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Google's Secret

When a search query is submitted to Google, it is routed to a data coop where monitors flash result pages at blazing speeds. When a relevant result is observed by one of the pigeons in the cluster, it strikes a rubber-coated steel bar with its beak, which assigns the page a PigeonRank value of one. For each peck, the PigeonRank increases. Those pages receiving the most pecks, are returned at the top of the user's results page with the other results displayed in pecking order.



[ From Google/Technology ]

I've liked Google for a long time, but only now can I appreciate why their results are so consistently useful. There's nothing even remotely as fascinating about Altavista's technology, but they still do pretty good with their results.