Madeleine McCann horrible jokes on Google

[Siane]

Hi - I recently missed the news headlines and knew there was one about MM, so I went to Google and tapped in her name into the search engine. As you know, as you begin to type, suggestions drop down below. The first one was obviously her full name. The second one is, 'Madeleine McCann Jokes'. I nearly fell off my chair. I am aware they are on the web, but this is Google, actively directing people towards this self contained category. And - Google should direct people to the most searched option. However, there is 136,000 of these pages compated to over 3,000,000 for Michael Jackson. They have taken down that category (i.e. Michael Jackson Jokes) as it is inappropriate. They have removed any suggestions for porn sites, or other offensive material. However, when I got in contact with them they will not stop directing people to Madeleine McCann Jokes. I am furious with them - just because they are massive and corporate...can they not apply some BASIC ethics? Anyway, the only way they'll listen is if other people come forward. I've got a petition set up but only 6 friends have signed it! Please help me and sign. Imagine if your child was missing and when you or your mum, or husband tapped her name into Google to find out any developments, the category 'Jokes' appeared immediately under her name, before 'news' or 'own website' or anything.
Here's the link.
Please help - I'm determined to remove this material just to take away one other source of angst from her family, tiny in comparison though it might be.
thank you.
www.petitiononline.com/nohateMM/petition.html

At the moment I cannot get to any facebook or social networking pages, nothing about Tom Cruise and Scientology, in fact lots of pages come up as "Null"...... Although jokes about Maddy are truly foul I abhor censorship.

Just read a few more posts, Google doesn't have any moral obligation... that's why it suggests and not just directs.

its a sick world we live in

Those all come up for me posie something wrong with your search engine..

or settings?

only read some of this thread, but if they are not going to remove micheal jackson jokes they are not going to remove maddies, people are sick, just dont click on it.

I just typed Madeline Mccan and it did suggest jokes about half a dozen down.

I then typed Michael Jackson and guess what - it suggested jokes half a dozen down.

So it has clearly not been censored, has it? Whether it should be or not is another argument.

Well when I type Micheal Jackson it shows 11 suggestions and none are jokes (they are mostly ticket related stuff for the O2 gig).

When I type "Madel" it suggests jokes 6 down (with 79,900 hits).

I am on iGoogle(.co.uk)

When I type "Michael Jackson" I get jokes in the first list - same with MM.

Various criticisms of this have been mainly that it's petty or that it's censorship.

Google is enormous and millions of people interact with it everyday. For me, the way their Homepage is set up with 'Google Suggest' is important because of the sheer volume of people it influences. It's similar to going to a library and asking if they hold any information on (insert topic of choice). Before you've finished speaking, the librarian has interrupted with a variety of options.
i.e. - 'have you got any info on Madeleine Mc..' - 'YES. Would you like the jokes?'
or...'have you any information on Jews?' - 'Yes, how about Jew Watch?'
If you approached the librarian / Google and asked for information on Madeleine McCann jokes, which you know she had, and she refused - that would be censorship. I think Google have taken a dangerous stance by playing back the most searched for items as a matter of prinicple. I know you can turn off the function and maybe I will. But they have opted for a policy which is inconsistent and illogical. Some searches are filtered - try tapping in 'naked women' and as you go, no suggestions are made. or 'naked children'.
They have a stated policy which says they will remove terms which are pornographic, hateful or violent. I think, given their reach and the age of children accessing the internet, they need to have an ethical and responsible code of conduct.
I expect I'll get very few hits on the petition and yes, there are more shocking causes out there. But things don't get changed by accepting them and I don't want to accept this - I just don't think it's right. Incidentally, the chap campaigning against 'jew watch' being the prime suggestion has an incredible amount of signatures and Google are considering changing their policy.

'As someone who tortures herself with thoughts of how they carry on day to day..i for one would like to offer them a bit of happiness.'

If you have time to torture yourself about random strangers you've never met, then obviously you have time to sign non-sensical petitions.

But you can't honestly believe any of this will bring them 'a bit of happiness', no?

Why would "jokes" not coming up on a google search offer the McCanns any sort of happiness?

expatinscotland - you have time to sit on mumsnet, other people have time to empathise with people in trouble.

It's not going to bring them any happiness, don't be ridiculous. No one has said that.

motherbeyond did Siane.

I just can't imagine giving a fuck about internet searches at all if my kid was missing.

If this is that important to you then you should absolutely chase it up, but it really doesn't rate on most people's radars.

morloth - I am chasing it up, quite obviously. If it's not on your radar, why don't you leave it and tune into something else. I'm not having my kids directed to sites they shouldn't see. End of.

Because I felt like commenting here Siane. I actually don't have anything else to do at the moment, hence my stuffing about on Mumsnet. It is an excellent state of affairs.

Good luck with Google giving a stuff what your kid's are directed to.

Supervise them on the net then, works for most of us.

As I said, Siane, you're really winning the masses over to your cause with your rational, balanced, open-minded and friendly attitude.

I'm sure Google will be most attentive.

'other people have time to empathise with people in trouble.'

There are plenty of people in serious trouble here right now - repossessions/evictions, job loss, abusive partners, disabled children, illness, you name it.

And they get help from teh commmunity here, that's why a lot of us hang around.

expatinscotland - we'll see. I'm going to have a go. Thank you for your comments.

well if you dont want to see any "sick jokes " about mj,mm ,etc dont google ,i for one would not as,ppl always put lots of jokes about other ppl misfortunes as whith the mj jokes

Comparing some jokes to Jew watch is pretty offensie by my code of ethics, even if not by your exalted standards, but I'm not going to start a petition about it.
Its not Googles job to censor sites for your children, its yours. Get some parental controls on your computer and let other people search for whatever they want.

Jew Watch is offensive. Laughing about paedophiles killing a child is offensive. They're not my standards, they're most people's. I can disagree with Google's policy in line with the freedom of thought you say you promote. You're arguing against yourself.