
The Rise of Hate Search - kawera
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-hate-search.html
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amyjess
This is the most interesting part of the article:

> We often think of Google as a source from which we seek information
> directly, on topics like the weather, who won last night’s game or how to
> make apple pie. But sometimes we type our uncensored thoughts into Google,
> without much hope that Google will be able to help us. The search window can
> serve as a kind of confessional.

> There are thousands of searches every year, for example, for “I hate my
> boss,” “people are annoying” and “I am drunk.” Google searches expressing
> moods, rather than looking for information, represent a tiny sample of
> everyone who is actually thinking those thoughts.

I've typed similar thoughts into Google. Not these exact ones, and certainly
not hate speech, but I've Googled thoughts relevant to things that are
bothering me. In particular, I tend to Google my regrets in life, like how I
never had the childhood I wanted or how I regret not transitioning earlier, or
similar thoughts along those lines, like how I wish I could believe in
reincarnation.

I do this in order to find like-minded people on forums and such. I've no
intention of reaching out to them (especially since their posts are often
years old when I find them on Google), but it's comforting to Google my
deepest regrets and find that a stranger on some Internet forum had the exact
same thoughts five years ago. Maybe I'll even get something out of seeing the
responses to those posts.

