Thursday, October 11, 2012

Is Mitt Romney Completely Wrong?

Got your attention, didn't I?

No, this has not turned into a political blog.  Rather, once again, it's time to marvel at this Internet that didn't exist when I was growing up, or for many years after, but rules so much of our lives now.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Search Engines, the entities that allow the Internet to function.  There is a series of valid techniques, which many businesses and business bloggers use, called Search Engine Optimization or SEO. SEO allows bloggers (or businesspeople) to increase the visibility of their blogs or businesses to search engines and, hence, and increase traffic to their site.

But sometimes the way search engines work can lead to what I like to call "unintended consequences". 

The latest buzz is the discovery that searching Google Images under "completely wrong" brings up images of Mitt Romney.

Google says it is not intentional; that it was a result of something Romney said recently that got tied to the photos.

Of course, any young adult (such as my son) has a mental library full of fascinating Google search results.   Good late-night entertainment.  Some of these results are tied into something called "Google bombing", where pranksters intentionally fool Google into giving a certain result.

George W. Bush, Tony Blair, John Kerry and Barack Obama (and, infamously, Rick Santorum) have been victims of Google bombing.

If you do a Google search for "miserable failure", you now will get results pointing to articles about Google bombing rather than George W. Bush.  The "French Military Victory" search no longer results in "Did you mean French military defeats" and "More Evil than Satan Himself" no longer results in a link to Microsoft.  Google has done bomb cleanup well.

 If you have ever wished for 15 minutes of fame - you may want to wish again.  Unless you REALLY want to be bombed...

 As for SEO....this blog is a hobby, and a writing "incubator", for me. But one day, I may have to become serious about increasing traffic.  And if that happens, I will be wishing for my 15 minutes of fame.  At least, I will have many fellow Ultimate Blog Challengers to help me along.

Was your blog ever a hobby?  When did it become serious business?

1 comment:

  1. Absolutely. Loved. !!!!
    Got me to look ... and even Google! ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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