[WikiEN-l] Fluctuating Google result count with Firefox

[David Ashby]

On 2/8/07, Steve Bennett <stevagewp at gmail.com> wrote:
> I know we're all a fan of Googlecounting results. But this is weird:
> When I search for a term in Firefox's Google box, the result count is
> exactly 200% what it should be.
>
> 1. Search for "Wikipedia is great" in the FireFox search box.
> 2. Mostly (but not always), Google reports 29,600 matches.
> 3. Repeat the search just by pressing Google's "Search" button.
> 4. Google reports 14,800 matches.
>
> Strangely, the difference in count seems to correspond to a difference
> in layout. The 14,800 count groups related matches by indenting. (The
> second match is [[All your base are belong to us]], indented under
> [[WIkipedia:Why Wikipedia is so great]].) The 29,600 match shows no
> indenting.
>
> FYI, here's the URL I'm using.
> http://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22wikipedia+is+great%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a
>
> Constantly pasting that into FireFox, sometimes I get 29,600,
> sometimes I get 14,800. Pasting into IE7 I always get 14,800. Anyone
> have an explanation?
>
> Steve

Posing the question to a guy I know who works at Google received this response:

>The count of results is just an approximation; it's not the actual count.

So I assume that he means it's figured on the fly, and is subject to
random variation? Just proves you can't put any real stock in the
number returned.

-anon