --
      Blarf.
    4. Re:Question by damiam · · Score: 1

      It didn't? Maybe that's just another engine with the same name I see as number 9.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    5. Re:Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, lycos rocks.
      I think it's run by some college kids

      I think the address is lycos.cs.cmu.edu

    6. Re:Question by Pseudonym · · Score: 2

      Yes, and apparently most of them are into Dragonball. This explains Lycos' target demographic.

      --
      sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
    7. Re:Question by zonker · · Score: 0

      thanks for the laugh :)

  8. Weight Watchers by Cyclopedian · · Score: 2
    Kinda cool to see on the Google timeline, a large number of searches for Weight watchers after the new year's. Psychology of the masses?

    And subsequent peaks on the Mondays that followed. I guess we feel the most guilt on Mondays and the least on Fridays.

    -Cyc

  9. ha ha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    How many losers are there trying using a search engine for 'Kazaa'?

    Now, were they stupid enough not to get the client at Kazaa.com, or even dumber trying to search the P2P network at the search engine?

    1. Re:ha ha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > How many losers are there trying using a search engine for 'Kazaa'?

      How many losers are there using Lycos as their search engine?

  10. Dragonball processor by Denito · · Score: 5, Funny


    Wow, the world is much geekier than i thought.

    however, when I want info about dragonball, I normally just search for '68000'.

    1. Re:Dragonball processor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, the world is much geekier than i thought.

      Yeah, the "world" that uses the Internet the most.

      This isn't voting. Each winner almost certainly got there by the same people constantly searching for similar things... and think about it:

      Would the same group of people search for "dragonball" that would be online more than someone looking for, say, "recipes"?

    2. Re:Dragonball processor by modulo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unless I'm horribly wrong (wouldn't be the first time. . .), more were looking for "Dragonball Z" than doing embedded programming.

      It's a joke, get it?

      --

      ...but the language is MUMPS, which I will not utter here

    3. Re:Dragonball processor by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2

      Can someone explain what's so great about Dragonball Z? I watched it the other day and it seemed to be one hour-long 'fight' sequence (meaning, unimpressive cartoon special effects and new-move-of-the-week). Or is it a case of 'if you gotta ask, you'll never know'?

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    4. Re:Dragonball processor by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      the same thing that is great as in pokemon, digomon and all other crappers.

      i dunno what it is tho..

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    5. Re:Dragonball processor by Spellbinder · · Score: 0

      read the books they are great!!!
      lots more of humor and less boring fighting scenes

      --


      stop supporting microsoft with pirating their software!!!!!
    6. Re:Dragonball processor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can someone explain what's so great about Dragonball Z?

      The alure is living vicariously through the characters on the cartoon. We all have someone we hate right? Someone you'd like to beat the living crap out of; but you (usually) don't. So what's better then watching a cartoon about a bunch of kids who get Superman-like strength when they get pissed off enough?

      If you watch it long enough you'll start having fantasies and dreams about sprouting natural blond hair regardless of your real hair color (notice your eye brows will be blond too), a cool looking golden halo that surrounds your entire body and you become strong enough to kick the Increadible Hulk's butt.

  11. Re:Continuing the First Post Quest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I heard that the First Post Robot was written by known homosexual Eric S. Raymond. Is this true?

  12. Google's year end Zeitgeist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here is the link for Google's 2002 Year End Zeitgeist

    http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.ht

    Some Top 3 searched words are:

    Top Destinations: Paris, Canada, New York
    Top News Stories: World cup, Iraq, sniper
    Top movies: Spiderman, harry Potter, Star Wars
    Top TV Shows: The simpsons, big brother, the osbournes
    Top games: the sims, counter strike, gta 3
    Top retailers: Ikea, home depot, walmart

    1. Re:Google's year end Zeitgeist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That link is
      http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html

      you forgot the ml

  13. Woe as me by sx10 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's a pretty sad state of affairs when spiderman and shakira are the most pressing issues people want to research on the internet.

    1. Re:Woe as me by back@slash · · Score: 2

      Yes things were so much better when internet users were concerned with the world trade center and anthrax

      --
      This comment was generated by a Squadron of Ultra Ninjas
    2. Re:Woe as me by hdparm · · Score: 3, Insightful
      You are absolutelly right.

      Statistics like this one tell us something, don't they? Average human being is mediocre who has very little interest in anything beyond basic needs and fun/amusement. People who realise this are able to communicate with masses, get their agenda out there and capitalise on it in various ways.

      No wonder entertainment corporations make shitloads of money each and every year and fundamentalists of all flavours have so much followers - to name just a few consequences.

    3. Re:Woe as me by il_diablo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Although drawing such conclusions is tempting, I have to play Devil's advocate. (As a side note, I agree that many people are mush-brained morons).

      These are site engine searches. It's entirely possible that people are getting their information from directly entering a site's URL. After all, how often does one do a search for "CNN" or some such? News portals provide exactly that, one place to get news, (hopefully unbiased, but THAT'S a different thread) so that one doesn't need Lycos to find information.

      --
      Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
    4. Re:Woe as me by SweetAndSourJesus · · Score: 1

      Oh, but you're so much more enlightened, posting on slashdot.

      Those poor fools, out having a good time!

      --

      --
      the strongest word is still the word "free"
    5. Re:Woe as me by TeddyR · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Think of who the driving forces on the internet are today.... excluding the sex factor (which actually is relevant...) the major "new" influx of people on the internet are the 12-22 year olds that take their broadband access for granted.

      There are millions of college students who are entering "wired" dorms and campuses that give them huge amounts of bandwidth to download stuff... so their interests would definitly show up as a factor in the results...

      --

      --
      Time is on my side
    6. Re:Woe as me by hdparm · · Score: 2
      As a matter of fact, I find Slasdot pretty cool. It's informative (most of the time) and enlightening (not because I'm posting to it but because it gives me an opportunity to read some really clever stuff posted by some really clever people about the topics of my interest).

      What gave you an impression that I had intended to differentiate myself in any way, anyway?

    7. Re:Woe as me by hdparm · · Score: 2
      I actually think that keeping informed counts as one of the basic needs.

      Having said that, I'm aware that people with some other particular interests would have url_s bookmarked as well.

      What would be nice to see is that, for example, 'Spiderman' search produces huge number of hits for "arachnology" - that would tell me that most humans are not just zombies without any investigative spirit left.

    8. Re:Woe as me by SweetAndSourJesus · · Score: 1

      Your original post seemed to bemoan the frivolity of the hoi polloi. It common to see geeks in general (and slashdot readers in specific) assume a Monty Burns-esque air of superiority when addressing the concerns of the masses.

      I meant no offense, honestly.

      --

      --
      the strongest word is still the word "free"
    9. Re:Woe as me by hdparm · · Score: 2
      I meant no offense, honestly.

      None taken, of course, this is just Slashdot :o)

      By the way, you're sig seems to be working pretty well.

    10. Re:Woe as me by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 2

      In one of the old Google zeitgeists, CNN was the most popular search for days after the WTC terror attacks.

      Tim

      --
      Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    11. Re:Woe as me by Theatetus · · Score: 1
      the frivolity of the hoi polloi

      "hoi" means "the". It's "The frivolity of hoi polloi".

      --
      All's true that is mistrusted
    12. Re:Woe as me by SweetAndSourJesus · · Score: 1

      Yes, if I was speaking Greek, you would be correct.

      Since hoi polloi is being used as an English noun, it's not entirely incorrect to say "the hoi polloi".

      --

      --
      the strongest word is still the word "free"
  14. Who cares by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 4, Funny

    The real news to me in this story is that Lycos still exists.

    Tim

    --
    Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    1. Re:Who cares by MonTemplar · · Score: 1

      The real news to me in this story is that Lycos still exists.

      [Mark&Lard] Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo??! !

      --
      -MT.
    2. Re:Who cares by DoomHaven · · Score: 1

      Love the sig! I have to type more because I have waste 20 seconds if I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really want to post.

      --
      "Don't mind me cutting myself on Occam's Razor"
  15. Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Wow, are there people searching using Lycos?"

    Now you know where CNN gets its news-scripts.

  16. Maybe you're thinking of the plural by svvampy · · Score: 1

    One dragonball is very lonely until it finds another to love and cherish.

  17. Re:Google goatse redirect is back! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    here's a better one, using "i'm feeling lucky".

    i'm feeling something

    for more inspirational ideas, see here

  18. Thank God For Google by Ignorant+Aardvark · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seeing as how sex is #1, I'm glad that Google isn't giving up the huge amount of advertising bucks they're making by including ads from porn sites.

    1. Re:Thank God For Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, porn sites include YOU!!

  19. Neither "warez" nor "mp3" on the list by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
    Was this Top 100 sanitized for public consumption?

    Or are people just too smart to use Lycos? ;-)

  20. Yes, this and more from the slow news day file.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ....and not that I'm complaining. That means that there are no new earthquakes or disasters or wars or buildings being blown up and Henry Kissinger is finally setting into the sunset with his billions.

    "God is in his Holy Temple and all is right with the world.

  21. Pooowdered Poooost Maaaaaan! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Hey Powdered Post Man. We're all out of Powdered Post!"

    Don't worry, leave everything to me!

  22. from the Lycos FAQ... by updog · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Prurient Content: We ignore pornographic, four-letter words and otherwise lewd queries, including names of decidedly adult film stars--unless such terms are driven by news events.

    I think these types of searches would actually be more interesting to see categorized than the others. What sick and twisted things are people searching for? I wonder if this is categorized anywhere?

    1. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I'm pretty sick and disgusting. Here's what I searched for:
      Bukkake
      Facial
      Slap Happy
      BDSM
      Obese
      Busty
      Peter North, king of the cumshots
      GW Bush

    2. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Hmmh. What is so sick and twisted about pornography? There are actual sick and twisted things too, few of which relate to sexual material (some do sure, but those perversions are in minority and unlikely to hit top search spots).

    3. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by jesser · · Score: 5, Interesting

      What sick and twisted things are people searching for?

      Disturbing Search Requests: what blog owners find when looking through referrers in web server logs. These tend to be several-word searches, because single-word searches wouldn't take you to a random blog. Examples: "How to suck breasts", "build a giant robot", "cuntless otters", "worlds greatest asshole".

      Google Adwords Keyword Suggestions: type a search term, and it will give common multiple-word searches that include your term. If you type in "porn", the multiple-word searches are child porn, free porn, kiddie porn, chill porn, cartoon porn, porn stars, gay porn, kid porn, lego porn, sex porn, porn nude, moose porn, and lesbian porn.

      Keyword City: 10 most popular search words for the Sex & Pornography category. I don't know how reliable this site is. The top 10 are babe, sex, porn, hardcore, nude, xxx, anal, nudist, naked, and boob.

      Metaspy Exposed: random searches on the Metacrawler search engine in real time. Because these are random, you may have to reload several times before you'll see any porn searches.

      --
      The shareholder is always right.
    4. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by NineNine · · Score: 2

      What sick and twisted things are people searching for?

      Let me tell you, I see 'em all. Since my site is so huge (80K or so galleries last time I checked, plus individual pictures, movies, etc.), I have no idea what's in there, for the most part. And because so much of it is already indexed, I see all of the referring queries from Google, Yahoo, etc. that sent the user to my site. I've seen some bizarre, sick shit. Stuff that doesn't even make sense, and apparently my site comes up in the search results. Twisted shit that gives me nightmares. Trust me. You don't want to know!

    5. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, porn searches for YOU!

    6. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That Metaspy is evil, I kept wanting to tell the people how to optimize the [horribly phrased] searches... but couldn't.

      It's evil I tell you, EVIL!

    7. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by updog · · Score: 2
      What fun links!! The random Metacrawler searches could provide hours of viewing enjoyment. I wish Google had something similar.

      Here's some interesting ones in just 2-3 minutes of watching:

      "ou got ran over by a cowboys"
      SQUARE DANCE CLOTHING
      Inflatible Penile Prosthesis
      solar eclipse - break dancing
      free girls swallowing sperm movies
      hitman strategy

    8. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by wheany · · Score: 2

      I would like to apply for a visa to Soviet Russia.

    9. Re:from the Lycos FAQ... by sh00z · · Score: 1

      Been there. In the words of Elvis Costello, "I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused." All because my site's name could be considered scatological (but it's not).

  23. A side note by ealar+dlanvuli · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Also to be noted in the google stats is Mac's broke 5% of the total searches for the first time since google started publishing stats. They omitted this from the year end results, but if you check the archives you can see this.

    --
    I live in a giant bucket.
    1. Re:A side note by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 2
      Also to be noted in the google stats is Mac's broke 5% of the total searches for the first time since google started publishing stats. They omitted this from the year end results, but if you check the archives you can see this.

      More news from the alt platform crowd too - Linux was the 4th top technology search, beaten only by MP3, SMS and .... winzip?

      In contrast, xbox and Microsoft were at 7 and 9 respectively. Mac didn't feature (I wonder what position it was at).

      I guess that means there's a lot of interest in Linux but it's not being turned into actual installed user base. I think we already knew that though...

    2. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm feeling fat and sassy.

    3. Re:A side note by Zebbers · · Score: 2

      I dont think it much has to do with interest. More that the linux userbase tends to be a selfenabling crowd that knows how good google is and knows that the information needs to be found. IE: when I want drivers for something im searching for "linux blahblah driver". Given that most windows users arent ever going to really need to do any searches relating to windows, since most things are handed to them on a platter, it makes sense. I don't think very many people are just randomly searching for linux info to read.

      Does this post make sense? atleast I understand what Im trying to say ;)

    4. Re:A side note by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 2
      yeah, that's possible i guess. On the other hand, I don't think using google has much to do with technical competence, all the people I know use it, and they range from can barely click a mouse to software engineers.

      I find it hard to believe that 2% of the worlds computer using population could bias the google results so heavily.

    5. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Silly Hats ONLY

    6. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, Macs index LYCOS!

    7. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    8. Re:A side note by ealar+dlanvuli · · Score: 2

      I think alot of the problems with "mac" serches (for making that top 10) is there are actually two os searches (and I've never had a need to search for the word mac). I always type "osx" and then retype "os x" if I don't get the results I need, kind of annoying.

      --
      I live in a giant bucket.
    9. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find it hard to believe that 2% of the worlds computer using population could bias the google results so heavily.

      I think they could easily impact at least 1-2 ranks in the top 10 figures (since really linux users are much more inclined to use google every few minuites). Also I have to admit a lot of people are curious about linux.

    10. Re:A side note by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't get it.

      Because in Soviet Russia, comedians laugh at YOU.

    11. Re:A side note by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      Last years stats showed that most people searching for 'linux' were using windows boxes.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
  24. great...just great... by CySurflex · · Score: 5, Funny

    I worked hard ALL year to get "Wild Donkey Bestialty Porn" to the top 10 search terms, only to have CNN factor it OUT of the statistics.

    1. Re:great...just great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, Lycos indexes YOU.

    2. Re:great...just great... by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      I worked hard ALL year to get "Wild Donkey Bestialty Porn" to the top 10 search terms, only to have CNN factor it OUT of the statistics.

      No, I think they lumped that in with Britney Spears :-P

    3. Re:great...just great... by Dave2+Wickham · · Score: 1

      Erm... my site is indexed in Lycos [and has quite decent results, but that's beside the point], does that count?

    4. Re:great...just great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, nothing counts!

    5. Re:great...just great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Corporate America, only money counts.

  25. What google neglected to mention... by Morgahastu · · Score: 5, Funny

    What google neglected to mention was the words the top search words were teamed up with: ...

    2. "shakira" with "will compiling my own kernel get me ass like that"

    3. "winter olympics" with "I can see your privates through that luge outfit" ...

    5. "avril lavigne" with "what if i am attracted to a singer that looks like my daughter"

    6. "star wars" with "askjeeves: will the next one suck?"

    7. "eminem" with "hyprocritical dirty white skinny guy"

    8. "american idol" with "please god kill me I watched it " ...

    11. "natalie portman" with "candid nipple pics" ...

    13. "trillian" with "when will this actually work properly" ...

    15. "neverwinter nights" with "linux client when ??" ...

    20. "ikea" with "crazy swedes"

    1. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      shakira is hot, has a 140 IQ, and hates silicone.

      what could be sweeter

    2. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Troll
      The offensive references to Shakira, Avril Lavigne, and Natalie Portman in the parent post, and the fact that this silly post got modded up to 5 reflect the kind of juvenile, sexist attitudes that are far too prevalent among Slashdot readers. Don't forget that many people in the tech industry are women, and we do not appreciate schoolby attempts at humor.

      BTW, this is offtopic, but Mr. Malda recently mentioned in a Journal comment that Slashdot has too many "+5, Funny" comments. I agree with this sentiment, and I do not appreciate seeing frivolous junk like the parent comment when reading at 4 or 5. I propose that Slashcode be modified so that the highest a comment can be rated is 3. This would free up a lot of mod points for other uses, would reduce the number of users who make dumb jokes to try to gain karma, and would spare those of us who prefer to read at higher threshholds from having to skim over a bunch of stupid comments.

      -jen

    3. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fuck off jen

    4. Re:What google neglected to mention... by nusuth · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      STFU and modify funny modifier.

      --

      Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the War Room!

    5. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but her music and music videos are the equivalent of visual diarreah

      the solution is she should do porn. look at aguilera, she is already half way there.

    6. Re:What google neglected to mention... by jfedor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      BTW, this is offtopic, but Mr. Malda recently mentioned in a Journal comment that Slashdot has too many "+5, Funny" comments. I agree with this sentiment,

      Why don't you just set the Reason Modifier in your preferences accordingly.

      Oh, I know. You'd have to log in to do that.

      -jfedor

    7. Re:What google neglected to mention... by CBNobi · · Score: 2

      News flash: Some people like humor. And before to try to shove any of your ideals on anyone else, do it yourself. Or are you too lazy to even register?

    8. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BTW, this is offtopic, but Mr. Malda recently mentioned in a Journal comment that Slashdot has too many "+5, Funny" comments. I agree with this sentiment, and I do not appreciate seeing frivolous junk like the parent comment when reading at 4 or 5. I propose that Slashcode be modified so that the highest a comment can be rated is 3. This would free up a lot of mod points for other uses, would reduce the number of users who make dumb jokes to try to gain karma, and would spare those of us who prefer to read at higher threshholds from having to skim over a bunch of stupid comments. Yes, I imagine limiting comments to a max of +3 would spare everyone who browsed at higher threshholds from having to read them... OTOH, you could just not click on the "Read Comments" button. MAGIC!

    9. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The offensive reference to Ikea in the parent post, and the fact that this silly post got modded up to 5 reflect the kind of furniture-ist attitudes that are far too prevalent among Slashdot readers. Don't forget that many people in the tech industry are Swedes, and we do not appreciate schoolby attempts at humor.

    10. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Mr.Sarcastic · · Score: 1
      sexist attitudes that are far too prevalent among Slashdot readers. Don't forget that many people in the tech industry are women, and we do not appreciate schoolby attempts at humor.

      Have you ever met any women? Women are responsible for at least 40% of the sexist humor I hear per day. How about you go up to a group of tech industry women and ask them their view on Shakira or Christina Aguilera. Then you'll hear some sexism!

      --

    11. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, frivolous junk appreciates YOU!

    12. Re:What google neglected to mention... by orthogonal · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't forget that many people in the tech industry are women, and we do not appreciate schoolby attempts at humor.

      -jen


      Me: "How many tech industry women does it take to change a light bulb?"

      jen (shrilly): "That's NOT funny!"

    13. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget that many people in the tech industry are women,

      Only a small percentage of whom are anal-retentive feminazis.

      Sorry to break the news to you.

    14. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Me: "How many tech industry women does it take to change a light bulb?"

      Answer: Both of them.

    15. Re:What google neglected to mention... by Any+Web+Loco · · Score: 1

      Ok... so 11 doesn't work.

  26. ummm.. nSync what? by Zone-MR · · Score: 2, Funny

    "nSync *down* from 36 to 163"...

    Damn, that must be a personal tradgedy for them ;)

    1. Re:ummm.. nSync what? by tigga · · Score: 1
      "nSync *down* from 36 to 163"... Damn, that must be a personal tradgedy for them ;)

      Wellll, if they know what the Internet is...

  27. Defying Everything by Malicious · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Leave it to the Backstreet Boys, to be the first boyband, to tumble up.

    Those guys will do anything for attention

    --
    01101001001000000110000101101101001000000110001001 10000101110100011011010110000101101110
    1. Re:Defying Everything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Read the blurb again. They did not "tumble up".

    2. Re:Defying Everything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhh..

      New Kids on the Block?

      Hello?!?!!

  28. Re:Google goatse redirect is back! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But that dosent work anymore ever since google removed goatse from the results, so I found a new way. now if I can only figure out a slashdot one....

  29. Ask Jeeves by jesser · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ask Jeeves also posted year-end search trends, but it picked different information to highlight than either Lycos or Google.

    Yearly: frequent searches, news-related searches, health, CEO scandals, music artists, vacation destinations, products and brands.

    For each of the top 5 news stories, the year-end page includes several popular questions related to the news. For example:

    2. September 11th Memorial
    -- How many people died on September 11, 2001?
    -- Is 9-11 a holiday?
    -- What events are taking place on September 11, 2002?

    Weekly: frequent searches, general advancing queries, movies, and news.

    Some of the advancing queries are questions ("What is Kwanzaa?") and some are searches ("Saint Nicholas"), but I don't know whether that difference reflects actual differences in the way people search on aj.com for different types of information.

    --
    The shareholder is always right.
    1. Re:Ask Jeeves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think someone from the government has been using it:

      -- Where is Osama bin Laden?
      -- Is Saddam Hussein planning terrorist attacks?

  30. Linux more popular than Microsoft by updog · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is kinda interesting, although I've seen this before. Heh, FTP is more popular that Microsoft too :) I wonder if this type of thing scares Microsoft... Google Top Technology Searches: 1. mp3 2. sms 3. winzip 4. linux 5. ftp 6. dell 7. xbox 8. realplayer 9. microsoft 10. java

    1. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by VoiceOfRaisin · · Score: 2, Interesting

      actually thats pretty damn high considering the number of people that probably have microsoft.com as their start page from using IE.

      these results arent very accurate anyways, a lot of people probably only search for things that dont show up at .com. microsoft.com is well known but linux.com and mp3.com may not have what the people were looking for.

    2. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by NineNine · · Score: 2

      I think that most people know that if you type in "Microsoft.com", you get what you want. Or, you've got Windows Update, or god knows how many links in their products that bring you to what you want. But type in "linux.com", and you get something that looks like the HTML Monster took a big shit on the page, all the while providing no good information or links or downloads or documentation or, well, anything. The site is pretty much Slashdot the Sequel.

    3. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Pfhreakaz0id · · Score: 4, Informative

      just fyi, I didn't know 'til recently, google has a specialized Microsoft search engine www.google.com/microsoft. works pretty well. beats searching the kb from MSDN and it indexes non microsoft sites as well.

    4. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      something that looks like the HTML Monster took a big shit on the page
      ...omg, I havent laughed that hard in months
    5. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by ottffssent · · Score: 2

      Nah. Microsoft's not scared of linux at #4 or ftp at #5. They're pissed that realplayer beat them out, and they're gleeful at having beaten java. And look at xbox at #7. For a console that's practically rotting on the shelves, that's pretty durn good. Looks like maybe there *is* a light at the end of that $3 billion tunnel.

    6. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Apathetic1 · · Score: 1

      It could just be that most people know where to find Microsoft when they want to which is something you haven't considered. Microsoft is very centralized while Linux and FTP are (obviously) not.

      --

      My username does not make me Apathetic. It's irony, get it?

    7. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Trillian_1138 · · Score: 1

      There's also a Linux search: http://www.google.com/linux I wouldn't be surprised if there are other specific search engines on google.

    8. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fuck me! This is, honestly, fucking great.

    9. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Webz · · Score: 1

      Wow, I just guessed. There's a http://www.google.com/mac too... Why? I dunno.

    10. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's probably not such a good thing for Linux. While a search for a topic does indicate interest in that topic (good), it probably also means the searcher doesn't KNOW about the topic (bad). Less people search for "microsoft" because everyone knows what Microsoft is. I IMed one of my non-technical friends asking what "linux" was and he searched Google to find out.

    11. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by gl4ss · · Score: 2

      ah, just as it happens that google is most of the time the best search engine to search anything from www.microsoft.com. (their own has more dead links, comes up with irrelevant stuff and is hard to manouver imho.)

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    12. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, look at
      http://www.google.com/options/specialsearches. html

    13. Re:Linux more popular than Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would people need to search for Microsoft? It's pretty obvious to even novice web users that you can find them at www.microsoft.com. I bet www.linux.com gets a lot of hits from people looking for Linux. There just isn't really ONE centralized source for Linux information. There is only ONE Microsoft website. That would be my explanation. As for ftp, a rather bland attempt at looking for 0-day warez, probably...

  31. Over 30 comments posted... by Malfourmed · · Score: 3, Interesting
    ... and no mention that linux (at #4) outranks microsoft (at #9) on the google technology top 10 list?

    Or is this old news?

    1. Re:Over 30 comments posted... by Z0mb1eman · · Score: 1

      Or maybe most people know they can find Microsoft at (oddly enough) www.microsoft.com.

      Then again, Kazaa being #2 might disprove my whole whacky "people are logical" theory.

      --
      ClutterMe.com - easiest site creation on the Net. Just click and type.
    2. Re:Over 30 comments posted... by Kafka_Canada · · Score: 2

      I submitted the same story to slashdot yesterday, but with the emphasis on Google Zeitgeist instead of Lycos (isn't Lycos dead yet?), and on Linux's high result. Linux beat out Microsoft, X-Box, and Dell in Google searches, finishing -- as you say -- at #4 in Technology searches on Google in 2002. That's pretty impressive, and after all the news stories about businesses, governments, schools, etc. switching and considering switching to Linux, I think it's an important landmark, reflecting Linux's rise to prominence, though not dominance, in the technologist's awareness.

      Not to grouse, or anything ;)

      --
      Fuck it
    3. Re:Over 30 comments posted... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is necessary to search the web to find out about Linux, but everyone and their dog knows about Microsoft.

    4. Re:Over 30 comments posted... by Rew190 · · Score: 2
      Linux probably outranks MS because more users are searching for support for Linux products than MS products. Most users probably know that www.microsoft.com has the support they need. I can't really think of one definitive linux site that can say that much. Thus the searches.


      Or I could be way off.

  32. why lycos search results are intresting.. by gl4ss · · Score: 2

    ..is because it's main user base is not totally geeky.

    anyone totally geeky would know to use google..

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  33. all your google by cheese_wallet · · Score: 3, Funny

    According to google's zeitgeist shtick, here , the ever wonderful "all your base are belong to us" is in the top twenty declining queries for 2002.

    Maybe this cycle of "all your xxx" is finally coming to a close.

    1. Re:all your google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All your Maybe this cycle of "all your xxx" is finally coming to a close are belong to us.

    2. Re:all your google by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      All your top declining web search are belong to us!

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    3. Re:all your google by Galvatron · · Score: 1
      To be replaced by:


      "In Soviet Russia, all my base are belong to you!"

      --
      "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
    4. Re:all your google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You fucking pop-culture mooch, with your rip-off unoriginal shitty T-shirts.

      In Soviet Russia, shitty T-shirts print you!

    5. Re:all your google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, all your bases are belong to the cycle of In Soviet Russia all your base are belong to YOU!

      Figure that one out....

  34. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 0

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  35. Re:from the Lycos FAQ...Media Distortion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Prurient Content: We ignore pornographic, four-letter words and otherwise lewd queries, including names of decidedly adult film stars--unless such terms are driven by news events.

    Why? Sexual content is no less valid than any other form of expression. It's obviously popular -- why isn't it represented equally in the study?

    It's an obvious form of media bias -- a slur against the so-called "adult" industry. It's hipocracy -- children can see guns and violence at an early age, but people without clothes, or worse, humans having sex is "bad" for them.

    I decry this media bias. It's clearly a conspiracy by the Storks and their Baby Delivery Monopoly.
    --
    AC

  36. Language Gestapo strikes!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    search for the word insert word here

    insert word here is a phrase.

  37. Interesting by Z0mb1eman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Interesting that Prom Dresses (39) is followed directly by Anorexia (40).

    Coincidence?

    Probably.

    --
    ClutterMe.com - easiest site creation on the Net. Just click and type.
  38. Room at the top. by DoraLives · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about the biggest declines? Boy bands. nSync down from 36 to 163, and Back Street Boys tumble to 250 from 58.

    While this might look like good news, it's not. It only means that cultural space is being made for even stupider things.

    --
    Is it fascism yet?
  39. Dragonball? by incom · · Score: 1

    I didn't know it was still so popular, after the downfall of such influential sites as planetnamek.com et all.

    --
    True genius is grasping a situation like a peice of fruit, and peircing it just right so that it drains dry.
  40. Chu Mei-Feng at #20 by The+Moving+Shadow · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They can't really explain it properly on Lycos, but Taiwanese politician Chu Mei-Feng was ranked #20 on the Lycos search charts over the last year. Personally i have never heard of him, and i think the majority of the non asian people here too. Makes you figure how much asian sites and users make up the whole of the internet while we (read: I) surf only those pages with our western fonts.

    1. Re:Chu Mei-Feng at #20 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Personally i have never heard of him

      He's a she...she's a politician...she supposedly had sex with a married man...there's video.

    2. Re:Chu Mei-Feng at #20 by Tsuzuki · · Score: 1

      If you'd read their vague explanation you'd see that Mei-Feng was female...

      It's true, though, there are so many sites out there that aren't in Western fonts - not just Asian sites, either. The only gaps in the language barrier tend to be company websites and sites by the educated and enterprising.

    3. Re:Chu Mei-Feng at #20 by alphaseven · · Score: 2
      Makes you figure how much asian sites and users make up the whole of the internet while we (read: I) surf only those pages with our western fonts.

      I was wondering about that too, especially after looking at things like the alexa top 500, almost half the sites are asian.

  41. finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wow! Now this is a list of what's really importatnt in the world. I've been looking for something like this for a long time.

  42. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 0

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  43. Sex by UnknownQ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Proudly keeping sex on top by typing it in over and over and over again.

    --
    Wherever you go, there you are!
  44. Am I out of touch...? by NineNine · · Score: 2

    I don't even recognize a lot of those "fastest growing" searches. "shakira"? "avril"? "las ketchup"? "gareth"? Is there some secret underground culture that happens to be really popular that people aren't telling me about? Are these all things related to TV? I'm so confused.

    1. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 3, Informative
      Yep, they're all music-related, to varying degrees of talent (and in Shakira's case, a tenuous grip on the English language to boot!)

      Gareth Gates is the bloke who didn't win the UK's Pop Idol contest, but will probably outlast the winner, Will Young, by dint of having
      1. A decent singing voice.
      2. Not being gay, hence twice the potential audience.
      3. Having a discernable personality.

      As for Las Ketchup, all I know is that I've somehow managed to avoid hearing this all year long. But I bet that if you play it backwards you get Osama Bin Laden saying 'Ha Ha Ha! Ya Missed Me!' :)

      MT.
      --
      -MT.
    2. Re:Am I out of touch...? by NineNine · · Score: 1

      Ah, thanks. Just what I suspected. No TV and no radio are what did it. And, I'm guessing that I should be glad that I don't know who these people are. There hasn't been any good pop music since Michael Jackson's Thriller. (I'm assuming that these *are* pop musicians? rap maybe? country?)

    3. Re:Am I out of touch...? by Coke+in+a+Can · · Score: 1

      I had no idea what Las Ketchup was, and Gareth?, but if you don't recognize Shakira or Avril Lavigne, yes, you are out of touch.

    4. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 2

      There hasn't been any good pop music since Michael Jackson's Thriller.

      Some would say that there hasn't been any good pop music from Michael Jackson since 'Thriller'. :)

      (I was this close to doing IN SOVIET RUSSIA..., but I resisted the urge.)

      MT.

      --
      -MT.
    5. Re:Am I out of touch...? by NineNine · · Score: 2

      OK, I also just noticed that under top men #3 is "Nelly". Is that a mistake, or is there really a grown man that goes by "Nelly"? Is he/she maybe a transvestite performer of some kind? Cross-dresser?

    6. Re:Am I out of touch...? by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 2
      There hasn't been any good pop music since Michael Jackson's Thriller.

      Just how old are you Nine? :)

      FYI Las Ketchup is a "craze" coming from Spain, 3 teenage girls who sing a silly song. Actually, I saw the video and it's not at all memorable, I'm not sure why it's got such attention. It's like that "I kiss you" thing a while back with the turkish guy. Just one of those wierd internet things you get now that everybody has instant communication across national boundaries.

    7. Re:Am I out of touch...? by NineNine · · Score: 2

      Damn. No TV, no radio, AND no broadband. Talk about pop culture siberia.

    8. Re:Am I out of touch...? by henben · · Score: 2
      Not being gay, hence twice the potential audience.

      I'd like to see your working for that.

    9. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 2

      He's definitely a bloke. You've got him mixed up with Nelly Furtado... oh, wait, I know what you're next question is...

      [Mark&Lard] Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo? ?!! :)

      MT.

      --
      -MT.
    10. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 2

      I'd like to see your working for that.

      Okay!

      Gay = appeals to blokes (+ the confused old folks!)
      Straight = appeals to blokes + young impressionable girls with cash to burn

      Actually, that's probably more than twice, my excuse being that I used the same calculator as the person who does the sums for the RIAA. :)

      MT.

      --
      -MT.
    11. Re:Am I out of touch...? by feelsinister · · Score: 1

      I think you're a bit confused here, Gareth Gates is the pop idol without any personality. In fact, he's quite possibly a puppet, made out of wood and operated by a chimp named Simon. His singing voice is the only thing he has going for him on the musical front, he's completely devoid of any sort of passion or emotion and will fade away into the black. The only reason he'll last is because his stutter will leave him saying the same thing for years.

      I'm not Will Young's biggest fan either, but Will does have a bit of personality, his own style and at least a marginal talent. But not much.

    12. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 2

      All water under the bridge, since we both know that Darius is the One True Pop Don! :)

      MT.

      --
      -MT.
    13. Re:Am I out of touch...? by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 2

      He is a rapper. But from what I've heard he raps about ladies and enjoying some fine mary jane, so he's better than all the other rappers talking about killing cops and raping people and whatever.

      Tim

      --
      Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    14. Re:Am I out of touch...? by NineNine · · Score: 2

      You got it. I might have heard "Nelly Furtado" before.... actually may have seen the name on CNN or something. But, I'll let it rest. I have no idea who he is, but I really don't care. I'm *blissfully* outta touch with mainstream pop culture. The last thing I remember is some Taco Bell dog or something like that.

    15. Re:Am I out of touch...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry. There actually is a somewhat secretive underground culture, and they happen to be called "teenagers". I used to be one just a couple years ago, and I can hardly believe how weird they've become since I left.
      (Soon I'll be joining the much ridiculed "old-geezer-with-a-stick-up-his-bum" culture. Oh boy.)

    16. Re:Am I out of touch...? by wheany · · Score: 2

      "-It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.
      -Baby I'm getting so hot, I'm gonna take my clothes off"

      *shiver* Worst lyrics ever

    17. Re:Am I out of touch...? by jim3e8 · · Score: 1

      Perhaps this is valid in your universe, but in ours we have the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC.

    18. Re:Am I out of touch...? by MonTemplar · · Score: 2

      Perhaps this is valid in your universe, but in ours we have the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC.

      You have my deepest sympathy. :)

      MT.

      --
      -MT.
    19. Re:Am I out of touch...? by el_chicano · · Score: 2
      The last thing I remember is some Taco Bell dog or something like that.
      The Taco Bell chihuahua is so YESTERDAY! Haven't you seen the GEICO gecko yet?
      --
      A man who wants nothing is invincible
  45. Yahoo! by foo1752 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yahoo! gathers these same search statistics on a weekly basis. You can check it out here. They've also compiled the total 2002 results here. Of course, their results aren't really much different from everyone elses.

  46. People who think in bbcode can bite my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the fuck is up with that shit?

    Why recreate html as a more difficult to type language?

    1. Re:People who think in bbcode can bite my ass by netsharc · · Score: 3, Funny

      that's some lame markup language that a certain PHP forum system has, which supposedly makes it easier to insert tags, but it's just like HTML.

      But it does have it benefits. With that, you can disable HTML but this limited language is parsable to (non-annoying) HTML.

      --
      What time is it/will be over there? Check with my iPhone app!
    2. Re:People who think in bbcode can bite my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, bbcode recreates YOU.

  47. Missing results by flogger · · Score: 2
    Going over the articles I was suprised at this:
    The new year isn't here yet, but Schatz is already predicting that the biggest movie of 2003 - based on the high number of searches -- will be the sequel to The Matrix.
    My initial reacion was, "No Lord of the Rings?" I guess Orlando Bloom is part of that. or maybe Ring fans don't do searches. They probably just have The One Ring.Net already bookmarked.
    Or maybe Lycos isn;t that good of an indicator of Web trends. (I haven't been to Lycos for about 5 years.)
    --
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    "First things first -- but not necessarily in that order"
    -- The Doctor, "Doctor
    1. Re:Missing results by realmolo · · Score: 1

      Or, maybe, no one really gives a shit about Lord of the Rings, because it sucks.

  48. who use lycos ? aliens ? by SpiritC · · Score: 1

    that list doesnt sound normal to me. dradonball in first ? im not a fan of dragonball but... i doubt its the most "important" thing on the web.

    --
    Smile... tomorrow will be worse.
    1. Re:who use lycos ? aliens ? by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 3, Funny

      I work in a children's library, which means that a lot of kids who are too poor to have internet at home come in to use ours. * A LOT * of them just search for Dragonball Z. Which means:

      1.) I get bombarded with requests for how to spell strange names that sound like "Gokugeeta".

      2.) These kids get pissed when the crapass websites they go to eventually open enough popups that the computer gives up and freezes.

      Tim

      --
      Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
  49. Completely incomplete without porn. by NineNine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I hate to say it, but this is completely useless since they stripped out anything objectionable. I didn't see porn or sex or anything relating to sex on there at all. This is like the "sanitized for TV" version of the stats, which in my mind, aren't really stats at all.

  50. good joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    sex as No1 excluded? no, I guess it means that all searchterms associated with sex are excluded as well, like No2 porn, No3 horny teens, No4 cumshots, ... and the other 200 topsearched words before Dragonball finally shows up.

    - t

  51. Leave ms alone! AD rocks! by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

    The KCC is the Zen Master guru of Active Directory. It dynamically computed the best topology for my Active Directory. It does not bother me that I have 512 - T1 links for my WAN and that I still have AD replication failures. Sure my event log fills up with undecipherable errors, so what? The bottom line is, I am on the bleeding edge at all times. I am fully committed to this platform, no matter how much it pains my user base.

  52. Why factor out sex? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After all *these* are the most searched for terms
    and not dragonball or kazaa of whatever. I will never understand the hypocricy of US people towards this.

    1. Re:Why factor out sex? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lycos's top 100 results:
      1) sex
      2) lesbians
      3) porn
      4) cumshots
      5) naked
      6) chicks
      7) tits
      8) ass
      9) etc
      10) etc ...
      100) DragonBall Z

      That's why.

  53. Don't be alarmed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Seeing the high scoring searches may give a gloomy outlook towards the future of civilization but don't worry. Only stupid people would be using lycos and that skews the results a bit. Kind of like how the police take their seatbelt usage samples /at the roadblocks/ and claim their efforts increase seatbelt usage.

  54. Sex by Rosonowski · · Score: 2

    Simple reasoning that they didn't "feel the need to list" sex. "Kazaa".

    Same thing, right? Well, at least I see them as such. Mmm... pr0n.

    --
    01101001 01100001 01101101 01101110 01101111 01110100 01100001 01101100 01100001 01110111 01111001 01100101 01110010
  55. No Geeks in the top 10 by StarTux · · Score: 2

    Time to really start hitting google for Linus, CMdrTaco and others, so next year one of them ends up in the top 10 list.

    StarTux

  56. What about google? by autopr0n · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You know its weird, google has so much more traffic then Lycos, and they are the ones who coined the term 'Zeitgeist' to refer to perotic web-search stats reports. (I.e the 'Google Zeitgeist'). In fact, Google just released their Zeitgeist for 2k2 a couple days ago, but I've been seeing the Lycos thing all over the place.

    I guess Terra-Lycos, being a true media company rather then search-only knows how to play the PR game better. Ah well.

    Ah well. Typing the term 'zeitgeist' over and over has really messed with my head...

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  57. I propose a crusade for next year! by eggnogg · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think we need to proppel "wigs and hairpieces" into the top ten most searched. I suggest taking a few moments out of each day to search for some new head attire.
    Now go forth and spread the word.

    egg

  58. And on Slashdot? by Ed+Avis · · Score: 2

    There should be a Slashdot zeitgeist listing the most common words (and sequences of two or more words, using some weird statistical algorithm possibly mentioning 'Markov chains' although I have no idea what they are) appearing in comments.

    (Maybe with long identical sequences removed to reduce the weighting given to multiple identical troll postings.)

    --
    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
    1. Re:And on Slashdot? by Unregistered · · Score: 1

      slashdot common words: soviet russia beowulf cluster microsoft is evil wasn't hard

    2. Re:And on Slashdot? by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      Yeah but how do you track how the Soviet Russia mentions have grown and changed over the past 12 months?

      You can also guess the top search result on all popular search engines; what's interesting is the more detailed information.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  59. Re:Continuing the First Post Quest, DBZ style by NineBall · · Score: 1

    Buu make you dead!

    --
    You may not agree with what I'm saying but I'll kill you for my right to say it
  60. nonono... by autopr0n · · Score: 2

    Wow, the world is much geekier than i thought.

    They were searching for the the Anime "DragonBall Z" Which is about little kids figiting and stuff.

    So you were wrong, the world is much, much, more geeky then you figured...

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:nonono... by spencerogden · · Score: 1

      And you have a worse sense of humour than I figured

  61. Al Gore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did anyone ever hear the tearm Zeitgeist before Al Gore said it a few weeks ago?

    Here is an article about his comments:
    http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021 128-1259112 3.html

    1. Re:Al Gore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Here is William F Buckley Jr. comments on Gore's comments

      And then Al Gore is telling us that the effect of the vast right wing conspiracy is -- well, let him tell it: "They'll create a little echo chamber, and pretty soon they'll start baiting the mainstream media for allegedly ignoring the story they've pushed into the Zeitgeist." Pushed into the Zeitgeist! How do you do that? Affect the spirit of the age? Does Coca-Cola know how to do that? Burger King? Muhammad?

      The entire article is in National Review.

    2. Re:Al Gore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A retarded dog can PISS words in the snow better than Buckley can write them.

    3. Re:Al Gore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well Gore just annonced that he will not run for pres again so I guess it doesn't matter

    4. Re:Al Gore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, it's a common word here in Germany.

  62. What about internet2? by TeddyR · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What about sites that are located in internet2. Wasnt that supposed have been created by the major research universities as a result of the commercialism of the "Regular" internet?

    http://www.internet2.edu/

    Many universities now have their own internal search engines that their students connect to... Many of those searches are not factored in these results either.

    Many users go directly to their most used sites like cnn.com or espn.com and search for what they want there. Those results may not be factored in to the google or lycos results...

    Then comes places like AOL that still have millions of users that do searches from within the AOL client which are not factored in either...

    --

    --
    Time is on my side
    1. Re:What about internet2? by Dachannien · · Score: 1

      But they filtered out "sex" already, so there's really no reason to include the AOL searches.

  63. IN SOVIET RUSSIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Items LIST the search engines

    1. Re:IN SOVIET RUSSIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This one is good. Excellent work.

  64. Well... by autopr0n · · Score: 2

    I knew a guy at work who would usualy go to google, type in [company-name] and then hit the first link, rather then typing [company-name].com

    I also used to get lots of refers from people searching for "autopr0n" on google, although weirdly enough autopr0n.com actualy dosn't show up untill the 4th page on a search for autopr0n. The first two links are too my slashdot and kuro5hin user info pages, followed by a bunch of links of people talking about my page... it's really weird.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  65. Lycos?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I searched google for lycos and got nothing like dragonbal, briteny spears, etc.

    What gives?

  66. Hahah by autopr0n · · Score: 5, Informative

    Chu Mei-Feng isn't a guy, it's a woman. A taiwanese Politictian who had a huge sex scandal in Taiwan.

    Basically she was the 'girlfriend' you could say of a high-ranking politico who helped her get into the equivalent of congress. (most Americans would have balked, at this point, but in Taiwan it was kosher)

    Anyway, he got her a house, and she got lonely so she invited a friend to live with her. Except, her friend ended up putting video cameras in her bedroom and recorded her having sex with lots of different guys. Then released the VCDs.

    So, when people searched for "Chu Mei-Feng" they weren't looking for info on the Taiwan-China relations (CMF was pro-unification, fyi), but rather they were looking for .mpg files of her getting fucked.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:Hahah by radish · · Score: 2

      so err...any pointers as to where I can get them? Taiwanese politics is waaay more interesting that ours ;)

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    2. Re:Hahah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kazaa. Pretty boring video though :(

    3. Re:Hahah by frostman · · Score: 1

      wow, now that's a great story!

      thanks for posting it, i probably never would have heard of it otherwise.

      --

      This Like That - fun with words!

    4. Re:Hahah by Dolly_Llama · · Score: 2

      So do you link to them at autopr0n?

      --

      Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -- Carl Sagan

  67. Kwanzaa by Sirch · · Score: 2

    This seems to be a source of info on Kwanzaa, for all you non-Americans out there. Seems to be some Christmas alternative thing.

    1. Re:Kwanzaa by wirelessbuzzers · · Score: 1

      Are you sure it's not just a strange misspelling of Kazaa?

      --
      I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
  68. Tattoos... by Moderation+abuser · · Score: 2

    A sign of the times indeed.

    I've been thinking of getting one and looking for insipiration. The tree of life from Celtic/Norse mythology is top of the list so far for a number of reasons.

    Favourite design so far is:
    http://www.kelticdesigns.com/Pages/Treeprint. html

    Though I haven't yet asked permission from the artist.

    --
    Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
  69. Re:Kelp Dip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm a consumer whore!

    And how!

  70. YOU FAIL IT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    YOU FAIL IT!

  71. Doh by Tachys · · Score: 3, Funny

    You just had to mention Dragonball

    "Let the fun begin Majin Buu"

    "Heh heh heh heh heh heh"

    "This can't be happening"

    "Buu go Bang Bang"

    "We have got to stop them"

    "Ready!"

    "Yes"

    "HAH"

    "Stay with it"

    "Buu not scared"

    "Let's take it to the next level"

    "Looks like our friend is in need of a haircut"

    I guess this proves I have no life, even by slashdot standards

    1. Re:Doh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ooogh, I don't know if it's worse that you memorized that entire DBZ promo from CN or that I know exactly what that is & can think of the images that go with it...

  72. Re:Family Learning Channel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My Anus is bleeding!

  73. Las Kethcup? by CritterNYC · · Score: 2

    Google search traffic follows the Las Ketchup craze as it circles the globe. See graph.

    Lyrics: Asereje ja de je de jebe tude jebere sebiunouba majabi an de bugui an de buididipi

    No... it isn't Spanish... it's gibberish. This little ditty has been referred to as the new Macarena. Do we really need ANOTHER macarena?

    1. Re:Las Kethcup? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How depressing, eh?

    2. Re:Las Kethcup? by n3k5 · · Score: 1

      Gibberish? According to their site (to which I came from textism.com, where you can find an excellent write-up on the song), there's a Spanish and a 'Spanglish' version. Maybe the latter was what you took for gibberish?

      --
      but what do i know, i'm just a model.
    3. Re:Las Kethcup? by CritterNYC · · Score: 2

      Gibberish? According to their site (to which I came from textism.com, where you can find an excellent write-up on the song), there's a Spanish and a 'Spanglish' version. Maybe the latter was what you took for gibberish?

      Yes, there is a Spanish and a Spanglish version, but both of them use the exact same chorus mentioned above... and it is gibberish.

  74. In SOVIET RUSSIA all of us belong to base! by SageLikeFool · · Score: 1

    Which for some reason has been replaced by a Yacov Smirnoff (sp?) revival, at least on Slashdot.

    1. Re:In SOVIET RUSSIA all of us belong to base! by Dr.+Cody · · Score: 1

      It's been a pretty big cliche on fark.com for a while. It wouldnt be the first farkism to have migrated--or vice versa.

  75. How many, eh? by Snaller · · Score: 2

    Funny Lycos doesn't tell you HOW many have actually search... Who uses Lycos anymore? Perhaps its just CowboyNeil and Commander Taco (Last year it was just CowboyNeil, so its up 200%!)

    --
    If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
  76. dragonball -- why? by jdkane · · Score: 2

    What's the fascination with Dragonball? What is it anways? -- a television show, a movie, an electronics device, or something else? Please somebody explain why it's so popular. The curiosity is killing me. Does the Lycos crowd know something that we don't, or was the Dragonball movie advertised on the website all year long?

    1. Re:dragonball -- why? by greenius · · Score: 1

      I'm glad its not just me who doesn't know what "dragonball" is, I would look it up on the internet, but it would just bias the popular search request chart even further.

      --
      I copied this sig from someone else (but where did they get it from?)
    2. Re:dragonball -- why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An animated series (Dragonball Z, I think)... and there's also line of Motorola processors with that name (used in older Palms, for example), but I don't think that contributes to the search term's success =)

  77. Da, Comrade! by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 1

    In Soviet Russia, we belong to all your base!

    Yakov

    --
    Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
  78. Re:from the Lycos FAQ...Media Distortion by pkaminsk · · Score: 1
    It's hipocracy

    Government by hippos?

  79. Re:Hurry! We can still influence the 2002 results! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I nominate this

  80. Slashdot version? by alfredw · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just a thought on a cool Slashcode idea... Track trends on /.! The google graph for the "Las Ketchup" craze has inspired me... Could we track the first occurances, and subsequent uptake/getting-oldness of various /. trends? The first "first post!!!", the height of goatse-ism, the birth of "IN SOVIET RUSSIA"?

    I'd be amused :-)

    --
    In Soviet Russia, sig types you!
    1. Re:Slashdot version? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1 "first post!"
      2 goatse-ism
      3 "IN SOVIET RUSSIA"?
      4 ??
      5 Profit! ??

      AAAAAGH!

    2. Re:Slashdot version? by hansroy · · Score: 1

      You forgot all the karma sig jokes

  81. A list of similar tools... by dekraved · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...can be found on my site, http://metabuzz.kushaldave.com. There's also a tool that puts up the different lists side-by-side, though it's a bit broken at the moment. I know self-promotion is always suspect, but I think people interested in things like Zeitgeist will find the list useful.

  82. superb searches by Kragg · · Score: 1

    I just watched through 3 refreshes, and in every pageful someone had searched for 'food'.

    Just food.

    Yes.

    --
    If you can't see this, click here to enable sigs.
  83. Number 1 Search? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2
    Q:
    What is the number 1 term, queryed by the Lycos search engine?

    A:
    "Google.com"

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  84. Las Vegas the only city... by doormat · · Score: 2

    On lycos's list, Las Vegas (#11) is the only city to be listed (funnily enough, between Pam Anderson and Anna Kournikova).

    --
    The Doormat

    If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
  85. Linux microsoft by Unregistered · · Score: 1

    in google's technology stats, linux scored at 4 while ms scored at 8. sweet, imo.

  86. Your favorite p2p ap? by autopr0n · · Score: 2

    I think I found the stuff on WinMX, personaly.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  87. What a hopeful world we live in by TheDarkener · · Score: 2, Insightful

    When the top 100 searches on a search engine have mostly to do with entertainment (I.E. Spears, Football, Linkin Park, etc.)

    If I was religious, I'd pray for the state of our people. What a horribly depressing top 100 list. Have we got nothing else to think about besides damned Brittany?

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  88. Thank god for small miracles... by dh003i · · Score: 2

    How about the biggest declines? Boy bands. nSync down from 36 to 163, and Back Street Boys tumble to 250 from 58.

    Well, thank god for that. I don't know how much more of this "dirty pop" crap I can take.

    On another note, people actually use Lycos? Lycos, what's that? Isn't that a dog or something?

  89. Google holiday logos by WesG · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As I was reading the Google Zeitgeist I came across a link to the various logos that Google has used during various holidays and events throughout the years. I didn't realize how many there were.

    Check it out:
    http://www.google.com/holidaylogos.html

  90. http://www.demospasser.dk/demoDATA/3639.mpeg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  91. The Bible beats out Marijuana by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Score one for the Religious Right!

  92. Re:from the Lycos FAQ...Media Distortion by mcowger · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I know you are joking, but to seriously answer, I would bet the reason they drop adult topics, etc, is they would skew the results into oblivion :0).

  93. Use Google to Improve Linux by rowanxmas · · Score: 1

    If people are searching for Linux blah blah driver, then keep track of the top ones for knowledable folks to look at and do something about..myabe better support for certain graphics cards..or other possible kernel inclusions.

  94. google stats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it's not corruption that is the immediate problem, its access to stats.

    why doesn't google offer such a service?

    who does?

  95. MOD THIS UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why the fuck hasn't this been modded above 2 yet? this is good shizzit!!

    p.s. seems like slashdot is getting lame lately.
    duh!!! ;)

  96. Re:from the Lycos FAQ...Media Distortion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    no no no
    Government by the hip.

    And that works under both definitions of 'hip' :-)

  97. [slightly OT] by platypus · · Score: 2

    Does anybody know what happened to the browser stats on google?

    [wild conspiracy theory]
    Did MS pay them to leave this stats out because they could unveil some increase in mozilla usage?
    [/wild conspiracy theory]

  98. Jeez by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jeez,

    Woulda thought "lesbians with strapons" would have been in there somewhere!

    Pr0n owns joo!

  99. chilling by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 2

    Look at the number 2 UK search - Big Brother. I guess they've noticed that they can't pick their nose in public without it being taped.

  100. Re:from the Lycos FAQ...Media Distortion by patter · · Score: 1

    Why? Sexual content is no less valid than any other form of expression. It's obviously popular -- why isn't it represented equally in the study?

    Because we are a horribly prudish society?

    I work and interact with many people a lot younger than me (I'm in my 30's many of these folks range from like 12-40).

    One of these guys and I were talking about how he caught his cousin (female) masturbating. He was thinking that he should 'blackmail' her about this.

    I asked him why he would want to do that, saying what it's natural, don't tell me you've never done that, etc. After talking for a couple of hours, he actually decided against this course of action.

    It's shocking to see the 'values' that parents are still passing onto their kids regarding sex.

    I once lived with a woman who had a young daughter, most times she asked about sex related questions, it was a relief that we just talked to her honestly about it. She caused quite a fuss in our little neighborhood for repeating something we talked about once, so I'm guessing we were in the vast minority by actually not being fscked up about sex questions from a kid.

    Sad really, I don't think I'm perfect or anything, but why is it that so many people are so bloody prudish still? Didn't the sexual revolution happen 30 years ago?

    --
    -- If at first you do succeed, try to hide your astonishment. -- Harry F. Banks
  101. Since you asked by Planesdragon · · Score: 2

    I like DBZ, oddly enough, for one of the things I also like about Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Deep Space 9--and one of the major reasons why I don't really like Dragonlance anymore.

    DBZ is a series of long stores of indefinite length; only rarely are the episodes self-contained, and the characters have a tendency to change, alter alliegences, and have some real development.

    Sure, it's slanted towards the main hero (Goku always saves the day--even when he's dead) and the "fighting" has gotten to an unbelievable level, but it's got a far better episode-to-episode story than any other cartoon on the American airwaves.

    1. Re:Since you asked by Ed+Avis · · Score: 1

      Right. It definitely sounds the kind of series I wouldn't watch (I hate all this 'long arc' stuff, at least when it comes in the way of getting a tightly written storyline into each episode).

      The only episode of DBZ I saw featured some pink monster who was attacking this hero dude (for some reason not clear) and being attacked in turn. Then after a 50 minute fight sequence they got trapped in a parallel dimension or something. I was asked to tune in next time to find out if they ever get out, but uh...

      Still, a chacun son gout and all that.

      --
      -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  102. Re:Hurry! We can still influence the 2002 results! by n3k5 · · Score: 1

    Does that mean that on /. a shameless plug for some books that are for sale will become "5, Insightful" once you repeat it over and over and over and over?

    --
    but what do i know, i'm just a model.
  103. explanation by n3k5 · · Score: 1

    It's a TV show. They're not taped picking their noses, they're filmed 24/7 in what is essentially a nicer prison and broadcast to all over Britain as they pick their noses.

    --
    but what do i know, i'm just a model.
    1. Re:explanation by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 1

      Ah. Thanks for the clue.

  104. Re:Hurry! We can still influence the 2002 results! by Monkelectric · · Score: 2

    you know what, fuck you and your stupid find your sex gateway. You and it are the two stupidest things on the internet.

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

  105. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do,
    and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the
    graduate school mountain but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
    These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't
    hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess.
    Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.
    Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good
    for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint
    and sing and dance and play and work some every day.
    Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for
    traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the
    little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and
    nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and
    hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup -- they all
    die. So do we.
    And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you
    learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK. Everything you need to know is in
    there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and
    politics and sane living.
    Think of what a better world it would be if we all -- the whole world
    -- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with
    our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other
    nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own
    messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into
    the world it is best to hold hands and stick together.
    -- Robert Fulghum, "All I ever really needed to know I learned
    in kindergarten"

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...