Strange symbols appear on Google!

I'm hoping this is a Bloggle exclusive (even though I've not been blogging here for while). A strange symbol (swastika?) has just made it HOT on Google Trends. Why? Could be an example of Google 'bombing'?

Check it out here.

Google Trends reports no news stories related to this symbol. No reason why it has become HOT.

Perhaps the biggest question is...how on earth do you type that symbol in a search engine?

Thanks to Richard for this tip!

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Comments

[Dave]

This is the work of ebaumsworld :(

[Owen]

Oh no! .. It's gone !

[Dave Shaw]

Google censoring what you can and can't type in?

[Zlurg]

Coincidence or you can't link to your source?
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/135641.html
Blogoscoped is an excellent reference, but a link at the bottom of your post would be appreciate.

PS: I'm not associated to Blogoscoped but I hate those who pretend to find something they only read somewhere else.

[Dave Shaw]

Calm down Zlurg. I don't like that either and I didn't pretend to find something I read elsewhere. If you have a look at Google Blogoscoped (http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-07-10-n28.html) you'll see we are both credited with this.

[Rahul Narula]

I doubt the creditability of the screenshot.

The page can be doctored using
javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0
before taking the ss

(thanks to AbriCoCotier in blogoscoped for the script)

[Dave Shaw]

Hi Rahul, I assure you it is genuine. To be honest, I have no idea what javascript...etc means!

If you check out the equivalent post here http://searchengineland.com/080710-085902.php at Search Engine Land (an extremely respected blog) you'll see that Barry Schwartz performed the search himself there.

[Gen Kanai]

It is not a "strange symbol." It is a Buddhist icon and has been in use across Asia for thousands of years.

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/swastika.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

If you were one of the hundreds of millions of people who are Buddhist, this would not be "strange" to you.

[Shefaly]

A "strange symbol"? It has been known to Indian, Chinese and Japanese people for aeons! It is a very old Hindu symbol (Gautam Buddha was born Hindu). For more 'wisdom' on the Swastika, please read comments by some enlightened people on Arrington's post.

[karthik]

"Perhaps the biggest question is...how on earth do you type that symbol in a search engine?"

Have you perhaps heard of an even stranger thing called UTF8?

Curiouser and curiouser.

[Dave Shaw]

To everyone criticizing (or helpfully pointing out that this symbol is not just associated with Nazis)...I think it is still a valid point to call it strange. It is strange that it appeared as the number one hot trend on Google search especially since my keyboard doesn't have a swastika key, and it is strange enough to cause such a buzz on the internet today (http://truemors.com/?p=30641) - also see TechCrunch, Techmeme, SeachEngineLand, Google Blogoscoped...

[Swastika is an ancient Religious Symbol]

How about making people aware of the original meaning of the symbol rather then the ill fated current meaning of the swastika symbol? Why is it so strongly associated with Hitler only?

Isn't it surprising that the original meaning of the traditional religious symbol is not referred to in discussions?

The moment we see it , the first response is to take it down!

It is just a sorry historic fact that Hitler hijacked the peaceful symbol and it became something to hate, despise and fear. The original peaceful and good meanings behind has been ignored.

Don't associate an ancient religious symbol with its limited vision start banning it use and robbing its of it original dignity.

Care to read more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika ?

[Glynvis]

Surely the reason this is interesting, and also worrying, is because of its association with Nazi Germany and that movement. Regardless of any of the other associations, the average man or woman in the street would associate this symbol with Nazis, not religions.

[Daniel]

It's obvious that this was either:

1 - a test to determine how Google decides what Trends show up on the list;

or

2 - a hacker with a bunch of bots was just having fun.

[Swastika]

But did you know there is a 卐.com?

[ashley]

this is not a strange symbol, it is a buddhism symbol as well as a Chinese character, i can type it with my keyboard 卐.....the pronounciation of this "symbol" is "man" in Cantonese.