Google pointer activity monitoring could influence search engine results, probably won't
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted July 16th 2010 10:39AM
posted July 16th 2010 10:39AM
For the latest development in Google's mad quest for search engine efficacy, the company was granted a patent titled, in the necessarily wordy way that these things are, "System and method for modulating search relevancy using pointer activity monitoring." Essentially, the idea here is that mouse pointer movements can be interpreted to gauge someone's interest, so Google would track the mouse as it moves in and out of predefined regions of a web page, or hovers over certain regions for a predefined period of time. Apparently, the pointer is sort of seen as a surrogate for the eye, telling the search engine provider where your eye is wandering. Of course, there is plenty of math on the back end, where the relevancy of those actions has to be determined. Or something. This baby was filed in 2005, and as far as we know this technology hasn't been implemented, so who knows if it ever will? Check it out for yourself by hitting the source link.
This may be slightly off-topic, but that is a killer ride. If you haven't yet, check it out.
@sharkync We had a Crazy Mouse at my state fair. I didn't go on it. After you've been to a real park like Cedar Point, everything else just doesn't match up.
@sharkync
Soon.... "Google Nanny" ..... Coming sooner than you think.
@sharkync in other news, sales of the Crazy Mouse just hit an all time high
You can really tell that the cart hates his job.
@MrIgbo Naaaah that's how he looks when he's drunk.
MPX supports two mice/two pointers...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Pointer_X
Attach a mouse to a real rodent and give him a cup of coffee...
From now on whenever I am on Google's site I will be drawing dicks with my cursor.
@Eaglerufio
Totally busted at work for loling at this. Same exact thought came into my head immediately. :)
How long until Google accesses your webcam for facial cues to gauge interest?
or something
lol
Mouse pointer isnt even close to where the eye is focused on the page...its out of the way so you can read
onMouseOver
So ... we're going to see more Flash?
@hazelmaeby
It's actually a HTML attribute, so fortunately no flash to muck up the mucky results. Maybe just some javascript.
I'm sure this is going to be rolled into Web Site Optimizer and Google Analytics.
Crazy Mouse is awesome!
Actually, this basic technology is used as standard testing methods for site metrics and heat maps (an overlay that shows where the most action is on a site). So, the big G getting a patent on this could be quite bad for the little guys that are using this same basic technology, will be interesting to see.
OMG watch out for that pedophile kid!
Google Analytics already tend to slow down web-browsing, considerably on some sites, I love non-script on Firefox because I just block the script. I expect this would do similar, and I'm usually a big fan of Google, but I'm not liking this for now. Google, bring me cheap or free fiber and I'll forgive you.
I'll just hover over the source link, thanks.
i might be wrong here, but a company named Clicktale tracks mouse-based movements and keyboard inputs.
Not liking this feature... unless you have to manually enable it.
in the google chrome optimisation talks from google IO they said they do DNS resolution when the mouse begins to home in on a link, so as to ensure the browser is ready to fetch the page even before the user clicks it.
What about paging around with a scroll wheel?
Oh I see, next, Google will be going after all mouse manufacturers producing mice with scroll wheels, because the scroll wheel is a 'revenue circumvention device' in the soon-to-be-passed DMRA (Digital Millennium Revenue Act).
Hell no!