Difference between revisions of "155: Search History"
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | The comic references the {{w|AOL search data leak}}, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. Randall thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches. All of his search relate to his fear of dinosaurs as a consequence of Jurassic Park. | + | The comic references the {{w|AOL search data leak}}, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. Randall thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches. All of his search relate to his fear of dinosaurs as a consequence of Jurassic Park. The search "Utahraptor" may be a reference to Dinosaur Comics, which XKCD has parodied in comic 145. |
The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site: [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log.php link (part 1)] [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-2.php link (part 2)], [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-3.php link (part 3]). | The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site: [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log.php link (part 1)] [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-2.php link (part 2)], [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-3.php link (part 3]). |
Revision as of 21:09, 7 September 2014
Search History |
Title text: SomethingAwful has a wonderful compilation of crazy AOL searches in their Weekend Web archives, 2006-08-13. |
Explanation
The comic references the AOL search data leak, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. Randall thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches. All of his search relate to his fear of dinosaurs as a consequence of Jurassic Park. The search "Utahraptor" may be a reference to Dinosaur Comics, which XKCD has parodied in comic 145.
The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site: link (part 1) link (part 2), link (part 3).
Transcript
- Cueball: In solidarity with the many AOL users whose often embarrassing web searches were released to the public, I offer a sample of my own search history:
- [There is a screencap of Google's front page with the following entries suggested for autocompletion in the search box:
- velociraptors
- site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
- raptors
- dromaeosaurids
- utahraptor
- "home depot" deadbolts
- security home improvement
- surviving a raptor attack
- robert bakker paleontologist
- robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
- site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
- learning from mistakes in jurassic park
- big-game rifles
- tire irons
- treating raptor wounds
- do raptors fear fire
- how to make a molotov cocktail
- do raptors fear death
- can raptors pick locks
- how to tell if my neighbors are raptors.]
Discussion
Here's a link to the somethingawful page mentioned in the title text (part 2, part 3). 141.70.81.143 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
People of the distant future, this is what google looked like today. Kripmo (talk) 00:50, 20 November 2015 (UTC)
- Knock knock, distant future here: hardly anything had changed. 108.162.221.82 15:03, 22 January 2024 (UTC)
- It's a bit more AI-filled, but not much else has happened. Psychoticpotato (talk) 22:33, 20 May 2024 (UTC)
Google actually looked like that?! Truly, the modern world is a wonderful place, compared to the drop-shadow hellscape pictured in this comic. Just look at all that font hinting, and no anti-aliasing in sight! The horror! ~AgentMuffin
Should we create a table explaining each one? 172.68.47.6 01:24, 17 November 2017 (UTC)
- Yes! I know what I will be doing for the rest of this lesson. Beanie (talk) 09:32, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
It has been just shy of five years since Kripmo's. Google has changed very little, the fonts having slimmed down slightly and very little else.
Either they have reached stability or it has not been long enough. 172.68.38.98 03:06, 23 July 2020 (UTC)
I think the table is in the wrong order. It makes more sense for Randall to search "robert bakker paleontologist" first before moving on to the more specific query about bakker. Similarly, it makes more sense for the more general search term "raptor" to be search before more specific queries about types of raptors. Finally, if read top to bottom, the search results present a reasonable line of thought that gradually devolves into absurdity, a common theme that shows up across xkcd comics. I know that this is the opposite of how actual google searches would be presented in real life, but it's reasonable to think that Randall would have sacrificed exact accuracy in favor of a more easily readable format. 108.162.210.104 05:53, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
- In google, the most recent search terms are on the top. I did the table with the most recent on the bottom, to make it easier to follow. Beanie (talk) 10:15, 17 December 2020 (UTC)