Dropping the Bomb on Google

[PfcHammer]

Dropping the Bomb on Google By John Brandon
Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,63380,00.html

02:00 AM May. 11, 2004 PT

The Google logo changes almost daily. Tinsel and bows during the holidays. Rose-cheeked cherubs on Valentine's Day. Bunny ears and candy for Easter. But what about swastikas and burning crosses?

That's probably what Steven Weinstock envisions these days. In March, during a casual Web search, the 26-year-old real-estate investor accidentally found that Jew Watch, an anti-Semitic site, was the top Google result.

"I wanted to see what came up when you type the word Jew," said Weinstock. "Let's just say I found some articles with an interesting tilt."

In response, Weinstock created RemoveJewWatch.com. Enlisting the help of a friend, he started a virtual-signature campaign at PetitionOnline.com and started sending e-mails to [email protected].

<whack>

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Apparently, due to Wienstock's efforts

Google has (sort of) a disclaimer.

http://www.google.com/explanation.html

[Goldom]

2. When will people stop blaming sites for things that aren't theirs?

Google's a search engine, it's not like they have people sitting there going, "hmm, jew, let's send him a nazi link." someone submitted the site into the engine, and it's putting it back out. It's a computer program.

[LynzM]

3. Bingo.

Just like their 'disclaimer' states, only much more nicely :P I agree, if you don't understand that a search engine is just returning hits based on keywords, etc..... ugh.

[Goldom]

4. Lol, I lose..

just minutes after saying this, I go to Yahoo and search for the name of a song, and the top result is the KKK website. >_<

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nodehopper]

8. um, that site is all about the Jewish Conspiracy and full of links

to Holocaust Deniers.

I think that's pretty hateful. You don't?

[rinsd]

10. No calls for violence makes it okay.....

...to assign blame for every world malady on Jews? Replace the word Jew with Catholic, Black, Hispanic or any other minority. Hell stick in White people. Now read and tell me its just being critical or the intention is to demonize with factoids.

"This is yet another example of how anything critical of Jews is made out to be hatefull towards jews."

In light of what the site says and links to, this statement makes me want to throw up.

[jackstraw45]

11. Is Ignorance truly bliss?

I've always wanted to know.

[David__77]

5. This is what people dislike about "PC."

Google is a search engine--that is all. And it's good one. I've seen Jew Watch and it didn't lead me off the cliff of anti-Semitism. I understand the concern about the activities of anti-Semites, but the way to defeat it isn't this route; instead, it should be sharply countered and criticized. If exposed and criticized, it will be defeated.

[CrispyQ]

6. Google "weapons of mass destruction",

click "I'm Feeling Lucky" and read the error notice. ;-o)

[nodehopper]

9. this is addressed on Snopes.com

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/google.asp

[duvinnie]

12. that's just dumb

the man has too much time on his hands, and not enough knowledge
of search engines.

so now google is expected to alter their SEARCH ALGORITHMS to make
sure that no ethnic group is offended? give me a break.