Like Sneak, readers may have noticed that Google searches sometimes come up with oddities. Google of course plays its cards close to its chest, and doesn’t comment on such things, but certain text searches will bring up a set of images as the first result.

Try searching for “Apple logo” for example - without quotes - and the results page will include pictures of the aforementioned half-eaten fruit. Oddly, searching for Google’s logo does not bring up any pictures.

Obviously image-orientated searches do tend to bring up pics. Pamela Anderson and Gillian Anderson both produce a set of oft-perused images, whereas Gerry Anderson does not.

After exhaustive searching on likely terms, it seems that either (a) Google is doing this in a completely random manner or (b) Google engineers are having a laugh. What else would explain the selection of alarming facial topiary on display when searching for side burns, whereas moustaches, beards, “clean shaven chins” and sundry other terms must make do without imagery.

Sneak would welcome theories about Google’s rationale.

Filed under Google and weird

16 Jan 2006