Is google putting its thumb on the scale?

[repoman]

https://www.google.com/#q=american+inventors

Interesting results.

very different results for this, which is similar:

https://www.google.com/#q=united+states+inventors

 

[untermensche]

It must have something to do with the label "African American".

Google is giving "African American" more weight somehow in their algorithm, doubtfully anything intentional, when you just use "American".

In the context of inventor.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

https://www.google.com/#q=american+inventors

Interesting results.

very different results for this, which is similar:

https://www.google.com/#q=united+states+inventors

If they were putting their finger on the scale, the results would have been the same for both.

 

[RavenSky]

And apparently white supremacist SJW snowflakes are all up in arms about it, too:

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It must be so hard being a racist today, what with your heart going all a-flutter over every imagined insult you dig through the Internet to be able to find. We really need some kind of "Hug a Racist" telethon to help out these poor, abused souls.

 

[ronburgundy]

https://www.google.com/#q=american+inventors

Interesting results.

very different results for this, which is similar:

https://www.google.com/#q=united+states+inventors

If they were putting their finger on the scale, the results would have been the same for both.

I hadn't heard anything about this and don't really care if Google is putting their thumb on the scale, but your assumption is incorrect.
If they were using basic semantic algorithms, then the two would have similar results. If they were to intentionally "fix" the result of "American Inventors" it would have a different result than semantically similar phrases, unless they bothered to think of and "fix" all similar phrases.

The search "American Inventors" returns identical results as "Black American Inventors" and "African American Inventors", and almost identical results as "Black Inventors" even without any mention of "American" at all.

That is odd and suggests the reason is not because of the common phrase "African American". Also contradicting that hypothesis is that "American" doesn't trigger "african american" in other searches like "famous American woman" were Oprah and Michelle Obama are the only black women in the first 14.

And "American Inventors" returns completely different results than "North American Inventors" or "United States Inventors" which are both highly similar to each other (as they should be if determined by semantic overlap).

No remotely valid semantic algorithm would treat "American inventors" as almost identical to "Black Inventors" but completely different than "North American Inventors". Something is clearly amiss with their system. Whether that something is random glitch or a done deliberately I'll leave for others to speculate about.

 

[Elixir]

If they were putting their finger on the scale, the results would have been the same for both.

I hadn't heard anything about this and don't really care if Google is putting their thumb on the scale, but your assumption is incorrect.
If they were using basic semantic algorithms, then the two would have similar results. If they were to intentionally "fix" the result of "American Inventors" it would have a different result than semantically similar phrases, unless they bothered to think of and "fix" all similar phrases.

The search "American Inventors" returns identical results as "Black American Inventors" and "African American Inventors", and almost identical results as "Black Inventors" even without any mention of "American" at all.

That is odd and suggests the reason is not because of the common phrase "African American". Also contradicting that hypothesis is that "American" doesn't trigger "african american" in other searches like "famous American woman" were Oprah and Michelle Obama are the only black women in the first 14.

And "American Inventors" returns completely different results than "North American Inventors" or "United States Inventors" which are both highly similar to each other (as they should be if determined by semantic overlap).

No remotely valid semantic algorithm would treat "American inventors" as almost identical to "Black Inventors" but completely different than "North American Inventors". Something is clearly amiss with their system. Whether that something is random glitch or a done deliberately I'll leave for others to speculate about.

Hmmm. Are you using a "clean" browser (no history, cookies, clear cache)?
Google is set up so that any search at all represents a thumb on the scale for the next search.

 

[ronburgundy]

I hadn't heard anything about this and don't really care if Google is putting their thumb on the scale, but your assumption is incorrect.
If they were using basic semantic algorithms, then the two would have similar results. If they were to intentionally "fix" the result of "American Inventors" it would have a different result than semantically similar phrases, unless they bothered to think of and "fix" all similar phrases.

The search "American Inventors" returns identical results as "Black American Inventors" and "African American Inventors", and almost identical results as "Black Inventors" even without any mention of "American" at all.

That is odd and suggests the reason is not because of the common phrase "African American". Also contradicting that hypothesis is that "American" doesn't trigger "african american" in other searches like "famous American woman" were Oprah and Michelle Obama are the only black women in the first 14.

And "American Inventors" returns completely different results than "North American Inventors" or "United States Inventors" which are both highly similar to each other (as they should be if determined by semantic overlap).

No remotely valid semantic algorithm would treat "American inventors" as almost identical to "Black Inventors" but completely different than "North American Inventors". Something is clearly amiss with their system. Whether that something is random glitch or a done deliberately I'll leave for others to speculate about.

Hmmm. Are you using a "clean" browser (no history, cookies, clear cache)?
Google is set up so that any search at all represents a thumb on the scale for the next search.

Yes. You should be able to replicate it. In fact, I can do the searches over and over in various orders and the results are constant, namely that "american inventors" yields a virtually identical string of inventors (first 7 all black) as "black inventors" but completely different set from "North American Inventors" where the first 7 listed are white. Even searching "white American Inventors" before searching "American Inventors" gets you the same as search "black inventors", so it has nothing to do with cache issue.

 

[Elixir]

Hmmm. Are you using a "clean" browser (no history, cookies, clear cache)?
Google is set up so that any search at all represents a thumb on the scale for the next search.

Yes. You should be able to replicate it. In fact, I can do the searches over and over in various orders and the results are constant, namely that "american inventors" yields a virtually identical string of inventors (first 7 all black) as "black inventors" but completely different set from "North American Inventors" where the first 7 listed are white. Even searching "white American Inventors" before searching "American Inventors" gets you the same as search "black inventors", so it has nothing to do with cache issue.

Right. That does look odd.
Try "USA Inventors" and you'll see a very much whiter return.
"American" is often preceded by "Black" or African". "USA"... not so much. So Google assumes...

 

[Rayschism]

Methinks they doth meow too much.

 

[dismal]

Yes. You should be able to replicate it. In fact, I can do the searches over and over in various orders and the results are constant, namely that "american inventors" yields a virtually identical string of inventors (first 7 all black) as "black inventors" but completely different set from "North American Inventors" where the first 7 listed are white. Even searching "white American Inventors" before searching "American Inventors" gets you the same as search "black inventors", so it has nothing to do with cache issue.

Right. That does look odd.
Try "USA Inventors" and you'll see a very much whiter return.
"American" is often preceded by "Black" or African". "USA"... not so much. So Google assumes...

I tried "American playwrights" and "American painters" and it's all white dudes.

 

[dismal]

If they were putting their finger on the scale, the results would have been the same for both.

I hadn't heard anything about this and don't really care if Google is putting their thumb on the scale, but your assumption is incorrect.
If they were using basic semantic algorithms, then the two would have similar results. If they were to intentionally "fix" the result of "American Inventors" it would have a different result than semantically similar phrases, unless they bothered to think of and "fix" all similar phrases.

The search "American Inventors" returns identical results as "Black American Inventors" and "African American Inventors", and almost identical results as "Black Inventors" even without any mention of "American" at all.

That is odd and suggests the reason is not because of the common phrase "African American". Also contradicting that hypothesis is that "American" doesn't trigger "african american" in other searches like "famous American woman" were Oprah and Michelle Obama are the only black women in the first 14.

And "American Inventors" returns completely different results than "North American Inventors" or "United States Inventors" which are both highly similar to each other (as they should be if determined by semantic overlap).

No remotely valid semantic algorithm would treat "American inventors" as almost identical to "Black Inventors" but completely different than "North American Inventors". Something is clearly amiss with their system. Whether that something is random glitch or a done deliberately I'll leave for others to speculate about.

My guess is some pissant programmer did it for laffs or to troll people.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

Right. That does look odd.
Try "USA Inventors" and you'll see a very much whiter return.
"American" is often preceded by "Black" or African". "USA"... not so much. So Google assumes...

I tried "American playwrights" and "American painters" and it's all white dudes.

It's intriguing. Have you tried "American scientists" or "American mathematicians"?

 

[ronburgundy]

Yes. You should be able to replicate it. In fact, I can do the searches over and over in various orders and the results are constant, namely that "american inventors" yields a virtually identical string of inventors (first 7 all black) as "black inventors" but completely different set from "North American Inventors" where the first 7 listed are white. Even searching "white American Inventors" before searching "American Inventors" gets you the same as search "black inventors", so it has nothing to do with cache issue.

Right. That does look odd.
Try "USA Inventors" and you'll see a very much whiter return.
"American" is often preceded by "Black" or African". "USA"... not so much. So Google assumes...

No, see my first post. It cannot have anything to do with the common use of "black american". First, the vast vast majority of the time that "american" is searched has nothing to do "black" or "african". So no semantic system would presume that connection.
Also, if your explanation that was true, the other searches with "american" would skew black and they do not. For example "famous american women" and "famous american criminals" returns mostly whites as they should based upon a semantic space, while your theory predicts it would return mostly black Americans.

BTW, even your recommended "USA Inventors" returns 6 blacks out of the first 11, which is about 4 times greater than any semantic based system would produce.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

Right. That does look odd.
Try "USA Inventors" and you'll see a very much whiter return.
"American" is often preceded by "Black" or African". "USA"... not so much. So Google assumes...

No, see my first post. It cannot have anything to do with the common use of "black american". First, the vast vast majority of the time that "american" is searched has nothing to do "black" or "african". So no semantic system would presume that connection.
Also, if your explanation that was true, the other searches with "american" would skew black and they do not. For example "famous american women" and "famous american criminals" returns mostly whites as they should based upon a semantic space, while your theory predicts it would return mostly black Americans.

BTW, even your recommended "USA Inventors" returns 6 blacks out of the first 11, which is about 4 times greater than any semantic based system would produce.

Have you tried American scientists, mathematicians, artists, or musicians?

 

[Derec]

It must be so hard being a racist today, what with your heart going all a-flutter over every imagined insult you dig through the Internet to be able to find. We really need some kind of "Hug a Racist" telethon to help out these poor, abused souls.

Are you suggesting that one has to be racist (or as RavenSky puts it "white supremacist") to find this type of thing objectionable?

Let's say things were reversed and the list of "American basketball players" was dominated by white players, with Michael Jordan relegated to page 5 because some white players who only played college ball were ahead of him. One would not have to be a "racist" or a "black supremacist" to cry foul about that.

This double standard that you and RavenSky subscribe to is really damaging to race relations.

 

[untermensche]

It must be so hard being a racist today, what with your heart going all a-flutter over every imagined insult you dig through the Internet to be able to find. We really need some kind of "Hug a Racist" telethon to help out these poor, abused souls.

Are you suggesting that one has to be racist (or as RavenSky puts it "white supremacist") to find this type of thing objectionable?

Either a racist or insane.

By what measure does one get upset?

 

[Juma]

If they were putting their finger on the scale, the results would have been the same for both.

I hadn't heard anything about this and don't really care if Google is putting their thumb on the scale, but your assumption is incorrect.
If they were using basic semantic algorithms, then the two would have similar results. If they were to intentionally "fix" the result of "American Inventors" it would have a different result than semantically similar phrases, unless they bothered to think of and "fix" all similar phrases.

The search "American Inventors" returns identical results as "Black American Inventors" and "African American Inventors", and almost identical results as "Black Inventors" even without any mention of "American" at all.

That is odd and suggests the reason is not because of the common phrase "African American". Also contradicting that hypothesis is that "American" doesn't trigger "african american" in other searches like "famous American woman" were Oprah and Michelle Obama are the only black women in the first 14.

And "American Inventors" returns completely different results than "North American Inventors" or "United States Inventors" which are both highly similar to each other (as they should be if determined by semantic overlap).

No remotely valid semantic algorithm would treat "American inventors" as almost identical to "Black Inventors" but completely different than "North American Inventors". Something is clearly amiss with their system. Whether that something is random glitch or a done deliberately I'll leave for others to speculate about.

Seem you understimates the impact of context.

 

[repoman]

I think this may be the effect of the "We Wuz Kings" cultish following.

 

[barbos]

Looks unintentional result of AI meddling to me.