[WikiEN-l] Fluctuating Google result count with Firefox

[Timwi]

Steve Bennett 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.

It's because every search request is routed to a randomly-selected 
Google server farm. Some of those farms may be running on the newest 
index, while some may still be waiting for the latest index update. This 
effect is not unique to the search query you entered; lots of people 
keep noticing it and wondering about it. I'm pretty sure there is an 
entry about it in one of Google's many FAQs, but I couldn't find it.

Timwi