3 ms·

I think the crux is objectivity vs subjectivity. You'd like to be able to get an objective set of results to a query.

• pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  andybak's point is a good one though, if you get an objective SERP then that's not going to tell you anything very useful as all your potential customers are getting a personalised version. Looks like an opening: have a group of users sorted across demographics that you can automatically send a query too. The system returns the SERPs from each user and compiles a master SERP showing position based on demographics of the user? So you can, say, run a search for "search engine" across 1000 user machines and then look at average placement (with variance) for Windows 7 users aged 30+ in USA, or whatever. You could probably do a similar thing with Tor (or a botnet) but the relationship between the SERP data and the demographic of the user is probably the most pertinent information and that would be lost then.
  • andybak 14y ago
    The snag is that running searches on other people's profile will alter that profile. The results will be less accurate over time. Not to mention they would get some very strange things popping in Google Now! Oh, it's a tangled web we weave...