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Bing Search Tainted By Pro-Microsoft Results
bdcny7927 writes "Just as Bing is gaining popularity, some disturbingly pro-Microsoft and anti-Apple search results are rearing their ugly heads. Case in point: a search on Bing for the phrase, 'Why is Windows so expensive?' returned this as the top link: 'Why are Macs so expensive.' That's right. You're not hallucinating."
Surprised it took them this long, perhaps.
Microsoft always do this with search engines. They seem to start from the assumption that any query represents a user problem, for which there exists a Microsoft based solution. Looked at that way, a search engine becomes an exercise in derailing the users interest, and redirecting into more profitable channels.
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
And then they wonder why all their search engines fail.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
And even funnier - search for "Why is Microsoft Windows so expensive?" and the fifth result is a slashdot article entitled: "Why is OSS Commercial Software So Expensive?"!
And "is windows expensive" returns just plain anti-Windows results. "why is windows expensive" (eliminating the 'so') returns more neutral responses. This is just a difference in the search algorithms. I wonder how many phrases were tried before the authors obtained suitably pro-MS results for their troll.
And even funnier - search for "Why is Microsoft Windows so expensive?" and the fifth result is a slashdot article entitled: "Why is OSS Commercial Software So Expensive?"!
Try this : why are macs so awesome?
Top 2:
ALL RESULTS
1-9 of 1,370,000 resultsÂ
1) Why Macs Suck - Funny videos
2) Why are Macs so crap at gaming?
Well, but I had an interesting accident.
I accidentally double clicked my middle mouse button, and searched for: Why is Windows so eWhy is Windows so expensive?xpensive?
I got the "Why are Macs so expensive" as the second result.
Probably that just means that Google is smarter than Bing. When you ask it right, with an English sentence, they know that result is irrelevant. When you ask the same with a bunch of keywords mixed with garbage, they don't filter, and give you that result.
I wouldn't attribute _that_ to malice.
Don't get me wrong, I know MS does all the awful things they can in order to market their stuff, and that their astroturfing might kill sites like this. Just in this case, I think it's just an example of Google being better than Bing, and not result doctoring. It's too easy to spot to be intentional.
Change the search to, "Why is your mom so expensive?" and the first result is "Why Are Bulldog Puppies So Expensive" but somehow I doubt that Microsoft is "pro-your mom" and "anti-bulldog" puppies.
I work for a large bank... suddenly, our mandated IE 7, which used to allow you to add other search engines, now only allows Bing. (in the search bar.. it isn't like they've blocked Google). But it is still quite annoying, and things like this don't get deployed by accident to thousands of employees.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.