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Microsoft Workers Prefer Google

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the best-of-breed dept.

dhollist writes "A story just released by the Inquirer shows that 80% of incoming search requests from Microsoft's domain arrived via Google's search engine. In contrast, 64% of Yahoo! staff and 100% of Google staff use their own company's search engine. How's that for a product endorsement? I'd guess that Microsoft may soon add google.com to the list of blocked URL's on their intranet."

7 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. I've switched by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    over to ask.com and haven't looked back. While ask.com may have a smaller catalog of indexed sites, the signal-to-noise ratio is far and away better.

  2. If they block Google, there's always a loophole... by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are a handful of pages that proxy to google... for example.

  3. check the sample size by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The sample size, for this single person's site, is around ~500.

    Hardly statistically adequate.

    This is an attention grabbing fluff piece.

  4. What's the big deal? by ianlee74 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've had the opportunity to work with several Microsoft groups over the years in development projects and one thing that always impressed me about the insight that I got about the culture there is that they are always allowed to use the best tools available. Regardless of whether it's a Microsoft tool or one of their competitors, management doesn't care. The objective is always to empower their employees with the best tools available. Of course, this also allows them better insight into what their competition is doing and helps them focus on the tools that they need to improve upon. I seriously doubt that you'll see MS blocking google.com anytime soon...

  5. the actual response... by jwjcmw · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just did a search on "Australia's laws on pedophilia"

    The actual text of the message is:

    "This query does not comply with Ask.com Terms of Service"

    1. Re:the actual response... by SirSlud · · Score: 5, Informative

      "how to have sex with underage girls" succeeds.

      "best places to have sex with young girls" succeeds.

      "find sex with young kids" doesn't succeed.

      "find sex with children" doesn't succeed.

      "find sex with boys" succeeds.

      "find sex with young girls" succeeds.

      "sex kids" doesn't succeed.

      "copulation kids" does succeed.

      I think its the combination of words in a list 'sex' included in, and maybe some list, including 'kids' that fails.

      Also, any search with the word "pedophilia" fails. Probably self-defense; search technology cannot make the distinction between linking to bad 'pedophilia is good' results and the far more common 'pedophilia is bad' results.

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
  6. Just wait another 6 months by ptaff · · Score: 5, Informative