
Google Correlate - Draw - mshafrir
http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/draw?p=us
======
_delirium
This is a great brainstorming tool for doing light blogspam-style
"journalism", if your readers don't know about it (which they probably don't).
Draw something with a rather unlikely looking feature— a graph that strikes
the reader as quite definitely not just random noise. See if you get anything
interesting in return. If yes, conjure up a backstory, and write up a post in
a confident, assertive tone, that closes with the graph as your "care to
explain _this_?!" evidence nailing home your suspicion.

~~~
CompelTechnic
confirmation bias in its most unadulterated form. excellent.

~~~
_delirium
In a way it's even an improvement on confirmation bias. With confirmation
bias, you have a conclusion you want to sell, and selectively search for
evidence that might support it. But with this suggestion, you search for
interesting evidence, and then invent a conclusion that it might support,
post-hoc.

------
scribu
Seems like the typical "pre-Plus" Google project: limited usefulness, but
interesting from an engineering standpoint.

Noticed that it still contains share buttons for two defunct Google services:
Google Buzz and Google Reader

~~~
iskander
This was one of the many projects that got gutted by Plus, I'm surprised that
it's still being hosted at all.

------
hayksaakian
Bad news for "linux"

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AWuHjnma...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AWuHjnmaXanT&e=linux&t=weekly&p=us#)

Wow, I can share with Google buzz. /nostalgia

~~~
devcpp
I tried the same curve and got open source and free software. This is rather
depressing but it's predictable.

~~~
rattray
predictable? how so?

~~~
zanny
foss is a nerd thing. The general consumer has no idea what source code is in
the first place, they often don't know what an application or OS is, they just
click the thing on the screen to make facebook appear.

So it loses search percentage because it isn't becoming a mainstream concept,
which is sad. People should care more about their software freedom but they
don't even know what software is.

~~~
rattray
Right, I get why linux / FOSS in general adoption isn't high. But why
declining?

~~~
kristopolous
The number of people, globally, using the internet, is still on that same near
exponential growth curve that the first world nations were seeing in the late
90s. It really hasn't subsided; only gone to lower income brackets.

Heck, half of the US didn't have reliable access to the web until I _think_
2002?

And these late adopters, they are both non-english speakers and non-technical
people.

Additionally, the early adopters, let's take my parents, who had Prodigy in
about 1990, are now using the web more for things like shopping and content
consumption, then they did in 1998.

If they wanted to watch the latest TV show, they can do that now online, AND
they know this. Compare that to 2004. That will be reflected in the search
terms.

Also, there are internet phenomenons that are at the order of that which we
have not seen. Psy's videos on youtube for instance; 1 ba-ba-billion+? That's
insane.

So yeah, Linux is left in the dust. Also, it's much easier than it used to be
- take that from someone who's been using it since 1996 (?)

I need to do a write-up some time soon of how good we have it now - for my own
memory.

~~~
zanny
It isn't really left in the dust, the growth rate of tech adoption is just
greater than the exposure rate of FOSS and related technologies. Which is sad,
but since Microsoft is the primary conduit of traditional computing systems
(and today it is Google) it is against both their interests to introduce users
to open compute platforms.

I imagine what will happen is that foss and linux will pick back up in
popularity over time when technology hits global saturation and the only
difference is old people dying and new people entering the market. The younger
crowd is more likely to inquisitively understand computers better and realize
they aren't just a dumb tool to be used to view facebook.

~~~
mikestew
"The younger crowd is more likely to inquisitively understand computers better
and realize they aren't just a dumb tool to be used to view facebook."

Why would the younger crowd of the future be any more likely to want to
understand the underlying workings of a computer than today's younger crowd
who uses a computer to view Facebook? I would argue that, young or old, those
who want to know how their appliances work will always be a small minority.

~~~
zanny
Todays facebook crowd didn't grow up engrossed in consumer computers and the
Internet from infancy, but from their preteens. I imagine the millenials will,
having grown up entirely exposed to pervasive international information
sharing, be more inquisitive as to how the devices that dictate their social
lives work.

I mean, it is just my impression, but my 10 year old half brother can sit down
at a Linux box and install games he wants to play in wine without having any
idea what he is doing. That is more praise of wine than my brother, though =P

My argument is that when you grow engrossed in this technology it is much more
influential on your life and thus most inquisitive minds would find it much
more relevant to learn what they actually are, versus the older generations
who only recently adopted these technologies as an accentuation of old habits.
For one it is a tool, the other it is a way of life.

~~~
kristopolous
Do you know how your refrigerator works? automobile? What about the
mechanization of the lock on your front door? could you construct a radio from
base components?

Alas, no. I think we will have a generation of computer programmers just as
likely as we would have a future one of plumbers, electricians, home-builders,
or even exercise and health specialists.

I think it may be the opposite. Yes, fewer programmers by 2050 than today.

------
hornbaker
My first try, with a hockey-stick growth pattern starting 2007. Expected a
match with "twitter," instead got "baby poop."

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:iOj8ICadD...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:iOj8ICadD9v&t=weekly&p=us)

~~~
zmitri
I believe twitter didn't start seeing crazy growth until 2009 once they focus
on activating their users and moving away from the idea that everyone needs to
tweet to use twitter.

Google trends seems to confirm 2009 was when it started to really work too
[http://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=twitter#q=twitter&cmp...](http://www.google.com/trends/explore?q=twitter#q=twitter&cmpt=q)

------
vowelless
Spikes in 2008 and 2012:
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:pBuWinPLv...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:pBuWinPLvPW&t=weekly&p=us)

------
NPC82
This one made me laugh.

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:bnqK1ZVJS...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:bnqK1ZVJSUt&t=weekly&p=us#)

------
platz
Pasta Salad spikes (July 4th anyone?)
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=pasta+salad&...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=pasta+salad&t=weekly&p=us)

------
ghshephard
2011:
[http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385932,00.asp](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385932,00.asp)

------
thetwiceler
Anyone know why "bruising" and "brown spots" are common in the summer? Not as
nice as the canonical answer of "ice cream"...

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:UfmYZwmin...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:UfmYZwminh7&t=weekly&p=us)

In case you're wondering what's popular in winter: it's lots of diseases!

~~~
andymatuschak
Stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines) are in season in the summer
and easily bruise and get brown spots when they overripen.

------
solox3
Very useful for looking up what people care about:
[http://i.imgur.com/puNZMco.png](http://i.imgur.com/puNZMco.png)

1\. (antidepressant drug) 2\. "county jail" 3\. "google" 4\. "detention
center" 5\. (vinyl music database)

------
asselinpaul
This is rather awesome.

------
nrj
This would also be cool if instead of search terms you could see stock prices.

------
graup
Apparently the internet was (comparatively) less funny between 2006 and 2012:
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AO6yJxan...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AO6yJxanOGz_&e=funny+photos&t=weekly&p=us)

------
whitewhim
Peak in 2005 and than a linear decline: "Linux firefox".
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AI9yHeUP...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AI9yHeUPqUAK&e=linux+firefox&t=weekly&p=us)

------
dkersten
Power rangers dino thunder apparently made some kind of comeback.

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AFlLikxM...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AFlLikxMOjJe&e=power+rangers+dino+thunder&t=weekly&p=us)

------
ishansharma
My first try got me "free Blackberry software"

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AUbuw550...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AUbuw550lo6b&e=free+blackberry+software&t=weekly&p=us#)

~~~
kh_hk
I got "blackberry support", spot on

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AWbipmJ-...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AWbipmJ-
QHqq&e=blackberry+support&t=weekly&p=us)

------
evanmoran
I tried drawing a "hockey stick" graph and stopped too soon. Got wamu =).

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:Bds44NUk_...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:Bds44NUk_m3&t=weekly&p=us)

We miss you wamu!

------
malkia
Make 100% on 2005, 2007, 2009, etc. and you'll have Cirque Du Soleil visits in
San Francisco!

------
JulienSchmidt
Is the metric system cool now?
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AJrnBhwp...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AJrnBhwp5wJG&e=cm+inches&t=weekly&p=us)

------
gabipurcaru
Tried a downhill curve and I got yahoo.com
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:IwiF_9hYU...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:IwiF_9hYUo3&t=weekly&p=ro)

------
kyle_martin1
Staircase growth then major drop = Yahoo

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:g1F7bodyg...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:g1F7bodygJJ&t=weekly&p=us)

------
boulem
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:zmsMT3XqC...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id:zmsMT3XqC01&t=weekly&p=us)

ok, so porn links are allowed in this

------
gtrubetskoy
The implementation probably uses SAX (Symbolic Aggregate approXimation).
[http://code.google.com/p/jmotif/wiki/SAX](http://code.google.com/p/jmotif/wiki/SAX)

------
vxNsr
what happened to htomail.com ? ;)
[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AZYTVOj4...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3AZYTVOj4sclQ&e=www.htomail.com&t=weekly&p=us)

. . . . . . .

Pulled from a search farther down in the comments section: Why was this a
question... ever?

[http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3ApBuWinP...](http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/search?e=id%3ApBuWinPLvPW&e=what+is+the+difference+between+lcd+and+led&t=weekly&p=us)

~~~
freehunter
That's a pretty legitimate question. At that time, LED TVs were starting to be
marketed pretty heavily. I myself didn't understand what an LED TV was. Turns
out it's an LCD but with an LED backlight, so it runs cooler and uses less
electricity.

The question isn't really the difference between LED and LCD, it's the
difference between an LCD TV and an LCD TV with an LED backlight.

~~~
vxNsr
Hmmm... I guess I was kinda drunk when I asked that question because I read:
"What's the difference between _LSD_ and LED?"

------
daenz
The whitepaper describes an approximate nearest neighbor algorithm, but I
thought this would use some form of signal decomposition...Discrete Cosine
Transform or Fourier Transform.

~~~
oakwhiz
If I recall correctly, that only works on periodic signals, and not all the
Google keyword trends are periodic.

------
sirius87
Thing I found most interesting about this is - it allows you to 'Share' your
results on _Google Buzz_ , _Google Reader_ and, most shockingly, Facebook.

------
magnet_ball
Very neat to find local trends. Try drawing a boom (immediate spike) at some
point in time to find something that trended highly back then.

------
hnriot
This reminds me of the fun I had in high school writing "shell oil" on my
calculator.

------
danialtz
Can someone elaborate on the method they use?

------
noja
I drew a penis, and it correlated with www.mail.google.com

~~~
baseh
Strange, in my case, it correlated with the NSA. Well, I may have drawn a
bigger one.

------
barista
"Please sign in to use this tool." That's all I see when I am not signed in.
Too confident on Google's part that the people will always be signed in or do
they actually need any personal info to use this tool?

~~~
mortehu
Maybe it's a rate limiting thing? This is a relatively expensive search, and
they probably don't want people to mechanically download all the graphs. The
UI does support uploading your own time series data.

------
dakimov
This is hilarious.

