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Google Reveals the Most-Trending Searches of 2017 (google.com)

"Google's annual list of the most popular searches is here, offering a peek into what people are really thinking about," writes CNN. An anonymous reader quotes their report: This year, you wanted to know more about one of the most powerful storms on record, the devastating Hurricane Irma. But you were also curious about [hip hop artist] Cardi B. and Unicorn Frappuccinos... Like 2017 itself, this year's top searches skew a little darker than usual, but are punctuated with some whimsy and positive moments. The top trending searches in the U.S. were Irma, Matt Lauer, Tom Petty, the Super Bowl and the Las Vegas shooting.

To determine the most popular trending searches, Google looked at its trillions of queries, filtered out spam and repeats, and identified searches that had the highest uptick in traffic compared with the previous year. It breaks them into categories like news, memes, and recipes (beef stroganoff was a hit).

Surprisingly there were more searches for 'iPhone 8" than for 'iPhone X," though those were the top two most-searched consumer technology products. (Followed by Nintendo Switch, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Xbox One X.) Other top searches this year included "What is net neutrality?" as well as questions about what bitcoin is, how to buy it, and the latest bitcoin prices. And one of the 10 most-searched phrases of the year was "fidget spinner."

Google uploaded an inspiring video to YouTube stating "This year more than ever we asked how." To dramatic music, the examples it gives include "How to calm a dog during a storm," "How to help Puerto Rico," "How to make a protest sign" -- and "How to move forward."

25 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Host Files by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    Sure the top search should be for APK Host Files Engine++? Everyone wants that software.

    1. Re: Host Files by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Thanks. That is why I earn $50,000 in IT in Silicon Valley.

    2. Re:Host Files by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      Why would they search for it? Everyone already has it!

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. Re:Bitcoin by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    Why would you spend resources making $20 when Bitcoins are $20000?

  3. Thought "Fake News" would feature up there... by bogaboga · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Perhaps the idea of "Fake News" is fake itself!

    1. Re:Thought "Fake News" would feature up there... by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

      Perhaps the idea of "Fake News" is fake itself!

      So, if fake news is fake, then it's real news?
      OK, I think I can process that...
      But does that mean the real news was the fake news all along?
      I mean, in the end, do I go with the fake real news or the real fake news?
      It feels like I'm being gaslighted...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    2. Re:Thought "Fake News" would feature up there... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      'fake news' was spun into life to detract from the pedogate/pizzagate stuff.

      (un?)fortunatly the right grabbed the term and slapped it on cnn where it belonged.

    3. Re:Thought "Fake News" would feature up there... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I am sure , the CEO that donates to Hillary, would not like opposing views getting in to the top 5.
      So he will just manually adjust the figures to be #34.

      When their own invention , works against them, they will change the reality.

      FU G and UT.

    4. Re:Thought "Fake News" would feature up there... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1

      'fake news' was spun into life to detract from the pedogate/pizzagate stuff.

      Yeah, that's why the search term already existed in 2004 https://trends.google.com/tren...

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  4. This is the End by dohzer · · Score: 1

    Wow, this year finished a little earlier than the last.

  5. Re:How to make a protest sign by Rockoon · · Score: 1

    1. Get a sheet and a marker. 2. Write

    How to waste an absurd amount of electricity teaching people how to make a cardboard sign.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."
  6. I clicked "Poaça tarifi Turkish bread recipe" by maybe111 · · Score: 1

    and what I got was:
            Hmm, your search doesn't have enough data to show here.
            Please make sure everything is spelled correctly, or try a more general term.

  7. Re: Mass psychology explained by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    It happens every instance moment epoc and eon as the universe overcomes paradoxes.

  8. This is NOT the most popular by Tiggywinkle · · Score: 2

    This is the trending searches, NOT the most popular, everyone is reading these graphs wrong. From google themselves:

    "Lists are based on search terms that had a high spike in traffic in 2017 as compared to 2016."

  9. Re:How to make a protest sign by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

    You have to wonder if it actually trended or whether Google is doing some slacktivism by telling people it trended to try to get them out holding in the cold "TRUMP IS LITERALLY HITLER!1" signs while the Googlers sit in their warm offices eating their free food and patting each other on the back for their social activism.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  10. How to make a protest sign by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 2

    "How to make a protest sign." Good Lord.

    As though that were some positive feel good thing, like the others mentioned.

    (Not to mention, seriously? You can't figure out how to make a sign? But you want to influence serious things?)

  11. Re: Search Las Vegas shooting & ban bump stock by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    All terrorists breathe air. All criminals breathe air. All lawyers breathe air. Therefore we need to BAN AIR NOW!!!!!!1!!1!!

  12. expurgation by Reverend+Green · · Score: 2

    At this point I think we all recognize that one can't really trust anything Google says.

    Far more interesting than what's on the list, would be to know what Google censored from it.

  13. Re: How to make a protest sign by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    "Googlers" is deprecated. The new official term for Google employees is "Googledouches".

  14. Re:How to make a protest sign by dj245 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "How to make a protest sign." Good Lord.

    As though that were some positive feel good thing, like the others mentioned.

    (Not to mention, seriously? You can't figure out how to make a sign? But you want to influence serious things?)

    People who are dissatisfied with others telling them what to do are just searching for a more controlling and manipulative person to tell them what to do.

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
  15. Duck Duck MAGA by Neuroelectronic · · Score: 1

    I wonder if Trump is so low on Google's search rankings due to a certain segment of the population's awareness of data collection practices? If we compared Google's rankings to Duck Duck Go's would we see Trump rated hire on alternative search engines?

  16. iPhone surprise? by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1
    Not really surprising since before September almost nobody searched for "iPhone X".

    https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2017-01-01%202017-12-31&q=iPhone%208,iphone%20x

    --
    Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  17. Measurements by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    And the number one topic this year: "That Anya chick from Split feet", just edging out "That black-hair chick from Riverdale feet".

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  18. Filtered out repeats? by Scroatzilla · · Score: 1

    Repeats are strange things to filter out if you are looking for something that is trending. Wtf?

  19. OMG thank you! by Virtual_Raider · · Score: 1

    FINALLY! someone who realises that two or more vocables strung together aren't a "word", they are a PHRASE!! 2017 is saved :) And no, I'm not making fun of it, I am actually pleased someone did the right thing at last :)

    --
    +Raider of the lost BBS