Patents on how Google searches (and other things)

JDMurray

The great thing about patents is that they require the applicants to disclose the details of how their inventions work. When it's Google that's submitting patent applications, you can bet that the information disclosed effects everyone on the Internet.

Here's info on the latest round of Google patent applications submitted last July. Details of how Google uses ad layouts, determines real sites from spam sites, assigning scores base on the location of information on a page, and the logic behind Adsense. If you like Patent-speak, it's good reading.

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060711-205551

sprkymrk

Man, you must be bored today JD!

JDMurray

Well, from a software development perspective, this "peek inside how Google infers things" is really cool. The patents read like functional descriptions which could be coded up into algorithms. You also pick up interesting business-oriented tidbits, such as why Google favors one type of Web site over another in their listings. All of these rules have evolved over time through experimentation and plain old trial-and-error. Google wisdom, as it were. Its all very fascinating to me.

sprkymrk

I'm sure many others find it interseting too JD, I'm sorry I was just teasing a little.

Actually, when I was at a conference in Vegas a few months ago the President of Google was there and explained their busness model and operations which is quite interesting.

Apparently the developers there are very "empowered" and are allowed and encouraged to spend time on new and innovative ideas. I think it was something like 60% of their time is spent working on "assigned" projects and tasks while the other 40% is spent on "whatever idea they think is cool". If they get to a point where they have what they think is a something that should be offered to customers, they submit the idea to the "idea bin" and try to get other google developers on board. If approved they get to become the team leader or PM for this new idea with other developers working for them. This then becomes the assigned 60% portion for those guys. That's not exactly an accurate description, but something like that anyway from my memory. He said that things like Google Desktop, Google Maps and Gmail came out of this business model - ie developers coming up with their own ideas and becoming Project Managers of that program.

JDMurray

Yes, I've heard in several podcasts about how Google does this. You put a bunch of talented people together, give them some time, resources, direction, make the workplace fun and don't work them to death, and they'll come up with a lot of practical and innovative ideas. It's a really clever way to invest your R&D budget into your own company.

The only thing I've heard of like it is "personal projects Friday," in which employees can work on whatever they want to on Fridays. I'm not sure if this because workdays are normally 10-hours long, but it sounded good for morale anyway.

Slowhand

I've yet to meet an unhappy Google employee, and I've been to the Google campus in Mountain View. Their business model, their working environment, and just about everything else they do seems to be centered around what their (brilliant) employees come up with, the freedom those employees have, and how they can make. . . well. . . the whole world a better place. I know, it sounds a little cheesy, but you have to see the place to understand. This gives a pretty good idea of what the "Google Factory" is like:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3383042311441257769&q=tour+the+google+factory

JDMurray

I hear they have free, good food at their cafeteria. If you have no family or pets to take care of, it sounds like you never need to leave the campus.

Slowhand

The food is great. And. . . eh. . . they do have childcare. . . LOL *Makes a note to move to Mountain View. . .

JDMurray

Throw in an inter-departmental dating service and a K-through-Ph.D educational system and they could manufacture new employees right there on the campus.