Google results differ from two versions of IE

[Kevin]

I use Internet Explorer 6.0, fully updated. My friend uses IE 7.0, also
updated. Last night, we were having a friendly argument about, of all
things, Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot. So I told my friend to Google Sam
Elliot and I would do the same.

We had a large difference in the number of hits returned by Google. Why
would there be ANY difference at all?

 

[PA Bear]

Did you each search using the same parameters (e.g., <sam elliot> vs <"sam
elliott"> [with the quotes] vs <sam+elliott> vs <sam+elliot>, etc.)?

<sam elliot> = about 2,050,000 hits

<"sam elliott"> = about 587,000 hits

<"sam elliot"> = about 144,000 hits

 

[Kevin]

Did you each search using the same parameters (e.g., <sam elliot> vs <"sam
elliott"> [with the quotes] vs <sam+elliott> vs <sam+elliot>, etc.)?

<sam elliot> = about 2,050,000 hits

<"sam elliott"> = about 587,000 hits

<"sam elliot"> = about 144,000 hits
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

I use Internet Explorer 6.0, fully updated. My friend uses IE 7.0, also
updated. Last night, we were having a friendly argument about, of all
things, Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot. So I told my friend to Google Sam
Elliot and I would do the same.

We had a large difference in the number of hits returned by Google. Why
would there be ANY difference at all?

We both entered simply, in lower case with no quotes --- sam elliot

 

[SingaporeWebDesign]

Hello,

It happens (even when I use Firefox and IE7 here).

Some say its due to different database hits, database synchronizing,
different countries, etc..
http://www.google.com/search?q=google+results+different

--
Singapore Web Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ

 

[PA Bear]

Which reminds me, Kevin: Did either of you have Google's SafeSearch enabled?
http://www.google.com/help/customize.html

 

[Kevin]

No. We do not use safe search in Google. We both are using Qwest as our
ISP. Just last night we did this again and we both got different result
numbers on the same search subject. It's not a problem, just very
interesting that we would have this discrepancy. Now we are both very
curious as to why this is happening.

 

[PA Bear]

Parental Monitoring/Filtering software on one of the machines?

Do one of you always get more hits than the other?

You might ask here:
http://groups.google.com/group/google.public.support.general/topics

 

[Kevin]

Neither of us uses any kind of filtering software or monitoring software.
My friend, using IE 7, always gets more results than I do using IE 6. In
the case of our initial comparison with the search subject of sam elliot, he
got about 200,000 more hits than I did. I'm going to try the link you
supplied for more information. Again, it's very curious.

 

[PA Bear]

Is Google your friend's default Search in IE7?

Let us know what you learn at Google Support, please.

 

[Kevin]

Yes, we both have Google as our default search engine.

 

[Poprivet]

Yes, we both have Google as our default search engine.

I've had Google give me different results from so little as just a "reload".
Here a cache, there a cache, everywhere a cache, and they tend to get
jumbled. Not really unusual IME. It's "how it works".

Pop`

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Neither of us uses any kind of filtering software or monitoring software.
My friend, using IE 7, always gets more results than I do using IE 6. In
the case of our initial comparison with the search subject of sam elliot, he
got about 200,000 more hits than I did. I'm going to try the link you
supplied for more information. Again, it's very curious.

Has either of you been into the Google preferences page?
Or even if you haven't try making sure that you both have the same settings
in there anyway.


HTH

Robert Aldwinckle
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