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Why Microsoft Wants to Buy Google

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the break-out-the-foil-hats dept.

xihr writes "Harry Fletcher writes in The Inquirer about an obvious discrepancy between searches for "linux windows" on Google and MSN; the former comes up with almost 9 million hits, but the latter only comes up with -- wait for it -- 16. The author then speculates on Microsoft's ulterior motives for their attempted (and failed) purchase of Google."

6 of 500 comments (clear)

  1. Not so fast by DeadSea · · Score: 5, Informative
    The author of the article has no clue how MSN search actually works. MSN search returns only sponsored results first. There are 16 sponsored results and then if you go to the next page you see:
    Results 16-30 of about 8782246 containing "linux windows"
    Their non-sponsored links don't seem to be so evil:
    1. Wine Development HQ
    2. Linux Online
    3. freshmeat.net
    4. WinLinux 2003
    5. Red Hat
    6. Linux.com
    7. XChat
    8. NeTraverse
    9. Opera Software
    10. Cygwin
    11. Microsoft Linux
    12. Operating System Sucks-Rules-O-Meter
    13. Linux + Windows 95 mini-HOWTO
    14. Download Opera
    The list looks like a pretty good list of top sites.

    The fact that MSN Search is willing to whore their entire first page of search results to the top bidder is another matter altogether. It makes their search hard to use, it confuses people, it is dihonest, and I'm sure glad that there are other alternatives. They get people to use MSN search because it is the default search engine for the Internet Explorer browser. Many people use it becasue they don't know about the alternatives. Sound like their other anti-competative behavior?

    1. Re:Not so fast by DeadSea · · Score: 4, Informative
      Just for the record, here are some links:

      Google search for: linux windows - Results 1 - 30 of about 8,140,000. Search took 0.15 seconds.

      MSN search for: linux windows - Results 1-15 of about 16 containing "linux windows"
      MSN search for: linux windows (page 2) - Results 16-30 of about 8898820 containing "linux windows"

  2. Re:Microsoft Biased? Never! by leerpm · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think it is more a result of MSN having such a smaller index to search from. Search for 'Windows' on MSN, and you only get 2373 results.

  3. Know The Alternatives by Mr.+Darl+McBride · · Score: 5, Informative
    Google are instead intending to IPO by auctioning off shares. It's an unusual approach, but they're an unusual company. Still, this doesn't preclude Microsoft or another party with specific interests from acquiring Google. With this in mind, we should still be considering the possibility that something could go very wrong in Google's future.

    For a while, I've been looking at alternative search engines. I still use Google as my primary engine, but I hate having such a strong reliance on a single tool. Any tool I don't own and keep locally could go away at any point or change and become useless to me.

    The closest thing to Google I've found to date is AllTheWeb.com. AllTheWeb started out as an experimental second site by Lycos, with the apparent goal of being a Google clone. The thing matured quickly, being an objective and statistics-driven search site, unlike Lycos' own site where sites buy placement. AllTheWeb was later purchased from Lycos by Overture, even more famous for paid placement and (IMHO) slimy advertising tactics. But for the six months or so since they made the purchase, they seem to have left it alone. They may well also be trying to clone Google completely. And if Google suddenly sours as a search tool, this may well finally pay off big for them.

    Give AllTheWeb a try. I'm not petitioning anyone to switch over and start using ATW as their only engine, but make sure you know that alternative is there and - more importantly - make sure Google's new owners know that you're aware of an alternative. It just may be enough to keep them honest.

  4. Try "apache server" by YeOldeGnurd · · Score: 4, Informative

    Strange. I certainly don't want to defend MSN search, but it seems to intentionally limit the response set for common words. Hence, low numbers of responses for "linux", "apache", and "windows". But if you search for "apache server", there's about 5 million responses on MSN search.

    --
    ...Nothing interesting here. Just move along...
  5. Re:But wait! There's more... by Al_Lapalme · · Score: 3, Informative

    The "1 - 365" results are "Featured sites" and "Web Directory Sites";

    Once you pass those pages, you have "Web Pages" (in light gray, after the last web-directory sites link) which has approximately 15 989 646 pages.

    "I think its just a shoddy search engine made by them with their usual incompetence. "

    They approximate, just like Google. They may be biases but the difference in numbers you mentionned isn't incompetent programming; they just chose to show the number of "featured sites" instead of all of the web pages.

    And since the average windows/Msn user probably never looks beyond page 5, it's a good choice [IMO]

    --
    Al