Co-written with Ryan Moulton and Kendra Carattini

We wanted to give a quick update about "Googlebombs." By improving our analysis of the link structure of the web, Google has begun minimizing the impact of many Googlebombs. Now we will typically return commentary, discussions, and articles about the Googlebombs instead. The actual scale of this change is pretty small (there are under a hundred well-known Googlebombs), but if you'd like to get more details about this topic, read on.

First off, let's back up and give some background. Unless you read all about search engines all day, you might wonder "What is a Googlebomb?" Technically, a "Googlebomb" (sometimes called a "linkbomb" since they're not specific to Google) refers to a prank where people attempt to cause someone else's site to rank for an obscure or meaningless query. Googlebombs very rarely happen for common queries, because the lack of any relevant results for that phrase is part of why a Googlebomb can work. One of the earliest Googlebombs was for the phrase "talentless hack," for example.

People have asked about how we feel about Googlebombs, and we have talked about them in the past. Because these pranks are normally for phrases that are well off the beaten path, they haven't been a very high priority for us. But over time, we've seen more people assume that they are Google's opinion, or that Google has hand-coded the results for these Googlebombed queries. That's not true, and it seemed like it was worth trying to correct that misperception. So a few of us who work here got together and came up with an algorithm that minimizes the impact of many Googlebombs.

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Ito para kay Posporo este Prospero Pichay...

Calling each other "ignorant and stupid," senatorial candidates Panfilo Lacson and Propero Pichay, Jr. criticized each other over a bill allowing the scrutiny of government officials' bank accounts.

The word war erupted after Pichay dismissed Lacson's challenge that dared administration bets to open their bank accounts to promote transparency in government. Pichay said Lacson's bill was "ignorant and stupid" as well as unnecessary since the Commission on Audit is already mandated to look into candidates' bank accounts.

Lacson's dare came as an offshoot of a bill he filed that seeks to exclude government officials from the Bank Secrecy Law.

The re-electionist senator threw the insult back at Pichay. He said the Surigao del Sur congressman should review the law. "I'm at a loss for words to describe him, aside from being very stupid. He doesn't know what he is talking about," Lacson said.

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Are you willing to vote for these two senate candidates? I am sure when the two gets a seat at the senate this kind of scenario will still going on. They will become the cat and dog at the senate and we don’t want that because we wanted seriousness with our law and we don’t want things like this to happen again. So, ako kung boboto man ako, pag-isipan ko muna kung karapat dapat ba talagang iboto ang dalawang ito.

Don’t let your emotions run high, if you did the right thing.

Genuine Opposition (GO) spokesman Adel Tamano gave this message Saturday to candidates of Team Unity incensed by the release of the so-called “ASO" jingle.

“This is politics, this is the campaign season, and so we ask the people who believe they are being alluded to in this jingle to take a more realistic perspective instead of letting their emotions overcome them," he said.

TU senatorial bets Edgardo Angara, Vicente Sotto III and Tessie Aquino Oreta cried foul after the ASO jingle was officially released and played by GO during its proclamation rally last February 24 in Palaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila.

The jingle, adapted the tune of the 1950s hit song “How Much is that Doggie in the Window".

At the forefront of calls to keep the campaign issues-oriented, Tamano nevertheless conceded that it would be difficult to keep others from expressing their views for or against candidates based on their personalities and not on their platforms.

“This is why I am asking the candidates who have reacted to keep things in perspective, especially if they believe that they haven’t done or said anything that can be taken against them," Tamano said.

Tamano said he was perplexed that the jingle had elicited such strong reactions from the three candidates.

“Why give it any thought if you feel you have done the right thing by leaving the opposition and joining Team GMA?" Tamano said.

Angara and Sotto earlier tapped the services of election lawyer Romulo Macalintal in asking the Commission on Election to stop the airing of the jingle.

Macalintal said Angara and Sotto will not prevent the airing of that jingle provided that this complies with the requirements of the law.

"This CD, which is clearly against certain candidates, is considered political advertisement, and our law requires that after every airing of a political advertisement there should be tag line where it is disclosed who has placed the ad and for whose benefit it is," said Macalintal.

Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr said that without a complaint, they cannot even investigate the jingle composed by supporters of the late Fernando Poe Jr.

Puno, who answered 37 out of 40 questions, got serious when questions about politics were thrown at him.

First, he was asked who is the most corrupt politician for him. The Makati councilor answered vaguely, "Most corrupt is, of course, the one now in administration." Then, he added, "They say it's the First Gentleman [Mike Arroyo], I don't know if that's true."

One of the DJs asked, "Sinong artista ang ayaw mong makita sa politics?" Rico answered without hesitation, "Si Richard [Gomez] nga ayoko. I hope he changes his mind."

The singer further explained, "Kasi, first of all, he doesn't have the experience."

He also added that Richard should have started running for administrative office, like the mayoralty post, before vying for the legislative office.

"Making laws is different... You know, minsan mas makakasira doon sa iba na qualified kung tumakbo, kapag pinilit pa," said Rico J.

Puno, however, clarified that there's nothing personal to his comments. He just thought that, "If you're serious about entering the politics, maski na mas mababa ng kaunti roon—maski na barangay tanod, pwede naman."

When asked who is the most plastic politician for him, Rico answered Senator Lito Lapid. "I hope he doesn't mind this, si Lito Lapid kasi he was elected as senator for six years, pagkatapos he wants to go to Makati and tell people, tell the mayor [Jejomar Binay], he wants to continue what he is doing today in Makati.

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Comelec release an ultimatum order for Cesar Montano about his running for senate. He was ordered to strip down all his billboards in less than three days.
But before that, I am not in favor for showbiz personalities running for public office. I mean, they already excel on their craft in acting and people look-up them as that but if they will serve for the people, I don’t think so. I have no doubt Cesar Montano is world-class actor and a very good director and I look-up him for that. But to join politics is a dirty game, specially in the Philippines, worst he joined the Team Unity which also has been receiving a failed remarks from the people. Maritoni Fernandez, a fellow TV and movie personality aired her opinions on celebrities running or joining in politics and said “I’m not so much for it because I think it takes a certain amount of background, a certain kind of education, and a certain kind of upbringing to become a good public servant, you know. And you have to have the heart for the people talaga.”
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But that was not the end of the story, the next day, I found my Holocaust Mini Gallery in the hallway was mutilated! Guess what, he came to me and told me he was the one who did it. He said one of the pictures we posted was not so good to post. It is one great example of ignorance as teachers, we are suppose to show the truth! There was even this big brouhaha about some group of people who wants to deny that the Holocaust was a big hoax! Again he apologized for acting irresponsibly by taking it off the wall, without even asking permission from me. We’ll I was just stunned at how he retaliated, I only expressed my opinion of which by law I am entitled, he sent me a scud missile instead.