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[Ephemeriis]

Here's more on this:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web%20Search/thread?tid=3256068003a21587&hl=en

Looks like it's just a promotion for their new background image feature.  It'll be back to normal tomorrow.

Good.

[olemars]

You are aware that google stores and catalogs every search, and website you have visited via their engine and keeps that information forever?

As for their retention policy...  I don't know what it is, but I doubt if it is genuinely forever.  Considering the large number of folks hitting Google for search results on a daily basis, I don't think they can retain their logs literally forever.

They keep the logs indefinitely, but they're anonymized somewhat after 18 months.

[PTTG??]

The fixed it. Wow...

[Nether]

The fixed it. Wow...

True, it's gone.
Interesting, I wonder why they removed it.

[ein]

It was just a promo for the new feature.
Which is available.

Spoiler: WARNING! Huge Image (click to show/hide)

[Virex]

You are aware that google stores and catalogs every search, and website you have visited via their engine and keeps that information forever?

This makes me wonder if there would be a market for a search engine that doesn't do this? Could potentially make quite some bucks with it, but then again I guess you need to shell out a supercomputer or two to compete with google.

[ein]

I considered creating a nation that was just a bunch of servers, satellites, and repairmen.
Maybe all the servers are on a spaceship.
The goal was to provide completely free, anonymous internet and search.

[Aqizzar]

I considered creating a nation that was just a bunch of servers, satellites, and repairmen.
Maybe all the servers are on a spaceship.
The goal was to provide completely free, anonymous internet and search.

I'm curious how you could provide completely free Internet when you have to invest in spaceships and stuff to do it.

Reminds me, didn't Google buy a barge to carry a bunch of servers on?

[ein]

In this already unlikely scenario, I would already be a billionaire.

[Virex]

I considered creating a nation that was just a bunch of servers, satellites, and repairmen.
Maybe all the servers are on a spaceship.
The goal was to provide completely free, anonymous internet and search.

I'm curious how you could provide completely free Internet when you have to invest in spaceships and stuff to do it.

Reminds me, didn't Google buy a barge to carry a bunch of servers on?

Free internet wants to be free, no mater the cost. The bank isn't going to like this, but hey, my heirs can refuse the loans

[SolarShado]

Re: Search engine logs.

That's how they determine what results are the "best," by tracking clicks. More people type search terms "x y z" and click link K, the database records it, and the engine determines that K is a good match for terms "x y z." If Google didn't log traffic, the search rankings would rest solely on the judgement of a supercomputer. People are still much better at determining the relevance of information than computers, so search engines use that to their advantage.

EDIT: not fond of the background thing, but at least it didn't last long.

[Cthulhu]

I considered creating a nation that was just a bunch of servers, satellites, and repairmen.
Maybe all the servers are on a spaceship.
The goal was to provide completely free, anonymous internet and search.

I'm curious how you could provide completely free Internet when you have to invest in spaceships and stuff to do it.

Reminds me, didn't Google buy a barge to carry a bunch of servers on?

Free internet wants to be free, no mater the cost. The bank isn't going to like this, but hey, my heirs can refuse the loans

Pssst, internet is like information.  It's incapable of wanting anything, least of all to be "free"

[ein]

You can still log searches without logging who searched them.

[Aqizzar]

It doesn't log who searched them, it logs the IP address the search was made from.  Where it gets into "privacy" concerns is that an awful lot of people enter personal information in their searches, Google Image vanity searches for instance.  Hence things like some years back when AOL got caught selling reams of search information to advertising agencies, including all the IP addresses with people's names and stuff searched for under them.

[Nolor]

People who are actually concerned about a search engine of all things logging information about them are severely overstating their own importance.