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Google Is Testing a Trending Stories Feature On Its Homepage (fortune.com)

Posted by msmash on from the more-news-is-good-for-you dept.

Jeff John Roberts, reporting for Fortune: Google and its rival Facebook have transformed into giant media companies in recent years, working with news and video companies as part strategy to encourage consumers to stay on their platforms. Now, it appears Google is taking another big step in this direction by showing visitors three trending news stories on its home page -- right under its iconic search bar -- as well as three "trending topics." Google's decision to display trending news topics mirrors what Facebook has been doing in recent months, and will likely provide more grist for the debate over how the companies curate news, and their growing power over the media. The change to Google's homepage began to appear this week, though it does not appear to have been rolled out to many users.

15 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, Google isn't testing anything. The reporter has Pocket's chrome extension installed that's injecting content into the page.

    1. Re:No... by niaxilin · · Score: 2

      Correct. Not Google.

      This story was updated at 11:30am ET to reflect that the trending stories feature appears to be a Pocket initiative; an earlier version said Google was behind the change.

      Why do people give Pocket (or any other) Chrome app full read/write access to google.com? Seems dangerous.

    2. Re:No... by alvinrod · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Why do people give Pocket (or any other) Chrome app full read/write access to google.com?

      Why do people install 15 different toolbars in their browsers?

      Why do people click links in emails claiming to be from the IT administrator that are poorly formatted and full of spelling errors?

      Why do people respond to emails claiming to be from the prince of Nigeria and send the person banking and personal information?

      The answer is that people are just really fucking stupid sometimes, or maybe even most of the time.

    3. Re:No... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Better headline:
      Reporter is a Moron. Lets his Computer Get Owned by Social Networking Companies.

      Can't wait for Pocket to be pulled from the Firefox code base.

    4. Re:No... by p0p0 · · Score: 3, Funny

      The site even updated the article but the author still insists it's Google's feature and doesn't even really acknowledge that it was an extension doing it.

    5. Re:No... by No+Longer+an+AC · · Score: 1

      Why do people click links in emails claiming to be from the IT administrator that are poorly formatted and full of spelling errors?

      Your admins can format and spell coherently?

    6. Re:No... by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: 1

      In other news, Google has decided to display hardcore pornography on its homepage when users modify their hosts file and point google.com to pornhub's IP addresses.

      Unbelievable.

      --
      WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
  2. ugh... do NOT want by vux984 · · Score: 1, Informative

    the reason I set peoples home page to google is that it not cluttered with that shit.

    now it's just going to be about:blank

    seriously, when i pull up google.com its because i *want* to search for *something*, it is not ever because I'm looking to be distracted from the thing I was searching for with random shit trending on twitbooktube.

  3. Goons, hired goons by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

    Hired goons?

    --
    Monstar L
  4. I call B.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Parent is probably right.

    From the Article:

    Now, a new feature from read-it-later service Pocket causes Google’s home page to show three trending news stories on its home page—right under its iconic search bar—as well as three “trending topics.” As noted below, it’s unclear if Google is involved in the feature, or if it is solely a Pocket initiative.

    I just tried Google.com (after I cleared my cache) and got the usual Google page.

    Did the poster even read the article to which he linked? Have a special link? Have corroborating evidence?

    1. Re:I call B.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Journalism isn't about facts, it's about storytelling. Where have you been?

  5. What's going on with Slashdot's DNS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No subdomains of slashdot.org are resolving anymore.

  6. u-block by lkcl · · Score: 1

    can somebody please add this to u-block already? or tell me how i can add it myself.

  7. Google Now iOS has this by ripvlan · · Score: 1

    The Google Search App for iOS has this - when Google Now is enabled. I've been seeing News items recently - other than my upcoming events.

    Google Now used to simply tell me "it'll take 35 minutes to get to work today, and the weather will be nice, you have a Dr appt at 3pm" But over the last month I've been seeing news articles with text below them "because you've shown an interest in X"

    But I have not seen this on the "PC" google.com home page via my browser !!

    1. Re:Google Now iOS has this by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Google is an advertising company. They offer you something you find useful (Google Now), and now that you're hooked they're gonna ratchet up the monetary returns they get from you. They were always collecting and using your personal data, but now they're gonna shove stuff in front of your eyeballs because they want to increase the profitability of your relationship with them.

      Some people feel it's a worthwhile trade of value. I don't, which is why I restrict the amount of Google in my life.

      --
      #DeleteChrome