Dear all,
Terry suggested that there is a difference in how Google presents results to us based on our location. After the question about finding this Raffé book popped up, I searched for it on Abebooks, because that is where I typically go to harvest used books, and found it with my first search. Then I tried to search Google with "raffe graphic design", and found it as well as no. 5 on my first result page.
Then I went to check my Google Search Settings, and to my surprise I found that I indeed had "Use private results" checked. Surprise, because I thought I had switched it off a long time ago. But then when I checked the search again, with "Do not use private results", the results were not at all different (at least the top of the list stayed the same), so I guess private results mean pages that are protected by privacy settings, and it does not change the results based on my search history. Instead, however, I have disallowed "search history", which Google says allows me to "receive more relevant results and recommendations based on your search activity. You can turn off or edit your search history at any time."
It is intriguing to think about how our personal search practices and preferences customize Google, especially if we rely on Google for our research work. In my case, as the "save search history" setting is not on, Google leads me to believe that my searches should return the same results as anyone else's.
So as a test, I would like to ask you, are the first 5 results for you the same as they are for me - not including the sponsored links at the top? I guess we do not need many answers to this inquiry, unless something really interesting comes up :). If you try this and report back, please also check and report whether you have allowed Google to save your search history (found under the Google settings menu item "History"), to see if that would explain the differences in results.
These are the first 5 links I get with the search terms "raffe graphic design" (without the quotes, and skipping the sponsored first result):
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Graphic Design: W G RAFFE: Amazon.com: Books
www.amazon.com/Graphic-Design...RAFFE/.../B000...
• Graphic Design [W G RAFFE] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.
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Raffe's Graphic Design, published in... - Liviana Concepts
https://www.facebook.com/LivianaConcepts/posts/416201925120736
• Raffe's Graphic Design, published in 1927, is considered to be the first book to use "Graphic Design" in its title.
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What's In A Name? The Fate Of “Graphic Design” | Jen ...
www.academia.edu/.../Whats_In_A_Name_The_Fate_Of_...
• Academia.edu - Rick points out that “Graphic design stopped looking like graphic design, as we ... A 1927 book simply titled Graphic Design, by W.G. Rafe, is said to be the frst ...
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Graphic design - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design
• Wikipedia - Raffe's Graphic Design, published in 1927, is considered to be the first book to use "Graphic Design" in its title. The signage in the London Underground is a ...
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Graphic Design by Raffe W G - AbeBooks
www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/.../graphic-design/.../raffe-...
AbeBooks - Graphic Design by Raffe, W. G. and a great selection of similar Used, New and Collectible Books available now at AbeBooks.co.uk.
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Cheers, Kari-Hans
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Kari-Hans Kommonen
Director, Arki research group
Media Lab, Dept of Media
Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture (Aalto ARTS)
mail: PO Box 16500, FI-00076 AALTO
visit: Miestentie 3, 02150 ESPOO, Finland
email: [log in to unmask]
mobile: +358 405010729
in Japan: +81 80-2396-2896
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