Connecticut Governor “Google Bombed” Over Marijuana Decriminalization
This is major news.
A google search for the phrase “Connecticut Governor” yields a drug-policy reform site as the #1 result, dropping her official website to #2.
What does this mean?
While Google doesn’t tell the public exactly how its pagerank system works, we know that it primarily assesses links. It sees each link as a “vote” that the website being linked to is relevant to phrases near the link.
In this case, the phrase “Connecticut Governor” normally points to the official website for the office of the Connecticut Governor. However, now, with all the attention on the movement to decriminalize cannabis in Connecticut, it seems that there are more and/or stronger links for the phrase “Connecticut Governor” to the website of the Drug Policy Alliance, one of the leading organizations advocating sensible drug policies in Connecticut and around the world.
A few years ago, a concerted effort, called a “Google Bomb,” was made to tie the phrase “miserable failure” to George W. Bush. This event, on the other hand, seems to be entirely organic and incidental.
Was this intentional and targeted?
As far as I can tell, absolutely not. There is no evidence of efforts to actually game the pagerank system. Instead, it just seems that many thousands of people saw fit to link to drug policy reform websites when writing about the Connecticut Government.
Why is this politically significant?
As a tech-activist, I often observe that certain types of trends formulate first on the web and later on the streets and in the statehouses.
In this case, I believe this to be the clearest indication yet that drug policy reform is not a second-rate issue or a “third rail,” but is actually the #1 domestic policy concern across a wide array of the American populous.
Check out this screen shot:
Nice! That’s cool you keep track of these things.
Posted by Stephanie on April 1st, 2009.
very good work, thats some investigative reporting. i found myself also looking up jodi rell but it was because of a NYTimes article that said that rell used her governmental powers to protect her son from a grand theft crime. apparently he stole a jet ski or snowmobile, and when authorities found it in the basement of the house, Rell told the owner of the mobile he didnt know it was stolen and he was simply storing it. Which, this shows her obligation to the law. legalize it, don’t criticize it!
Posted by Adam on April 2nd, 2009.
there is a way to play the google system, it just happens to be the hardest of the search engines to crack, but there are some talented SEO’s who could’ve easily pulled this off.
good to see they’re working for the team.
Posted by jon on April 2nd, 2009.