Yes, that headline is nonsense — this post has almost nothing to do with Joseph Lau, the VIP Boeing 787 he has reportedly ordered, or the TV show “Dancing with the Stars — but permit me to explain.
Have you seen Google Trends? It is the latest wrinkle in Google’s ceaseless quest to make a recognizable quilt out of all the bits and pieces scattered about the Internet.
I noticed Google Trends yesterday not so much because of the news coverage it received but the fact that it directed more than 1,000 hits to this Buzzblog item about the controversial Web site whosarat.com. When you blog for a living it pays to notice new sources of traffic. That Buzzblog item found its way onto the page Google Trends produces for the term whosarat.
Anyway, this morning on Google Trends the two “hottest” search terms are “Joseph Lau” and “Dancing with the Stars.” I cannot fathom the fascination with Lau’s airplane order but did get caught up in the dancing primarily because of my wife’s devotion to the show. (I also predicted Apolo Anton Ohno’s victory early in the series, an opinion my wife did not share. And, if there’s anything she likes less than being wrong, it’s being wrong when I’m right.)
Anyway, what are we to make of Google Trends in terms of understanding how it conjures up its rankings?
I have no idea. You might as well ask me why the whole world is so fascinated with a another billionaire buying an another airplane.
