I have little doubt that Google uses their own search results to their personal benefit. There should be enforceable rules or regulations about this type of crap...
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Are iTunes Links Being Downranked by Google?
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Serious question: do people actually use Google Search to find apps?
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Regulations for the Internet to tell the truth?
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Regulations for the Internet to tell the truth?
This. Bing is more than good enough. I switched on Safari and on iOS over a year ago.
angry android
returns a wall of google play store results, why do they assume to know that I wasn't interested in learning about pissed-off robots?
https://www.google.com/search?q=tem...112,d.dmg&fp=7e6e843dddafcfbb&biw=678&bih=427
returns a wall of google play store results, why do they assume to know that I wasn't interested in learning about pissed-off robots?
https://www.google.com/search?q=tem...112,d.dmg&fp=7e6e843dddafcfbb&biw=678&bih=427
I just tried this by searching for "whatsapp iphone download" and stopped at page 21 because a) I'd gotten to page 21 without seeing the iTunes link, and b) I'd passed a Google Play link along the way.
Of course, making the search site-specific provided the result I was looking for in position #1.
Personally, I almost never search for iTunes links via mobile web (99% of my such searches are via desktop).
People holding Google to one of their many mantras/mission value statements is about as silly as holding Apple to their "it just works" mantra.
Both are products of marketing/PR. Not facts.
Actually there is. If true, this is a blatant conflict of interest. If Google is going to give preferential treatment to its own products and partners, it needs to disclose such on the search page otherwise they are engaged in fraudulent activity and something that can be regulated by the FTC.
A consumer presumes, when using Google, that the unsponsored search results are organic and not preferential to one party in any way. Just because Google owns its search engine does not mean that it can do whatever it wants. It still has to play fairly with others because, whether you agree or not, Google's search engine has reached a ubiquitous status. That means Google has to meet a very high bar if it ends up in court over this.
He/she wasn't saying anything about Apple. Gah, I hate when people put words in others mouths and then roll their eyes at their guesses about them. "Ha, as if Apple is any better!!1" ... WTF? No, maybe the user dislikes these practices either way?Unlike Apple corporation, which is an altruistically charitable organization...not some money sucking, rule bending creature.
Apple's doing it for love...money is just an incidental side effect.
It's especially frustrating when Apple is seen as everything but a charity these days, even in this camp at Macrumors.
When did Apple get an app store on Android and visa versa? Nothing anti-competitive about it. Behavior or behaviour...
Apple does the same thing... who wouldn't?
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I see what you did there.
That wasn't what I was saying though. At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure Google are not allowed to purposely do this.
As ubiquitis as google is (becoming a verb referring to any kind of internet search) I imagine they could be subject to anti-competitive suits if they were doing this on purpose.
Relevant Google searches.
Twitter iphone"
itunes link is the 5th result
"Twitter android"
gives the google play store as the first link first page.
"Twitter windows"
does not have a MS specific link on the first page. It's on the 2nd page.
"facebook iphone"
no Apple related link in the first 2 pages.
"facebook iphone itunes"
this gives the itunes link first up. But you need the itunes word there too"
"facebook android"
first link is the google play store
"facebook windows"
does not have a MS specific link on the first page. It's on the 2nd page.
***************
I'll try the same searches on bing search and see what the results are:
"Twitter iphone"
the itunes link is the 5th result
"Twitter android"
The google play link is on the 2nd page
"twitter windows"
first page is full of twitter/windows links. The windows app store link is the 10th one of the first page
"facebook itunes"
the itunes store link is the 9th result of the first page
"facebook android"
The google play link is the 7th one on the first page
"facebook windows"
The windows link is the 3rd result on the first page
***************
Yes this is an extremely small sample size. But if this is any indication I think it's not just against Apple. Google is changing it's search to make all of it's competitors lower in the search results and itself higher in the search results.
Google is at war with it's competition. And this is one way it's doing it. Through search.
Bing yes it's MS. But it's nowhere as skewed towards MS as one would think. It's algorithm is a lot less biased. It seems the MS is letting it's search as a tool and not as a weapon in it's wars like goggle is with it's search.
So what lesson have we learnt here?
Just like internet browsers, we need to have any internet search engines bookmarked. And use them all interchangeably. Cause what one refuses to search for, another might just find easily. This is not cause of can or can not find. This is all towards the bias people but on their respective search algorithms for whatever reasons.
Twitter iphone"
itunes link is the 5th result
"Twitter android"
gives the google play store as the first link first page.
"Twitter windows"
does not have a MS specific link on the first page. It's on the 2nd page.
"facebook iphone"
no Apple related link in the first 2 pages.
"facebook iphone itunes"
this gives the itunes link first up. But you need the itunes word there too"
"facebook android"
first link is the google play store
"facebook windows"
does not have a MS specific link on the first page. It's on the 2nd page.
***************
I'll try the same searches on bing search and see what the results are:
"Twitter iphone"
the itunes link is the 5th result
"Twitter android"
The google play link is on the 2nd page
"twitter windows"
first page is full of twitter/windows links. The windows app store link is the 10th one of the first page
"facebook itunes"
the itunes store link is the 9th result of the first page
"facebook android"
The google play link is the 7th one on the first page
"facebook windows"
The windows link is the 3rd result on the first page
***************
Yes this is an extremely small sample size. But if this is any indication I think it's not just against Apple. Google is changing it's search to make all of it's competitors lower in the search results and itself higher in the search results.
Google is at war with it's competition. And this is one way it's doing it. Through search.
Bing yes it's MS. But it's nowhere as skewed towards MS as one would think. It's algorithm is a lot less biased. It seems the MS is letting it's search as a tool and not as a weapon in it's wars like goggle is with it's search.
So what lesson have we learnt here?
Just like internet browsers, we need to have any internet search engines bookmarked. And use them all interchangeably. Cause what one refuses to search for, another might just find easily. This is not cause of can or can not find. This is all towards the bias people but on their respective search algorithms for whatever reasons.
I think we've all got a little too soft an opinion of what evil is if we consider this an act of such.
Google Pages for iPhone and the top hit is an iTunes store link.
Google Twitter iPhone and the 4th link is an iTunes store link, after Twitter's own pages.
What are we talking about again?
Google Twitter iPhone and the 4th link is an iTunes store link, after Twitter's own pages.
What are we talking about again?
I just searched for "Facebook app". I got links to both the google play and AppStore versions on page one. I didn't see anything for windows phone 8 and I am deeply upset. I must report this to windows phone fan sites do the conspiracy theory may live on.
Coca cola has the resources but I don't see anybody taking googles throne for as long as the Internet works as it currently does. There's just no reason to switch. Heck loads of people still use Internet explorer because its the default. So even providing a much better product is often not enough to convince people to switch platforms. They just can't be bothered.