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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."

4 of 426 comments (clear)

  1. I can see why... by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If people are citing Google's "just for fun" figures as something to base critical decisions on, Google could be subject to liability for the accuracy of the figures. Granted, it's not likely that a lawsuit would succeed, but simply having to defend against one wouldn't be very good.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  2. Accuracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The big problem with the Zeitgeist stats, from what I've heard, is that they only recorded the same IP address once. For people who are more likely to have a broadband connection, which is probably true of Mac and Linux users, they get counted less because their IP address changes less frequently. As Google said, it's just for fun.

  3. What about slashdot.org statistics? by gmajor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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?

  4. Re:Browser stats also gone by Njovich · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I use the user agent string Googlebot/2.1 (+http://www.googlebot.com/bot.html). It gives access to quite a few sites that only give full access to subscribers and Google...