Google’s Robots

The funny thing about automatic data robots is that they really don’t get…context. I was reading this article about some Marines on trial for rape in the Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) – A Filipino woman who accuses four U.S. Marines of rape said she was too drunk to remember how she ended up in a van with one of the men on top of her, breaking down three times during her court testimony on Thursday.
The Marines, being detained by the U.S. embassy in Manila, deny the charges filed in December, saying only one of them had sex with the woman and that it was consensual. One of the sailors has said the woman was being manipulated to incriminate them.

Of course, the first thing that jumped out at me was the editorial brilliance of Reuters where they refer to Marines as “sailors.” Remember, folks: Reuters are professionals, unlike us folks in our pajamas.
The next thing that caught my eye was this ad placed right next to the article by Google’s keyword-based robot:

Philippines – Free to Join. 1000’s of pictures of Beautiful Philippine Singles
www.AsianPeopleMeet.com
Manila Philippines – Build your Philippines Vacation More Choices, Flexibility & Savings
www.Expedia.com

Yes, a story about alleged rape would certainly entice me to look up some “Beautiful Philippine Singles.”

One Response to “Google’s Robots”

1. Robb Allen says:

   July 6, 2006 at 9:49 am

   The worst thing is that eBay tries to sell *whatever* you’re searching for. I had two posts about this – one about Feeding Tubes and the other about Missing Children.
   Apparently you can buy both on eBay.