Just for the hell of it, here is a story that most certainly has its origins in someone’s exceedingly boring job. I mean, typing “go to hell” into Google is almost as bad as ego-googling.
According to Computerworld, the No. 1 search result is Microsoft Corporation’s home page. When asked about the devilish search result, Google spokesman Nate Tyler said it’s an anomaly that Microsoft ranks ahead of even Hell.com, not to mention AOL and UNC. Unsurprisingly, a Microsoft spokesman declined to comment on the results of the Google search; AOL didn’t return several telephone calls seeking comment. How on earth does a corporate spokesman deal with an enquiry like that?!
A reader of FlashGuru’s MX101 known as Atomgas says it’s not Google’s fault, but rather the result of all the Web site authors who have a bone to pick with Microsoft:
“It’s the they way Google works and what makes Google [the] best search engine ever,” Atomgas said. “The difference between Google and other search engines is exactly this: Google makes the priority of the found results by the number and target of found links. If many people have links ‘go to hell’ pointing at Microsoft, Google will think that this is the best match to show to you, so the result[s] just show the mood of many Web site authors, not Google’s opinion.”
Well, now we know why linking in blogosphere is such a big deal… 
Hey, don’t knock ego-googling.
I did it recently and discovered that I was mentioned on Libertarian Samizdata. Hot damn! I’d arrived and didn’t even know it!
Aye, Aaron. I discovered a letter of mine on Instapundit that way, much to my surprise.
But it is true that microsoft is indeed hell!
ego-googling is more like a sport and blogs are a proper instrument for winning the e-google contest 😉
Ok