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New York, 2:55 PM
Fri Nov 27
11 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of shostakobitch shostakobitch
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Calm down and take a nap, this is the internet. Let's see what else is on here:

    - a video of Ukrainian teens murdering a hobo with a hammer and screwdriver

    - a guy shoving a Tom Collins glass up his ass, the glass subsequently breaking and then him dealing with those consequences

    - a shitload of racist websites hating every type of person you can think of.

    I get that outrage/counter-outrage/chance at zingers gets interest but you are coming off as a bit of a harumphing dowager or worse, a college freshman. You're damaging the legitimacy of your future posts and that makes me cry.
     Reply
    shostakobitch was starred shostakobitch was unstarred
    Image of MisterHippity MisterHippity
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Personally, I find babies dressed as flowers to be highly offensive. Please join me in my campaign to get Google to delete them all.
     Reply
    MisterHippity was starred MisterHippity was unstarred
    Image of FitnessMadeSimple FitnessMadeSimple
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    "We will not reprint the photo here, since that will boost its rank."

    Seriously? I realize Gawker slants left, but that's a bit ridiculous for a blog that has never seemed to mind being offensive to anyone.
     Reply
    FitnessMadeSimple was starred FitnessMadeSimple was unstarred
    Image of MisterHippity MisterHippity
    11/25/09

    @FitnessMadeSimple: So you find it "ridiculous" that posting a picture of black woman made to look like a monkey crosses the line into a realm of offensiveness that Gawker wouldn't want to enter?

    As compared to, you know, the regular Gawker stuff that you find "offensive"?

    It's all just on a par to you, is it? "Black-people-are-monkeys" pictures and standard snarky Gawker fare?

    O-0-oh ka-a-ay ...
     Reply
    Edited by MisterHippity at 11/25/09 11:23 AM MisterHippity was starred MisterHippity was unstarred
    Image of FitnessMadeSimple FitnessMadeSimple
    11/25/09

    @MisterHippity: I wouldn't call it standard snarky Gawker fare. To be sure, it's more offensive than what's typically posted here.

    But it's not as if offensive images haven't been posted here before. Perhaps "ridiculous" was an overstatement on my part. "Surprising" would have been more accurate.
     Reply
    FitnessMadeSimple was starred FitnessMadeSimple was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Adrian, I don't think you know the history of Gawker and questionable images.

    That history is: they ALWAYS post them.
     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of MisterHippity MisterHippity
    11/25/09

    @Pope John Peeps II: No, not something as bad as a black person photoshopped to look like a monkey. Gawker does have some fairly clear lines that it won't cross.

    Well ... at least it has does ever since the departure of Owen "Travolta's Rumored Gay Lover Discovered Dead Son" Thomas.
     Reply
    MisterHippity was starred MisterHippity was unstarred
    Image of Pope John Peeps II Pope John Peeps II
    11/25/09

    @MisterHippity: After posting the michael jackson death photo, suddenly people start caring? This is arguably more interesting, since it's about racial politics in the US.
     Reply
    Pope John Peeps II was starred Pope John Peeps II was unstarred
    Image of MisterHippity MisterHippity
    11/25/09

    @Pope John Peeps II: I forgot about the Micheal Jackson death photo.

    Ok, maybe Gawker doesn't have any lines they won't cross after all ...
     Reply
    MisterHippity was starred MisterHippity was unstarred
    Image of Senor_Wences Senor_Wences
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Someone, I hope, has already said this, but of course Google should NOT remove the image. No more than they should remove any "offensive" text. I'm sorry, but this shit gets my goat. Access to everything, good and bad, is key to a free society. Duh.

    I'm amazed at even the suggestion here that it should be removed, because that is totally assholish and misguided.

    Seriously, a balderdash thing to say. I'm disgusted. Chen, you call yourself a writer? I'm sorry, no. You are not allowed to call yourself that. You obviously cannot be trusted to protect what I consider to be the most important freedom we have, therefore I shall lobby that your name never come up in any search result.

    You are a bad person. Or, perhaps, a decent person with an inability to make a point without failing badly and being misunderstood. Either way. Not appreciated.
     Reply
    Senor_Wences was starred Senor_Wences was unstarred
    Image of Go Like Hell Machine Go Like Hell Machine
    11/25/09

    @Senor_Wences: Uh, Chen's response was that it would be better if it was gone. Not that Google should remove it. Here, let me scroll up a whole page length and copy/paste it for you: It's hard not to agree with Google on this: If they start removing every image someone finds offensive then the only results left will be pictures of babies dressed up as flowers. (Although: child labor!) But it's also hard not to really wish that picture was gone.

    You know, that sounds just like "Google should remove it", doesn't it?

    Talk about trying to make a point and failing badly.
     Reply
    Edited by Go Like Hell Machine at 11/25/09 3:22 AM Go Like Hell Machine was starred Go Like Hell Machine was unstarred
    Image of Senor_Wences Senor_Wences
    11/25/09

    @Go Like Hell Machine: Disagree completely. That was at the end, and weak. The overwhelming flavor of this post is that the image should be removed. #gfail? Please.

    But there is no debate. No controversy, even. This is what I meant by failing at making a point. There was not, in fact, any reason to bring the image up. This is the point of the bad stuff. You don't like it, ignore it.

    Oh, and go to hell, Go Like Hell, for that last crack of yours there. I'll send the ACLU a couple bucks in your name.
     Reply
    Edited by Senor_Wences at 11/25/09 3:46 AM Senor_Wences was starred Senor_Wences was unstarred
    Image of Atilla the Bun Atilla the Bun
    11/25/09

    @Go Like Hell Machine: Exactly. I think this post makes it pretty clear that, yes, we would LIKE for images like this to not get pulled up with a Google search. But that is hardly the same thing as advocating that Google take the image down. To the contrary, the post says pretty clearly that Google shouldn't.

    It's the distinction between saying the KKK is disgusting and shouldn't exist vs. saying the Government should prohibit the KKK from existing. Big difference--HUGE difference.
     Reply
    Edited by Atilla the Bun at 11/25/09 4:06 AM Atilla the Bun was starred Atilla the Bun was unstarred
    Image of Senor_Wences Senor_Wences
    11/25/09

    @Atilla the Bun: Meanwhile, people are searching this image, a dumb, dopey, inconsequential image, because of this post, and, as Chen points out, helps move it to the top. So, uh, why do it?

    There is not a shortage of Obama monkey images. It's neither here nor there, and not worth discussion. It really isn't.

    What's worth discussion is the suggestion these images be pulled. I say again, that is the overwhelming flavor of this post. Or, almost as bad, it's "tut tut, this is bad" and leading people to Google image it, which they have now, and it's still, what? Just another Obama monkey thing.

    A story might be about who is posting these. A piece about Google refusing to take it down? Makes me mad that it is disappointed they will not. Saying again: #gfail. Failed how? "Racist picture...will live forever..." Well, yeah, that's the idea of a library. Respect the Internet as a library of everything.

    I can't believe this is even an issue. No, I can. It's why I'm pissed.

    Fiercely protect it, yer stupid freedom of speech, or yer screwed.
     Reply
    Senor_Wences was starred Senor_Wences was unstarred
    Image of Go Like Hell Machine Go Like Hell Machine
    11/25/09

    @Senor_Wences: You know, as someone mentioned earlier, if this is your first amendment hill to die on, then so be it. But you're seriously, seriously overreacting and intentionally misinterpreting the entire point of the post. #comprehensionfail.
     Reply
    Go Like Hell Machine was starred Go Like Hell Machine was unstarred
    Image of MisterHippity MisterHippity
    11/25/09

    @Senor_Wences: Wency, old friend .... did you start your thanksgiving celebrating early?

    How's your head feel this morning? :-)
     Reply
    MisterHippity was starred MisterHippity was unstarred
    Image of SaraRueful SaraRueful
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Actually, I thought it looked like someone who had suffered horrible burns, more than a monkey.
     Reply
    SaraRueful was starred SaraRueful was unstarred
    Image of Sergio Hernandez Sergio Hernandez
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    #gfail is my new favorite tag.
     Reply
    Sergio Hernandez was starred Sergio Hernandez was unstarred
    Image of JennaW JennaW
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Y'know, Google, this heroic freedom-of-information stance would have a lot more oomph if you weren't such wusses when it came to China. But if THIS is the mountain you want to die on... carry on.
     Reply
    JennaW was starred JennaW was unstarred
    Image of JaviDecimal JaviDecimal
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    It won't show up on the image search if your SafeSearch is OFF....only when SafeSearch is on Moderate or Strict. Shouldn't it be the other way around, Moderate and Strict protecting us from offensive images. Interesting.
     Reply
    Edited by JaviDecimal at 11/25/09 12:26 AM JaviDecimal was starred JaviDecimal was unstarred
    Image of twoeightnine twoeightnine
    11/25/09

    @JaviDecimal: I see it with SafeSearch off. You have to put it in "".
     Reply
    twoeightnine was starred twoeightnine was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search

    This image is on the first page if you search for "Rush Limbaugh elephant."

    Let's all click it incessantly so it shows up when you just type "Rush Limbaugh"!
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of pureblarney pureblarney
    11/25/09

    @Lysergic Asset: Love it! So very much!
     Reply
    pureblarney was starred pureblarney was unstarred
    Image of Xylo Xylo
    11/25/09

    @Lysergic Asset: I just clicked back and forth onto it at least 50 times. Yes, I am 12.
     Reply
    Xylo was starred Xylo was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    I'm sure Google knows more about their algorithm than I do, maybe not their spokesperson, but at least someone at Google.

    Nonetheless, it seems to me that the big story is that the offending image comes up first or on the first page of the results, so why would people be linking to the image? The image itself isn't the story, it's Google.
     Reply
    Edited by Magister at 11/25/09 12:13 AM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of Atilla the Bun Atilla the Bun
    11/25/09

    @Magister: I may be talking out of my ass here (and I have no doubt someone will point it out if I am), but I think the most popular images (as in hits or clicks) are what come up first. In which case, neither the image nor Google are the story, but rather the people looking this shit up and clicking on the image to give it hits.
     Reply
    Atilla the Bun was starred Atilla the Bun was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    11/25/09

    @Atilla the Bun: I guess if people are clicking on it and if they're doing it in larger numbers than any other individual pic... but I just don't see why anyone would click and why the count wouldn't have reset when it moved to another site.

    Are we to believe that the picture which replaced the former number one, which Google claims was removed on the 17th has amassed more compounded(?) clicks than the seventeen others on the first page?
     Reply
    Edited by Magister at 11/25/09 1:19 AM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of Atilla the Bun Atilla the Bun
    11/25/09

    @Magister: I dunno. I follow your reasoning, but I still think it's a "popularity" issue. Whether that sticks to an image from site to site, I haven't a clue.

    But really...if people start to worry themselves over the kind of offensive awfulness they can find on the internet, via Google or any other search engine, they will drive themselves nuts. There is a lot of sick stuff out there. I'm sure this picture (though I have not seen it) is the tip of a really ugly iceberg. I just use safesearch so I don't get the proverbial vapors when doing an internet search.
     Reply
    Atilla the Bun was starred Atilla the Bun was unstarred
    Image of bens bens
    11/25/09

    @Magister: Google's search algorithm indexes websites and collates the results. They have a top secret ranking system that gives certain websites order of preference for different search topics. Meaning that sites with a lot of traffic or popularity will have their links given more credibility than someone's AOL homepage. There are enough websites out there that link the text "Michelle Obama" with the racist image and or links to the racist image to skew search results. Just linking to the offending image will bump it in popularity.

    Say there's a racist message board that produces the image and spreads it online. Google's ranking is low. Huffington Post commenters find the image and link to it saying "OMG how racist!%#" Since HuffPo has a high Google rank, the algorithm thinks the result must be "good." People then send e-mails around saying "Look at these racists!@!$%" and link to the image, and bam, its ranking goes up, and subsequently appears higher on the image search results.

    So basically the people who are offended by the image and link to it are keeping it alive. Gawker is good to not link to the image so that it doesn't self perpetrate.

    I guess the lesson is: Google's search algorithm isn't human. Its a computer program, it doesn't understand the difference between an offensive image and a benign one. Search results are an attempt to take the real world, convert it in to math that a computer can understand, and spit out human-friendly results.
     Reply
    Magister promoted this comment bens was starred bens was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    11/25/09

    @bens: I understand what you're saying, but from what I've seen, the links are to a Google: Image search for "michelle obama" and not to the actual site. Keep in mind as Adrian pointed out in the OP: The original image host was a malware site, which I'd hope would not be linked from the Huffington Post.

    Google claims pagerank is determined by "500 million variables and 2 billion terms", which sounds like hyperbole or they're simply counting searches, but nonetheless, if a "new" image can climb so quickly, then I'd say they may be off somewhere with their math.
     Reply
    Edited by Magister at 11/25/09 2:28 AM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    11/25/09

    In reply to Racist Picture of Michelle Obama Will Live on Forever in Google Image Search
    Gotta love that 1st amendment!
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of badasscat badasscat
    11/25/09

    @Lysergic Asset: Either you don't realize the 1st amendment applies to the government and not private corporations, or you actually believe Google is part of the government. Either way, kinda scary!
     Reply
    badasscat was starred badasscat was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    11/25/09

    @badasscat: Obviously, I've spent too much time watching teabagging parties and not enough time in school. Props to you for calling me out on my uneducated snark without intellectually eviscerating me.

    #tips
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    11/25/09

    @badasscat: If they had any say, I'm sure Google would like to be the government.
     Reply
    Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of dumanue dumanue
    11/25/09

    @Magister: in 2012 Google will be saving the world from Sarah Palins inauguration by taking over the continent and installing their own totalitarian government...
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset promoted this comment dumanue was starred dumanue was unstarred
    Image of BlackLadyBug BlackLadyBug
    11/25/09

    @Magister: Nah. Everyone knows Google = Skynet.

    #tips
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset promoted this comment BlackLadyBug was starred BlackLadyBug was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    11/25/09

    @dumanue: That's the one scenario that Glenn Beck hasn't already envisioned.

    #tips
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    11/25/09

    @BlackLadyBug: Which may explain why I hear the drum intro to It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) everytime I do a Google search.

    #tips
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of raincoaster raincoaster
    11/23/09

    In reply to The Most Elaborate Booty Call Ever
    A smart British lawyer could make a fortune with this, even if all the husbands are on the dole.
     Reply
    raincoaster was starred raincoaster was unstarred
    Image of Sir Thomas More Sir Thomas More
    11/23/09

    In reply to Who Is Gawker Media Overlord Nick Denton's New Neighbor?

    Well, now we know what type of pad Nick has.
     Reply
    Sir Thomas More was starred Sir Thomas More was unstarred
    Image of The Real JR The Real JR
    11/23/09

    In reply to The Most Elaborate Booty Call Ever
    Isn't this the whole plot of Madame Butterfly?
     Reply
    The Real JR was starred The Real JR was unstarred
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