I decided to do some quick data gathering with a Google account. For a couple of weeks, I did all my searches on Google (I ususally switch between several engines), then transcribed the results. These are posted here, but with the names of a couple of personal acquaintances redacted. They don’t need even the tiny bit of fame or spam they’d get from this blog.

With a (small) set of personal queries, it should be possible to think about approaches for search result personalization. But looking at these, I don’t see any way to improve search with one person’s query stream. I can figure out the context, but there just isn’t enough data for an algorithm to get its teeth into. Also, there are so many different information needs here that any personalization would always be about four steps behind. Several of these are “gold star queries” — one query, get the info.

Want to guess some of the information needs? For extra credit, can you spot the query tactics used?

• enterprise search
• ultraseek
• enterprise search blogs
• macintosh cad house
• coveo, sharepoint
• sketchup
• google terms of use
• google terms and conditions
• how long does cologne last
• perfume storage
• parfum storage
• jean shepherd
• proper name of friend from Rice
• 3.15mm
• 3.15mm lead
• tarptent
• yosemite webcap
• yosemite webcam
• yosemite conditiona
• yosemite conditions
• yahoo term extraction service
• proper name of friend from HP
• proper name of friend from HP (alternate spelling)
• hp narrative history
• bike helmet cover ladybug
• Louis Menand, Tetlock
• verio signature backroom
• palo alto aspca
• palo alto spca
• pets in need
• typekey
• lake huntington weather
• art in the age of mechanical reproduction
• buck sharpening guide
• buck honemaster
• david rains wallace
• adam gopnik
• frank westheimer
• eagle required
• english entropy, shannon
• glass cockpit
• ohlone wilderness map