Legal Research

Google Wonder Wheel ? everybody?s a critic

By David Cheifetz

In a moment of boredom, or curiosity, I decided to play with Google’s “Wonder Wheel” gadget, which Google introduced in May 2009.  Simon F mentioned it at the time. The gadget (feature?) is available by clicking on “show options”  wherever that appears on one’s search screen.

On the basis of familiarity, if nothing more, I decided I’d run some searches based on my surname. “Smythe” spelled with a “y” isn’t that common.

In any event, the “standard view” search on “Cheifetz” lists my sister, Dr. Rona Cheifetz, first, and me second. I wouldn’t quibble about that ordering.  It lists my other sister a few entries down. (I assume that’s because she’s not published anything significant the past few years. There are good reasons for that.)

However, the information in the Wonder Wheel view is a bit different.

Rona is still there but something is missing. Oh well.  As my title says …  

None of  Daniel Cheifetz, Michael Cheifetz, nor Cary Cheifetz appear on the results page of the first “standard view” screen, which is set for me to show the first 10 hits. What that tells me is that there’s something different about how the Wonder Wheel search algorithm works. 

I suspect that the Wonder Wheel result is somehow associated with  the “Searches related to” feature that appears at the bottom of the results page which, for whatever reasons, doesn’t include me but does include all of the names shown on the Wonder Wheel result. 

What does the Wonder Wheel algorithm knows about me that I don’t?

Another search, then.

Note the 2nd entry on the right.  Borrowing from Twain,  I assure you the advice is still premature. The logical explanation for the entry is that  “funeral services” is part of the full name for one of the named parties in the Fairchild decision, the next entry down.

In any event,  assuming it’s not personal, and absent an explanation for why the “first ranked” hit on the standard view screen doesn’t appear on the Wonder Wheel screen, this is a reminder that different search techniques may produce different results.

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on January 22, 2010 (boomark / email).