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OS Stats Removed From Google's Zeitgeist

Posted by simoniker on from the teacup-tsunami dept.

Kelly McNeill writes "Google's Zeitgeist service is sometimes used by news sources as a resource to generate install-base (don't call it market share!), statistics for operating systems. osViews contacted Google to bring some clarity to questionable aspects of the OS statistic, to which Google said that Zeitgeist is only a fun search inquiry resource and should not be used to generate statistical information. A couple days after that inquiry, we found that Google has since removed the OS stats from the Zeitgeist service."

24 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Re:Bets are on... by DeathPenguin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looooooooonix?

  3. MSN by prostoalex · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hopefully MSN will pick up where Google left off and provide free unbiased stats.

    1. Re:MSN by kagaku · · Score: 2, Funny

      In which case Linux will suddenly have a 25% increase in market share.

      "Yes sir Mr. DOJ, we no longer have a monopoly!"

      --
      everyday is another shooter.
    2. Re:MSN by flink · · Score: 1, Funny

      I think you mean "fair and balanced" stats.

    3. Re:MSN by Sleepy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hopefully MSN will pick up where Google left off and provide free unbiased stats

      Are you implying MSN is not Fair and Balanced?

  4. Google Cache? by slavemowgli · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is there a Google cache of Google's Zeitgeist?

    --
    quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
  5. Article text in full by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Problem in Database Connection

    This Website is powered by PostNuke
    Web site powered by PostNuke ADODB database libraryPHP Scripting Language
    Although this site is running the PostNuke software
    it has no other connection to the PostNuke Developers.
    Please refrain from sending messages about this site or its content
    to the PostNuke team, the end will result in an ignored e-mail.

  6. Re:Browser stats also gone by IGTeRR0r · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not that it matters...using the firefox User Agent Switcher Extension I changed mine to "Internet Explorer" just to trick people like you into thinking I was still using IE after the vulnerabilities...

  7. Sigh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You surely do live in the greatest country in the world.

  8. Re:Bets are on... by IGTeRR0r · · Score: 3, Funny

    According to this page:
    http://www.illuminedgaming.com/eogoogle.htm
    (What google will look like in 10 years)
    Google will OWN the earth...so what is the need for OS?

  9. Slashdot Effect #2 by chill · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hmmm...now that this is on /., will the search for "Natalie Portman" stay on the Top 10 Declining Queries?

    Inquiring minds want to know!

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  10. Re:What about slashdot.org statistics? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I, for one, would be very interested in seeing the browser and OS breakdown on Slashdot. IIRC, slashdot has not given out this info in the past?

    That's because we know the results would be something like: 80% Windows, 15% OS X, 2% BSD, 2% Solaris, 1% Linux... : p

  11. Re:ha by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > I have a question for slashdot... can I use your polls for scientific research? Will my request result in slashdot removing their polls section? What kind of a crazy assed reaction is this? Why not just put a disclaimer up on the page that says, not scientific.

    Well, you can't for Slashdot, because the poll page is pretty clear about it, but that reminds me.

    "Can I use Google Zeitgeist for scientific research?"

    Yes ................. 82% 7122 / 82%<BR>
    No .... 18% 1560 / 18% <BR>
    Only if you give CowboyNeal 100,000 shares of GOOG . 0.1% / 1 / 0.1%

    Don't complain about lack of options. Most people are only after for pictures of the latest RIAA pop star's tits. Those are the breaks. Feel free to Google for something else if you're feeling creative. I'd strongly suggest grepping "goatse" out of the past Zeitgeist logs first. It's a good thing that Google Zeitgeist isn't wildly inaccurate. Rounding errors, User-Agent spoofers, dynamic IPs, proxies. If you're using these numbers to decide whether to invest in our IPO, you're behaving at least as rationally as anybody else is in this market.

    So if you're using Google Zeitgeist, I'd say go nuts, but only as long as every image search query returns a picture of that squirrel from Fark.

  12. Re:Bets are on... by edalytical · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will relevant text ads be displayed based on the content of your files? Or will you have to pay to run Google OS?

    --
    Win a signed Stephen Carpenter ESP Guitar from the Deftones: http://def-tag.com/?r=0008781
  13. Re:What about slashdot.org statistics? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny
    Slashdot's userbase would know how to game the results, there's only so many months you can analyse stats from
    Gorganzilla/5.0 Big_Cheeze (X11; U; Linux i686; gaping-anus; rv:1.7) Goatse/20040811 Watercat/0.9.3+
  14. Re:Huh by k98sven · · Score: 5, Funny

    The USS Enterprise was originally given the CV-6 designation to demonstrate that she was a "Carrier Vessel". However, after extensive war operations she was refitted for nighttime/round-the-clock operations. To signify this, her designation was changed to CVN-6 (Carrier Vessel, Night).

    I don't know where you get your facts from, but they're all wrong. The USS Enterprise had the designation NCC-1701. (CC being Constitution-Class)

    After Kirk blew up the original Enterprise, the USS Levant (NCC-1843) was redesignated USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A). And AFAIK, she did not only have round-the-clock operations, the ship was fitted for full five-year missions!

  15. Re:Browser stats also gone by angst_ridden_hipster · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hm.

    My browser's user agent string claims to be "Mozilla/4.8 [en] (TRS-80 Model I; U)"

    You'd be surprised how many sites that insist on "modern browsers" still work.

    Ph34r my '1337 Tr@sh-80!

    --
    Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
    www.fogbound.net
  16. Re:Browser stats also gone by NuclearDog · · Score: 4, Funny

    Finally, a thread where this will be on-topic!

    My user agent string: "All your base are belong to us."

    ND

    --
    This statement is forty-five characters long.
  17. osViews.com by bXTr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone who works at osViews.com submits an article about osViews.com. Jeez, people, buy an ad!

    --
    It's a very dark ride.
  18. Re:Bets are on... by lombre · · Score: 2, Funny

    no, its goonix

  19. Now available for Konqueror by leonbrooks · · Score: 5, Funny

    Drop this into /usr/share/services/useragentstrings and you can conveniently select it from Konqueror's "Tools/Change Browser Identification" menu at once. In 51 different languages. (-:

    If you like melting webmaster brain cells, use this instead.

    My mailserver used to answer as a "Commodore 64 (with anti-spam cartridge)".

    --
    Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
  20. Re:Browser stats also gone by DA-MAN · · Score: 3, Funny

    You mean there is an OS out there that IE is not available for?!?!?!

    --
    Can I get an eye poke?
    Dog House Forum
  21. Re:The only reason this article was posted... by ValourX · · Score: 1, Funny

    And the proof of this is that the parent post was marked as Flamebait...

    -Jem