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MSN Search Blocking Results For XFree86?

Posted by simoniker on from the because-they-made-a-mistake? dept.

Peacefire writes "Thomas Shaddack spotted this on http://www.root.cz/ (in Czech) -- if you go to http://search.msn.com/ and search for 'XFree86', it tells you that you've 'entered a search term that is likely to return adult content', and directs you to the porn search engine NightSurf.com, which lists a bunch of porn sites that ostensibly match the term 'XFree86'. If you search for 'XFree86' on Google, however, it's clear that the top matching terms returned by a normal search, are XFree86 sites, are not a bunch of porn sites. MSN is apparently blocking the specific term 'XFree86' and not just filtering on something stupid like the 'X' or the 'Free', since you can search for 'XFree85' and 'XFree87' with no problem. And search terms like 'Linux', 'AOL' and 'Macintosh' are allowed, so at least MSN hasn't simply blacklisted all competitors' keywords as 'porn', but why would they be blocking 'XFree86'?"

10 of 875 comments (clear)

  1. What's weird by prostoalex · · Score: 5, Interesting

    XFree85 seems to work
    And so does XFree87

    Here's a search for a possible culprit - just x86. Seems fine, although notice how the first 9 results are all AMD, with some impostor Intel claiming #10 spot (and it's not even Intel's site, it's Solaris on Intel document).

    But back to searches for XFree86. So it wasn't the X86 part, how about
    free86 - oh, look, XFree86.org is listed with Microsoft search engine after all. You just don't search it by name, search it by keyword that's reasonably close.

    1. Re:What's weird by ttldkns · · Score: 5, Interesting

      and so does "xfree8", "xfree6", "xfree 86", "xfree8 6" and "x free 86"

      curiouser and curiouser said alice

      --
      How many computers are too many?
    2. Re:What's weird by jelle · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I used this: XFree86 "4.4"

      and that search also returned xfree86.org as the first link.

      So to me it does not look like "some porn sites plastered the term "XFree86" all over themselves", but more like a suspiciously blocked search query.

      --
      --- Hindsight is 20/20, but walking backwards is not the answer.
  2. BTW is you search for XXX by t-maxx+cowboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    MSN returns all sorts of hits, it does not say anything about likely to return adult content.

    --
    Regards,

    Ryan Pritchard
    Fun Extends All Basic Life Expectancies
  3. Search for "search engine" by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 5, Interesting
    heh, google lists itself sixth, but doesn't list MSN search at all.

    MSN lists itself first, and google is fourth - higher in the rankings than it is on google itself.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  4. Compare "SCO" on MSN v. Google by MooseByte · · Score: 5, Interesting


    And while XFree86 gets blocked on MSN, let's see how a search for "SCO" fares on the two engines. (Top 11, "Because it's one more, you see".)

    Hmmmm. Yep, no surprise there.

    MSN Search Results "SCO" (Top 11):

    1. SCO www.sco.com
    2. California State Controller Kids Site www.kids.sco.ca.gov
    3. Newsgroup: biz.sco news:biz.sco
    4. Reuters - MyDoom Worm Aimed at SCO Web Site
    5. DealTime - Sco Product www.dealtime.com/xGS-sco~NS-5320
    6. InfoWorld - SCO: IBM Cannot Enforce GPL
    7. Computer Business Consultants, SCO Unix Sales, Service & Support
    8. Calibex.com - Simple Tech SCO-QUBE3/256 256MB for Sun
    9. Bagpipe Marches & Music of Sco CD - Amazon.com
    10. Northern New Jersey Council - Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco www.nobebosco.org
    11. Northern New Jersey Council - Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco www.nnjbsa.org/camps/nobebosco

    Google Search Results "SCO" (Top 11):

    (Note: Includes the Google News "teaser" links just added.)

    News:
    1. SCO posts $2.3 million loss - InfoWorld - 2 hours ago
    2. Perth firm files complaint against SCO - The Age - 9 hours ago
    3. User group hits out at SCO - VNUNet - 11 hours ago
    4. www.caldera.com
    5. SCO | SCOsource www.caldera.com/scosource/
    6. OSI Position Paper on the SCO-vs.-IBM Complaint
    7. The SCO Group | SCO Grows Your Business sco.com/
    8. the SCO v IBM info website
    9. Analysis of SCO's Las Vegas Slide Show
    10. California State Controller's Office www.sco.ca.gov/
    11. GROKLAW www.groklaw.net/

  5. Re:XFree69 by ttldkns · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Xfree86 +sex +porn +boobs +nudity

    no porn warning on this one.

    what a f***** up world

    --
    How many computers are too many?
  6. They blocked other things in the past ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Back in the good old days ... of the dot-com boom, I worked on the first web-based airline-travel reservation system ever (online in June 1995 to be precise). A while later, Microsoft got into that business, and at that point, we discovered that all traffic from MSN customers to our site was blocked. Prior to this, something like 5-10% of all hits came from there, and the drop in traffic was noticable. (We had breakdowns: AOL was about 10%-15%, Prodigy another 5%-10%, and netcom another 10%).

    We talked about doing the full investigation, and suing, etc. and even called the district attorney since this seemed to be criminal behaviour to us. We decided we were too small and too poor to pursue the matter as a civil case, and I don't know what happened w/ the DA.

    I thought it was pretty foul play, it was one of a number of incidents that helped turn me into a bitter Microsoft-hater.

  7. But these work? by fdamstra · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The following search terms, which I'd think would trigger their detection algorithm, all work fine for me, and even return porn sites:

    Catholic Schoolgirls

    Hot teen sluts

    upskirt shots

    pictures of women licking my balls

    sexy XFree86 girls

    So, even if XFree86 was unintentional, what content do they think they're protecting us from?

  8. Re:XFree86 porn by frazzydee · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wow! What a horrible search engine! Xfree86 porn doesn't bring up the warning because it's not the EXACT term which they have in their database. I suspect that they compiled a list of terms likely to bring up adult content, but they fail to check if somebody used a combination of those words.
    Seach for porn, and you'll get the nightsurf thing. Search for nude, and you'll also get the nightsurf warning. But- if you search for porn nude then you'll get no warning at all!!! This is stupid even for microsoft standards.