Google doing regional preferencing on results?

Fri Apr 26 16:36:30 UTC 2002

Slightly off topic, maybe.
It could certainly have an impact on Admins/Engs trying to gather data to
fix a problem.

Google is probably (imo) the most popular search engine (including things
like being used by yahoo).

Today I noticed it doing something rather strange.. it gives you different
results depending on where in the world you search from. I've not seen
this documented anywhere or heard of it before. If this was a known fact
please feel free to shoot me out of the waters :)

Example:
Search for "Michael Coppins"     (a friend of mine).
If you search from a box in the UK, you get 'Michael Coppin's CV' (his
resume).
If you search from a box in any other country, you don't get it at all!
Hmmm what's going on here?

I certainly didn't go to www.google.co.uk to search.
Even going to www.google.co.uk and searching for it doesn't bring up that
link!

Ok, so this isn't the North American Google Operator's Group, but still..
couldn't this potentially cause problems for everyone, especially us poor
SA's trying to find the answers to problems.

Has nayone else seen this 'google effect' ?

-- 
Avleen Vig
Work Time: Unix Systems Administrator
Play Time: Network Security Officer
Smurf Amplifier Finding Executive: http://www.ircnetops.org/smurf