# An unsettling coincidence on Google **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078 "2010-11-18T07:40:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/21 "2010-11-19T23:14:28Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It’s the location setting google is respecting first. Try setting it to Bombay and see what comes up first. You can also disable it. You were able to disable it? Please, how can I turn it off? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/22 "2010-11-19T23:27:36Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Kinda too bad, as I find Murkowski [attractive](http://reddogreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Lisa-Murkowski.jpg) when she’s not [scowling](http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/09/01/alg_lisa_murkowski.jpg). Jaysus, man, warn a person when something’s NSFLANMWGTYA.\* - Not Safe For Looking At No Matter Where Google Thinks You Are ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/23 "2010-11-19T23:44:05Z")
I got to "Lisa’s L " before google suggested Lisa’s Liquor Barn. I’m in SC ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/24 "2010-11-19T23:50:23Z")
I get Lisa Blount first, then Murkowski second. No idea why. It’s interesting that different people get different results. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/25 "2010-11-20T06:07:48Z")
Hm. I’m in Chicago, and my first hit is Lisa Madigan (State Atty General). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/26 "2010-11-20T07:39:25Z")
I got Lisa Kelly first, then Lisa Murkowski, then Lisa Blount. Yep. I think Google can read your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/27 "2010-11-20T07:43:38Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It didn’t suggest Lisa Simpson or Lisa Kudrow or Lisa Edelstein or **lisa naked pictures**. (my emphasis) Incidentally, you’ll never get that since Google censors any search strings that are remotely porny. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/28 "2010-11-20T08:01:31Z")
Really? Because I get a long list of porn sites when I google “giant cock screamer” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/29 "2010-11-20T08:14:13Z")
Ooooh, right. I get it. Never mind. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/30 "2010-11-20T08:58:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So it wasn’t a widespread phenomena just something that was happening in the general area where the store was located. That still makes it a little surprising but no longer disturbing. I got Lisa’s Liquor Barn after typing in “Lisa” but we seem to be in the same general area. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/31 "2010-11-20T18:09:55Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > (my emphasis) > > Incidentally, you’ll never get that since Google censors any search strings that are remotely porny. Huh. You’re right. I just tried typing in “lisa naked” and “lisa nude” and the guessing window shut down both times. I never noticed that. I also discovered that I can now get Lisa’s Liquor Barn with only three letters, lis. And the second guess in the window is lisinopril, a medication for high blood pressure. Which I take. Spooky. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/32 "2010-11-20T18:10:59Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I got Lisa’s Liquor Barn after typing in “Lisa” but we seem to be in the same general area. We definitely need to organize another Rochester dopefest. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/33 "2010-11-20T19:22:13Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Incidentally, you’ll never get that since Google censors any search strings that are remotely porny. Not at all unless you have “safe search” turned on. How are we supposed to find porn? > [@Little Nemo](#): > > Huh. You’re right. I just tried typing in “lisa naked” and “lisa nude” and the guessing window shut down both times. I never noticed that. So it forces you to press “Enter”. BFD. It’s a little like SDMB’s 2-clik rule. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/34 "2010-11-20T19:50:17Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Not at all unless you have “safe search” turned on. How are we supposed to find porn? > > So it forces you to press “Enter”. BFD. It’s a little like SDMB’s 2-clik rule. I think you’re missing the point. We’re not saying Google won’t search for porn (that’s probably a deal-breaker in the search engine trade). What we’re saying is that Google won’t anticipate searches for porn. Which I can see the sense of. You’d have somebody looking for information on [Lisa Nakamura](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Nakamura) and suddenly Google is asking him if he wants to go look at lisa naked pictures. Google is a lot less liable if it doesn’t raise any sex-related issues first - it waits for the user to raise the topic. That way it can argue “We didn’t tell you to go look at porn. You asked to go look at porn.” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/35 "2010-11-20T22:20:07Z")
I also got Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General when I entered “Lisa”. It took me to “Lisa’s Liq” before I got to Lisa’s Liquor Barn as the first suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/36 "2010-11-20T22:21:40Z")
[IP geolocation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolocation_software). Google doesn’t need to do anything as creepy as looking through your cache. If you are connected to the Internet, you have an “IP address”, and, much like your USPS mailing address, your IP address reveals where you are. The finest details of your location are usually not available, but the rough area is. So, they’ll be able to tell if you’re in, say, Boise, but they usually won’t be able to tell what street you live on. At least not by geolocation alone. Go to [this site](http://www.infosniper.net/) for a basic geolocation example. It should come up with your current IP address right away, but you can also put any address in. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078/37 "2010-11-21T04:34:13Z")
> [@labtrash](#): > > I got to "Lisa’s L " before google suggested Lisa’s Liquor Barn. > > I’m in SC > [@notfrommensa](#): > > I also got Lisa Madigan, Illinois Attorney General when I entered “Lisa”. > > It took me to “Lisa’s Liq” before I got to Lisa’s Liquor Barn as the first suggestion. I got “Lisa’s L” and it came up as the second suggestion. “Lisa’s Liq” got it to first position. I’m 1322 miles from Lisa’s Liquor Barn in Penfield, NY. > [@Pasta](#): > > Google doesn’t need to do anything as creepy as looking through your cache. If you are connected to the Internet, you have an “IP address”, and, much like your USPS mailing address, your IP address reveals where you are. I just switched to the new AT&T UVerse service and most websites seem to think I’m in San Diego now. Although Google seems to return results around New Orleans, even though I’m not signed in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-unsettling-coincidence-on-google/561078.md?page=1)