12.14.2009

(VIDEOS 6) Who're Google Squared Engineers? GOOGLEM HERE AND SEO!


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 Search is at the heart of everything we do at Google. Our engineers work every day to solve the hardest search problems, and thus improve your online experience. Here's a glimpse at what they do, the features they've built and the remarkable user stories that inspire our work.

Spelling Improvements
two pencils grade hbImage via Wikipedia

Pat talks about new ways in which we try to save you time with spelling corrections.

Search results
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Google not only indexes and caches web pages but also takes "snapshots" of other file types, which include PDF, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Flash SWF, plain text files, and so on. Except in the case of text and SWF files, the cached version is a conversion to (X)HTML, allowing those without the corresponding viewer application to read the file.
Users can customize the search engine, by setting a default language, using the "SafeSearch" filtering technology and set the number of results shown on each page. Google has been criticized for placing long-term cookies on users' machines to store these preferences, a tactic which also enables them to track a user's search terms and retain the data for more than a year. For any query, up to the first 1000 results can be shown with a maximum of 100 displayed per page.

Google Squared

Rythm oil a journey through the Google Books P...Image by WhatGetsMeHot Mrjyn via Flickr

Daniel demonstrates Google Squared, a new experimental search tool that lets you customize your search results in a table.


Maps in Search Results

Jim shows you the convenience of maps when you need them on Google Search Results Pages.




Wonder Wheel

Adam talks about everything you can do with Google's Wonder Wheel, a tool in the Search Options Panel.





Personalized Suggestions

Uygar and Andy talk about the addition of personalized suggestions as you type your searches into the Google Search box.






Mayur talks about a working on indexing recent content as it comes up around the web for Google news.

@tw_nextmedia twitter plurk tw.nextmedia.com f...Image by WhatGetsMeHot Mrjyn via Flickr

Your Search stories

Search is at the heart of everything we do at Google. Our engineers work every day to solve the hardest search problems, and thus improve your online experience. Here's a glimpse at what they do, the features they've built and the remarkable user stories that inspire our work. 

The pencil lead

My son informed me that he had a pencil lead in his ear and I thought that maybe he was wrong and it fell out. However, after googling the following website - www.ncemi.org/cse/cse0305.htm - I tried the flush method suggested, and after 3 tries, we couldn't believe our eyes, but a half inch pencil lead came flying out! Thanks a million Google!
– Paul Murphy & son Ronan

 

What's that song's name?

You ever hear a song that you wish you knew the name of? Usually you can just Google a few key lyrics to find the answer, but when the song has no lyrics, one has to get creative. This was the case a few years ago when I was tasked with finding out the name of that famous circus/carnival music, you know, with the calliope, like, the clown music people usually hum in situations when someone's just done something silly.. you know, it kind of goes like "doot doot doodle-oodle oot doot do do?" Sorta? Of course it's more likely that you'd recognize the tune if I could whistle it to you. Except everyone I'd whistled to, despite recognizing the tune, had no clue what the name of the song was. So, on a whim, I googled it. That is, I went to Google Search, typed in "doot doot doodle-oodle oot doot do do" (without quotes, even!), clicked "I'm Feeling Lucky" -- and guess what? It's called "Entrance of the Gladiators" -- also known as "Thunder and Blazes" -- by Czech composer Julius Fučík. Good ear, Google, good ear.
– Usman Akeju

Reconnecting with a good friend

I wanted to thank someone so much for this wonderful Google search, I connected with a friend from over 40 years ago. I have been looking for her for a very long as we were best friends in grade school but then her family moved and we lost contact. She now lives very far from me in California and I live in Ontario but we are now reconnecting by e-mail. Thanks so much as without Google this would not have happened.
– Marg Arnold

Just another day for a librarian

I'm a librarian and I use Google all day every day. Today I helped a senior citizen find the telephone number of the company that made her frying pan. Her frying pan handle had broke and she wanted it replaced. She had actually brought the frying pan into the library where I work, because it had been many years since she had purchased it and didn't know who the manufacturer was. I searched the words on the underside of the pan and not only found the manufacturer, but found that the pan had a 50 year guarantee! One satisfied Library patron, thanks to Google.
– Michelle Stiennon

Doodle love

if you guys hadn't changed your logo on sunday, i'd have forgotten about mother's day and my dear old mom's heart would have been broken so, thanks
– Steve

My grandfather

I had a grandfather who I never really knew and who my father wasn't terribly close to in his later years. He was a quiet man with a military history that he never really spoke of at length. Thanks to some research on Google, we learned all about his work during WWII and found out a lot about a man I'll never really get the chance to know.
– Brandi

New job, new country

I have just started a new job in a new country. I swear i would have been fired by now if I didn't have google, i can find absolutely anything i need and scene as though my job requires alot of communication internationally it is simply a life saver! You must all be so proud to work for an organisation that is amazing and popular as google:-) WELL DONE! go team go!
– Danielle Brown

Google seizure!

Google may have saved a life today. I work as an attorney in Washington DC doing electronic document review. I and 20 other attorneys sit side by side at computers looking at documents all day and code them for privilege. Today, one of my fellow lawyers went into an epileptic seizure. Someone shouted "Google seizure". The attorney next to me began typing in, another yelled out "call 911" and the Googler then started reading the procedure for treating an epileptic seizure. I immediately called 911 and 4 others raced to the victim's side and began laying her down, turning her head, etc. purusant to the Googled instructions. When I was on the phone to the dispatch at 911, the dispatcher kept telling me what to do, and I kept saying "they've done that, they've done that..." Within minutes, the paramedics arrived and our friend was taken to the hospital. Happy ending. Google led they way. And we are all VERY grateful. Thank you, Google.
– Kevin Marcy

Ascites Thyroid

"Searching" on google SAVED MY MOTHERS' LIFE! The doctors couldn't find out what was wrong with my mother. She had many tests done, but nothing was conclusive. I finally decided to google "ascites thyroid" which discribed her symptoms. An article popped up that discribed my mother. It said that woman with ascites and elevated CA-125 should have their thyroid checked because they could have hypothyroidism and not ovarian cancer like doctors first think of and test for. This is what was happening to my mother. I asked the doctor to check her thyroid levels and my mother did have low thyroid and all her symptoms matched low thyroid. Her current medication for low thyroid, synthroid, was increased on a weds. and on thrus.she said she felt better than she has felt for a long time and on fri. she clean one room in her house which she couldn't do for the last 3 months! My mother was dying and the doctors couldn't figure it out but my search on google saved her life. There is no way to thank the person who created this search engine enough,and I wanted those at google to know their work is saving lives. I couldn't even find the same information on Webmd. Thank you so very much.
– Cheryl Iaquinta

My dog ate chewing gum!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the help that Google provided when our dog ate chewing gum with a deadly chemical in it. We noticed that our 3 year old border terrier ate about half a pack of Orbit chewing gum, so just to be on the safe side, I Googled "dog ate chewing gum". The second page that came up was about the deadly chemical for dogs called Xylitol that is contained in many sugar-free foods, including the Orbit gum our dog had just eaten. Thanks to Google, we got Finlay to the emergency vet and $2,000.00 and a day later, he was back home with us safe and sound. If I had not gone to your site, I fear that we wouldn't realize how bad the gum was for him and we might have lost him. I go to Google to look up everything and it was my first reaction to go there that night. Thank you for your awesome search engine! Now, if I can just get Wrigley's to put a warning on the packaging...! :)
– Megan Harbin

Give me Search Options!

I can't really find the right place to email you, I hope this gets to whoever it needs to, but i just noticed the options on the search page. I LOVE THIS!!!!! I have wanted for so long to be able to find recent info instead of something that was put up years ago... anyway, I just wanted to say "Thank you" for this!
– Juli Vaughn

Google saved my eyesight

Google saved my eyesight in my left eye. When my retina detached around 3 a.m. one morning in Feb. '06, I didn't know what was going on. I just felt a slight pop and noticed a blind spot in the outer portion of my vision in one eye. Well I got out of bed and googled the symptoms. Found out that it could be a retinal detachment, and went to the ER. But that's not the end of the story. The ER doc told me he couldn't see anything wrong, and recommended that I just see if it goes away after 4-5 days. Well my previous research on Google told me that if it was a detachment, I had 48 hours to get to surgery. I called a retinal clinic, and they immediately diagnosed the issue, telling me that I would go blind within days. I was on the surgeon's table within a day, and my vision was fully restored.
– Anon.

Accesibility

I want to thank you for the ease of using google. I became blind just 7 years ago and must use talking software to search and read. Google is truly compatible with my software. My husband is impressed and said "now if they allowed you to change it to pink, you would have it made".
– Liz

Google Maps and Google Book Search

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your services overall. You're amazing to provide all these services for free to the global community! What a great organization! I am particularly impressed with Google book search and Google maps lately. I use Google book search as a college undergrad to complete assignments when I don't have my textbook on me. Also, when looking for a book I'd like to read I can find a few pages on Google books to help me decide whether I want to get it. Either way I think it is a wonderful service. Google maps is great too. Actually, this is the reason I felt compelled to write your company. I was just so impressed today when I was looking up a map of Orange, CA and saw that with one click I could figure out bus information about traveling to Laguna beach. It told me what busses to take and what the fare would be. I just think that's amazing and very eco-conscious of you. Also, its so great to see how much money I'd save by using public transportation. So, anyway, I was amazed and I had to let you know.
– Kristen Cowan

The error message

I just want to submit my undying love and gratitute. I will never stray to another search engine. I just got an iPhone and had to return it the next week. I ran into an error message that was quite long, but I attempted to type it into the search box area...don't cha know the exact phrase came up, I linked to the site (forum) and problem was solved within the next 15 minutes. I love YOU guys!!! Many thanks
– Julie Meeks

Convert that

I work as a translator from English to Macedonian language. Very often, I have to convert US/UK Measurements into Metric System measurements. Few days ago, I found out about the Google Calculator. What a releif! Now, the conversion of any measurement is just a few clicks away! Thank you Google!!!
– Dimitar
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