by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: September 29, 2010   Last Updated: July 02, 2011

Google Instant sneaks upon searchers and presupposes their questions. With the first word being typed, a site pops up with something having to do with that word. To test the site, I typed in 'how to learn about Google instant' and right away ehow popped up with ideas on how to do about anything. Other offerings were how to, how to tie, how to kiss, How I met your mother, and simply how. Then how to was typed in. The only fault I found was their I was lower case.

The second offering were the same for the first two offerings, but they added 'how to get rid of fleas, and how to lose weight fast'. Both good, solid, and reasonable guesses. Next: how to learn were typed in. Then, I was turned off. I suppose by that time they figured someone was testing their system. Who says those overworked little dynamos' aren't sensitive? I was blocked from  their search site and had to sign off and reboot my computer before I could resume my search. No more funny stuff, accept what they have to say about their quick searches and leave it at that, was what I learned. 

The reason for the query in the first place was wanting to know what Google Instant was, being as I am, always interested in how to search more effectively, and especially always fascinated with Google. Not being especially Internet savvy, but want to be, I can't say exactly whether I was disconnected to the site by the google search mechanism, or by the rival browser I was using. 

Why the sudden interest?  In the last hour or so, (September, 29, 2010, a news item that updated Google Instant caught my eye.  Amber MacArthur in  of Globe and Mail wrote about Google's new search feature having a blacklist, and that turned on my curiosity. What is a back list, I wanted to know? It was not until after the cutoff, then a second, no fooling around search, that my diminishing eyesight saw that the word was blacklist and not back list. Up to that point, I was perfectly sure Google was lily white as usual. 

But aren't they  being only still a kid, actually celebrating their 12th birthday today, (Sept. 29, 2010) allowed a few sins? It's not as if they were turning thirteen and celebrating their beginning manhood. There I go again, not being totally serious. To rescue myself again I ask not what Google Instant is, that has already been explained as instant searching, and by the way, it is quick and thorough, and pretty darn smart. The question now is what are their blacklist and how come that author knows about them? 

Truthfully, the Canadian site and their accusation of black list amounted to not much of nothing. Even they admitted that much.  Their supposed list of words were words that would not come up were some one searching for legitimate sites but the search itself were suggestive of off color sites - purposes. Bravo for Google, that proves once again, they are up to good and not bad, no matter how others slant their meanings to cast shadows. 

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