[LINK] Google News Doesn't Add Up

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

On 2/03/2011 3:18 PM, Roger Clarke wrote:
> We know that Google's search-engine hit-counts either (a) are
> designed to deliver semi-nonsense numbers, or (b) reflect one, some
> or many bugs.
>
> And of course Google News uses the same engine over a constrained
> search-space, so it inherits the same 'features'.
>
> Nonetheless, some analyses I was just doing cause me to ask:
>
>            Has Google redefined base 10 arithmetic?
>
> Any elucidations much appreciated.
>
> (Yes, what follows is base promotional activity.  But I was actually
> trying to use that particular search-string in order to assess an
> NGO's media impact over time).
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Go to Google News:
> http://news.google.com/
>
> Type in: "Australian Privacy Foundation"
>
> Get 2 hits [for the last month - we've been on good behaviour lately]
> http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=au&hl=en&q=%22Australian+Privacy+Foundation%22
>
> To get the long-term view, hit 'Archives', get moved, and get 288 hits:
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Australian+Privacy+Foundation%22&sa=N&tbs=nws:1,ar:1
>
> Choose 'Sorted by Date', and get 289 hits:
> http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Australian+Privacy+Foundation%22&hl=en&tbs=nws:1,ar:1,sbd:1&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=cbttTb-1HIGYvAP0_-HaBA&ved=0CBgQpwUoAQ

But the first thing that last query gives is:

Your search - "Australian Privacy Foundation" - did not match any news 
results.

But it then tells you about 288 results.
After the first result [Result 1] is a link to:
All results for "Australian Privacy Foundation" »

Which, when you click it, you get about 63,900 hits

Probably base ten.

If you click on the X of the Archives row (above the first result), it 
says it's found two results but shows three., the first of which is the 
same as on the 288 result page [Result 1]. Once again, after [Result 1] 
you get the same option for All results for "Australian Privacy 
Foundation" »

Which, when you click it, gets back to about 63,900 hits

Again probably base ten.

I'm starting to lose interest about now.

-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
email:	 brd at iimetro.com.au
website: www.drbrd.com