Are you what you Google?

[Dover]

The Google Ogle Defense: A Search for America's Psyche


Monica Hesse
Washington Post
Jul. 6, 2008 12:00 AM

Do you think your Google habits - your random, untethered wisps of thoughts manifested as search terms like "unexplained hives" and "Kate Beckinsale single?" - can be bundled together to paint an accurate representation of your morality?

This was the question floating around a recent obscenity case, in which a Florida attorney planned to argue that Google records of pornographic searches were an indication of community values.

The trial was to have begun Tuesday. Instead, the case settled out of court with defendant Clinton Raymond McCowen - who had also been charged with racketeering and prostitution - agreeing to three to five years in prison.

So the viability of a Google defense remains untested, but the psychological implications remain:

Are we what we Google?

(Dear God. Hope not.)

...cont'd

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/02/AR2008070203623.html



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Why do I feel compelled to invoke the famous Clinton line,

"It depends on what 'is' is..."

[The Straight Story]

1. Hell, I google on my pc, as does my wife, as I do too for my daughter

Lord knows what they would think of things like:
Vinny Lecavalier, cartoon network, spiders, red heads, monkey brains, etc and so on.

Guess I would be able to present myself as a psycho - of course those that know me here would say the same thing in my defense.

Now off to look up more pics of red heads and registry hacks....

[MuseRider]

3. Well

If they want to find out how obsessive I get when I want information then I guess it would be yes. I will beat a dead horse for months and months just looking for one single obscure thing. Yes, psycho. Also obsessive and probably a stalker, I don't know. Curiosity did not used to be a bad thing but I guess it might be now. :shrug:

[Blue_In_AK]

2. I look up all kinds of weird stuff on Google

in the course of doing my court transcripts, most usually how to spell someone's name or some obscure term of art. I had to look up a bunch of terms regarding explosive stuff not too long ago for a case where a guy carbombed his girlfriend's husband. I suppose I'm on some terrorist watch list now.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Google "Reichstag Fire"

After 9/11, I did periodic searches for recent pages that referenced "Reichstag Fire".
That is how I found Democratic Underground.

[Solon]

5. I was wondering how well Latex paint bonds to certain materials...

such as wood and metal, and so I searched for "Latex bonding" and oddly enough, most of the sites in question had nothing to do with painting. :evilgrin:

[Quantess]

6. It's a lot like Orwell's 1984.

The thought police are watching your every "indication of community values".