Damn, that's got to suck to be that guy.
Can't Google just suspend that feature in Japan and leave it in place elsewhere?
www.digitaltrends.com/web/man-wins-injunction-against-google-after-claiming-auto-complete-web-search-ruined-his-life/?src=Outbrain
QuoteMan wins injunction against Google after claiming auto-complete web search ruined his life
Andy Boxall March 26, 2012 By Andy Boxall
A Japanese court has ordered Google to suspend its auto-complete search feature, after a man complained he is being linked to crimes he didn't commit.
Google's auto-complete feature — also known as Google Instant — is both handy and amusing, as it not only lets you find those tricky search phrases and ensure your spelling is correct, but also marvel at the baffling things your fellow humans have searched for in the past.
However, one Japanese man hasn't found it amusing at all, as when he searches for his own name, it returns suggestions linking him with crimes he claims he hasn't committed. It's not just a couple of pages either, as he says by choosing one of the options returns at least 10,000 individual results.
Having been turned down by Google after requesting the terms be removed, the man, who has not been named, sought an injunction against the search giant through the Japanese courts.
This isn't all about vanity either, as his lawyer claims the man lost his job and been turned down for others due to the search results, presumably after potential employers performed the almost de rigueur Google check before extending an offer.
After the case was adjudicated on 19 March, it has now been announced that the Tokyo court has approved the injunction and ruled that Google must suspend its auto-complete results.
Google has refused to comply with the order, and according to the Japan Times, has said it "will not be regulated by Japanese law" and that "the case does not warrant deleting the auto-complete suggestions." Further legal action has been threatened.
Legal battles and controversy
Introduced near the end of 2010, Google Instant almost immediately attracted complaints, most notably from Yahoo, who blamed the service for a drop in its search market share.
More recently, a similar case in France saw Google remove the words "rapist" and "satanist" from searches involving a man's name. Oddly, the man was convicted of corrupting a minor, so why it's fighting against protecting the privacy of an innocent man in Japan is anyone's guess.
Google creates its list of suggested results by using data from other searches, both long-term and current, along with geographical location and language. To weed out any offensive or indecent search phrases, Google Instant relies on a set of strict filters.
Despite repeated problems, there's still no clear way to complain to Google about Instant results, as Google's own Help page merely directs users with questions to the busy Google Search Forum rather than a dedicated page.
Google isn't the only one to offer search suggestions though, as Bing, Yahoo and even DuckDuckGo all provide similar services. So one wonders whether the unfortunate Japanese man's ordeal has only just begun.
I'm not sure what this accomplishes. Even if the take off the auto function and typing "Mr. X" no longer automatically bring up a search for "Mr X has sex with farm animals", just searcing for "Mr. X" will still bring up links to the farm animals story.
Wait, so people went to the trouble of googling this dude's name, but didn't go to the trouble of confirming that the Ken Watanabe or whomever they're considering is the same Ken Watanabe that fucks goats?
Sounds like what we actually need is an injunction against HR people existing.
Quote from: Ideologue on March 29, 2012, 10:13:41 PM
Wait, so people went to the trouble of googling this dude's name, but didn't go to the trouble of confirming that the Ken Watanabe or whomever they're considering is the same Ken Watanabe that fucks goats?
Sounds like what we actually need is an injunction against HR people existing.
This.
There is this internet meme about this hated ex-football player in Texas (at least among people who are not fans of the SMU Mustangs) named Craig James where everytime you talk about him you mention that he might have killed five postitutes while at SMU. Naturally everytime you enter Craig James in Google the prostitutes thing shows up.
Quote from: Ideologue on March 29, 2012, 10:13:41 PM
Wait, so people went to the trouble of googling this dude's name, but didn't go to the trouble of confirming that the Ken Watanabe or whomever they're considering is the same Ken Watanabe that fucks goats?
Sounds like what we actually need is an injunction against HR people existing.
That is what pisses me off about the use of Google and Social Media to spy on perspective employees. And even if it is you in facebook or twitter or whatever, what is to stop somebody making a phony page to smear or if it is a joke the employer doesn't understand is a joke?
I thought this was going to be about Santorum :mellow:
Quote from: ValmyThat is what pisses me off about the use of Google and Social Media to spy on perspective employees. And even if it is you in facebook or twitter or whatever, what is to stop somebody making a phony page to smear or if it is a joke the employer doesn't understand is a joke?
If I were given sweeping legislative powers, one of the first things I'd draft would be a prospective hire protection act.
Quote from: Valmy on March 29, 2012, 10:19:22 PM
There is this internet meme about this hated ex-football player in Texas (at least among people who are not fans of the SMU Mustangs) named Craig James where everytime you talk about him you mention that he might have killed five postitutes while at SMU. Naturally everytime you enter Craig James in Google the prostitutes thing shows up.
Google-bombing is black-hat SEO from way back- it doesn't work as well anymore; Google monitors for it and even threaten to delete listings if they detect it. Supposedly, the algorithm's also been tweaked to counter it- my personal suspicion is that they look for the peak of an assymetric bell curve instead of gross amount of hits.
Quote from: Ideologue on March 29, 2012, 10:29:56 PM
Quote from: ValmyThat is what pisses me off about the use of Google and Social Media to spy on perspective employees. And even if it is you in facebook or twitter or whatever, what is to stop somebody making a phony page to smear or if it is a joke the employer doesn't understand is a joke?
If I were given sweeping legislative powers, one of the first things I'd draft would be a prospective hire protection act.
Not sure about the Google side, but Facebook's already stepped in on the side of employees. After that piece that ran last week about employers asking for Facebook passwords, the company came out and pretty directly addressed it- they actually suggested that they might take legal action themselves against employers doing it.
We all find it cute and funny when the Japanese name their children Adolf Hitler or something like that, but it has real consequences.
:lmfao:
Why the Craig James hate?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on March 29, 2012, 11:43:06 PM
Why the Craig James hate?
Craig James is an asshole. Also, Valmy, there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of love for him even among a lot of SMU types these days.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 29, 2012, 11:54:04 PM
Oh, come now.
Yeah, you're right. :blush: I guess I should apologize to assholes everywhere.
Can you elaborate on what makes him an asshole? I thought he was just a running back with a pretty face that got every bone in his body broken by Da Bears.
Well the latest thing that catapulted way back up the list of most hated former football players in Texas was the Mike Leach thing, along with the Pony Excess interview. He also sucks sucked horribly as an announcer. Back before that that, there was the whole thing that made the Pony Excess thing possible (taking payments for playing and being part of the absolute destruction of SMU football).
He also ran for US Senate. Asshole.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on March 30, 2012, 12:06:45 AM
He also ran for US Senate. Asshole.
Isn't he an uber Christian fundie Republican, like if Rick Santorum and Steve Largent had a love child, or something?
Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 30, 2012, 12:25:50 AM
Isn't he an uber Christian fundie Republican, like if Rick Santorum and Steve Largent had a love child, or something?
Yeah.
He actually endorsed Santorum: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/02/craig-james-endorses-santorum.html
When I'm in a bad mood I go to google and type in "mark may is" and see what autocomplete gives me. Then I feel better.
Whatever happened to "I'm Feeling Lucky" anyway?
Barack Obama is your new bicycle.
George Bush is a reptilian alien.
Bill Clinton is a brony.
Ronald Reagan is the devil.
Abraham Lincoln is black.
Seems only Presidents get the interesting ones. Other political figures just get "idiot" "douchebag" "gay" etc.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on March 30, 2012, 04:38:11 PM
When I'm in a bad mood I go to google and type in "mark may is" and see what autocomplete gives me. Then I feel better.
Whatever happened to "I'm Feeling Lucky" anyway?
Mark May sucks dicks.
I've read this before. It is strange stuff- typing my name into google brings up results largely belonging to undesirables. And I have a fairly uncommon name- I'd hope employers wouldn't instantly assume this stuff is me.
Evidently I both physically train people and bury them. :lol:
I just learned my last name is an English bastardization of a welsh name. :x
Quote from: Ideologue on March 31, 2012, 09:47:31 AM
Evidently I both physically train people and bury them. :lol:
I am either a strongman, or an Indian Pacer. :hmm:
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 31, 2012, 01:12:30 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on March 31, 2012, 09:47:31 AM
Evidently I both physically train people and bury them. :lol:
I am either a strongman, or an Indian Pacer. :hmm:
Hello Detlef Schrempf.
Quote from: Ed Anger on March 31, 2012, 02:43:42 PM
Quote from: Tonitrus on March 31, 2012, 01:12:30 PM
Quote from: Ideologue on March 31, 2012, 09:47:31 AM
Evidently I both physically train people and bury them. :lol:
I am either a strongman, or an Indian Pacer. :hmm:
Hello Detlef Schrempf.
I liked him when the Seattle Supersonics were a great team. And existed. :(
No auto-complete for my name, the long or shortened version.
Though there are apparently 12 people who share the long version of my name in the US, 3 in Oregon. Whitepages.com seems to think there is a guy who shares my shortened name that live about a block from me. :ph34r:
There are also 3 mugshots with my name but none of them are mine.
Quote from: sbr on March 31, 2012, 04:42:47 PM
There are also 3 mugshots with my name but none of them are mine.
Had a good surgeon did ya?
The only auto-complete I get for my name is actually about me. :ph34r:
marcin coleslaw toe sucking
"Do you get aids by swimming with black people" is still around. :)