Live data from Hacker News

Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

scienceblogs.com

11–20 of 103 posts

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#11

Everyone knows exactly why they don't make search recommendations, and is there really anything we can say about it that won't devolve into trolling, flaming, and deliberate misunderstanding?

Yes, fix the algorithm by requiring a higher cutoff for what is shown.

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#12
So much for letting the algorithms rule their results. They could at least be somewhat equal about it and do the same thing about christianity and judaism, but then again, they know that nobody is going to chop someone's head off when they see that the first result for "christianity is" is "christianity is bullshit".

How long is the civilized world going submit to this insanity? When is enough, enough?

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#15
post #3

There's been a popular trend of posting screenshots from Google search recommendations over the past few months; I wouldn't be surprised if one of those shots made it to Google Headquarters (though I'm certainly surprised they didn't notice it sooner!). Also shame on PZ Meyers for yoinking that article from atheists.org.

He links to that article from atheists.org right before the blockquote. I'm not sure what he should be ashamed of.

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#16
post #2

Interestingly, the same is not true for Islam was ("founded", "founded by", "spread by the sword") or Muhammad is ("a false prophet", "satan", "the antichrist") or was ("born and raised in", "born", "illiterate"), or Allah is ("satan", "great", "not obliged") or was (which, intriguingly, has just a single suggestion, "a moon god"). I'm actually having a hard time finding anything else that is similarly blocked. Makes…

My pet theory was that it was based on the length of the query, since "Islam" was the shortest word on the list of terms. That got shot down by "Allah is ". I guess it really is censoring.

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#18
This isn't new. They've been filtering it for years, ever since some screenshots of what happens when they don't made the rounds.

From November 2005:

http://google.blognewschannel.com/archives/2005/11/30/does-g...

"Blacks are lazy"

"Blacks are stupid"

"Jews are evil"

"Jews are cheap"

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#19
post #12

So much for letting the algorithms rule their results. They could at least be somewhat equal about it and do the same thing about christianity and judaism, but then again, they know that nobody is going to chop someone's head off when they see that the first result for "christianity is" is "christianity is bullshit ". How long is the civilized world going submit to this insanity? When is enough, enough?

They could at least be somewhat equal about it

In theory, I'm not sure that I find the addition of a whole bunch of exceptions to be better than the current situation.

In practice, these recommendations are all a bit useless.

Re: Google won't make search recommendations for "Islam is"

#20
post #12

So much for letting the algorithms rule their results. They could at least be somewhat equal about it and do the same thing about christianity and judaism, but then again, they know that nobody is going to chop someone's head off when they see that the first result for "christianity is" is "christianity is bullshit ". How long is the civilized world going submit to this insanity? When is enough, enough?

Let's hope someone at Google is reading this and gets this fixed PRONTO. It is grounds for boycotting the service IMHO.
Post reply on HN