Re:Google is not just a platform – It frames, shapes and dis...
by __derek__ on Sunday December 11, 2016 @06:20PM
(#13154090)
> if someone queried that entire phrase, it means that they are looking for a counter-argument to the mainstream consensus
Yet they are getting conspiracy theories rather than counter-arguments and critical assessments. This seems like a consequence of relying too much on user feedback in assigning authority to a page. That emphasis lends itself to gaming in a similar way to the link farms that Google attempts to undermine: users engage with pages that confirm their preconceptions rather than with a genuine authority.
For what it's worth, DuckDuckGo's more "naïve" results have that StormFront page as the eleventh result[1].
I think that the search result is fine because obviously if someone queried that entire phrase, it means that they are looking for a counter-argument to the mainstream consensus (which I think is fine - People should be allowed to explore alternative theories... Even if there is a chance that the information is false).
I think that the main problem is that Google is going one step further and suggesting this query when you start typing "Did the" - And by doing so, Google is giving the topic more exposure (and more credibility) than it deserves.