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Google turned me into a serial killer

hristo-georgiev.com

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Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#41

Post by paulpauper »

retrac wrote: post #31
paulpauper wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is google we're talking about. so good luck with that.

It's surprisingly easy, just time-involved, to sue large corporations in small claims, at least in some jurisdictions. Yes, they've got lawyers, but if you have a case you may still win. I sued one of the largest telecoms in Canada for not honouring a verbal contract, and won quite easily once I proved the facts in dispute. Businesses assume people won't have the commitment to carry through and actually take them to…

Google is not a typical large corp though. They will spend millions on top lawyers for even small cases even if settling costs far less, just to make a point that they do not lose. If a company shows a willingness to settle or they they lose easily, then that makes them vulnerable to future litigation. Contingency lawyers will not take on companies that do not lose or settle.

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#42

Post by jetrink »

The info boxes sometimes contain surprising errors. I recently searched for Picasa and was informed that it was invented by Pablo Picasso in 2002! Google 'knows' Picasso died in the 1970s and it 'knows' he released a popular software program in 2002. That's an obvious contradiction requiring the simplest of rules to detect, but the system is just a dumb text extractor. (Interestingly, Google assistant gave the correct answer for 'who created Picasa?' so that system must use a different knowledge-base.)

I, being compulsively helpful, reported the error and it was quickly fixed. Maybe I'm part of the problem.

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#43

Post by TechBro8615 »

dbalatero wrote: post #17
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, the fact that the serial killer in question has been dead for forty years makes this conclusively "a funny story" and not "a red flag". But it also probably is mandatory to cover this ice breaker before the person you swiped on Googles you. "Just FYI, funny story, Google thinks I'm a serial killer. But that guy's been dead for years, and Google is mixed up."

I've seen how bad people are at skimming things they read online though even when the facts are laying there in front of them, and I could easily see someone (hiring manager, dating app they matched with) just googling their name, seeing the same pic match, and instantly running for the hills.

Google probably doesn't even render the birthday on mobile.

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#44

Post by brinfan »

nusaru wrote: post #18
cratermoon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and a dozen or two people, mostly white males, control the company.

> mostly white males What is this supposed to imply, exactly?

He's pointing out that Larry page and sergey brin are both Jewish, its a common antisemitic / alt right "dog whistle".

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#45

Post by romseb »

Suggestion: Create a new Wikipedia article with the same Name, upload your own profile photo onto it and put a Disambiguation (Programmer/Hacker) in it so that Google will associate it correctly.

Alternatively, add a drawing of the rapist to the original Wikipedia article.

Interestingly, for me, another Hristo (german principal investigator) appears on the right side when I google the name.

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#46

Post by H8crilA »

paulpauper wrote: post #41
retrac wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's surprisingly easy, just time-involved, to sue large corporations in small claims, at least in some jurisdictions. Yes, they've got lawyers, but if you have a case you may still win. I sued one of the largest telecoms in Canada for not honouring a verbal contract, and won quite easily once I proved the facts in dispute. Businesses assume people won't have the commitment to carry through and actually take them to…

Google is not a typical large corp though. They will spend millions on top lawyers for even small cases even if settling costs far less, just to make a point that they do not lose. If a company shows a willingness to settle or they they lose easily, then that makes them vulnerable to future litigation. Contingency lawyers will not take on companies that do not lose or settle.

And you know this because?

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#47

Post by paulpauper »

cryptica wrote: post #23
paulpauper wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is google we're talking about. so good luck with that.

It's disturbing how often people infer that Google is impervious to the law.

That would req. showing that law was broken. I don't think in this case it was. More like a mistake.

Re: Google turned me into a serial killer

#50

Post by exporectomy »

This kind of mixup isn't too rare. I remember Googling "sigmoid" used to show a mixture of information about the function and the colon as if they were the same thing. There was also a famous case of something like "7 deadly sins" showing a rainbow flag for the sin of pride. It's creepy because it's presented in such a well designed integrated way yet a completely ridiculous mistake that a human wouldn't make.
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