Google Paul Rand... oh, nevermind

April 27, 2015 12:43 AM

There's already one big loser in the 2016 Presidental Campaign: Paul Rand, the legendary graphic designer, who has lost more than half of the first-page search results on Google, Bing and GoDuckGo for his name to Candidate Rand Paul. Especially ironic considering that Paul Rand COULD have improved Rand Paul's campaign logo, according to Ernie Smith in his "blog via email" Tedium.

Tedium ("The Dull Side of the Internet", "Hunting for the end of the Long Tail") has had a few other articles that were anything but tedious:
Awards of Dubious Value,
Product Placement (and Displacement),
Bootlegs (not Booze),
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (Dressing),
You Can't Do That on Nickelodeon,
Before Yelp: Tires and Cuisine,
Vinyl Miscellanea,
TV's Courtroom Dramas.

posted by oneswellfoop (14 comments total)

Google : Ron/Rand Paul RuPaul
posted by jeffburdges at 1:11 AM on April 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

That's Rand Paul's logo? Fucking ominous. RAND. I see that, and I don't think "Rand Paul". I immediately think Ayn Rand. And that torch. Gives me the willies.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:01 AM on April 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

I hope someday to find out how sixtyish stalwart character actor David Keith and sixtyish stalwart character actor Keith David regard one another. Looks like I am not the only one.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:58 AM on April 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

I think you'll find that the name of the search engine is DuckDuckGo.
posted by LogicalDash at 6:22 AM on April 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

Cool newsletter. This newsletter thing has a saturation point though right?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:39 AM on April 27, 2015

I see that, and I don't think "Rand Paul". I immediately think Ayn Rand.

I'm almost positive that's intentional.
posted by Itaxpica at 7:03 AM on April 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

That's Rand Paul's logo? Fucking ominous. RAND. I see that, and I don't think "Rand Paul". I immediately think Ayn Rand. And that torch. Gives me the willies.

I assumed it was the logo of the RAND Corporation. We're through the looking glass here, people.
posted by kersplunk at 7:26 AM on April 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

I hope someday to find out how sixtyish stalwart character actor David Keith and sixtyish stalwart character actor Keith David regard one another.

Also William Katt and Katt Williams.

The Rand Paul logo looks like it belongs to one of those huge corporations that everyone's heard of, but no one really knows anything about, because they don't provide products or services for the general public - and what they do do is something comically awful like putting cigarette machines in elementary schools or hacking down old-growth forests to grind into luxurious quintuple-ply toilet paper.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:27 AM on April 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

I had my own idea how to improve on Mr. Paul's "RAND" logo so it would not be as easily confused with Paul Rand, Ayn Rand, Rand Corporation or even Rand McNally, and I think it would also improve his image: LOGO
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:51 AM on April 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

Google Paul Rand . . .
Google : Ron/Rand Paul RuPaul . . .

Rand Paul Google & Ringo

Why "Rand Paul"? It came in a vision -- a man appeared in a flaming pie and said unto them, "From this day on you are Rand Paul with an A(yn)." "Thank you, Mister Man," they said, thanking him.

David Keith and Keith David . . .
Also William Katt and Katt Williams . . .

Don't forget all the (then) little girls who, for personal reasons, were relieved that Kerry Edwards didn't win the election in 2004.

Go, Duck, Go!

I think you'll find that the name of the search engine is DuckDuckGo

How do you like my hat?
 
posted by Herodios at 12:10 PM on April 27, 2015 [1 favorite]

...hacking down old-growth forests to grind into luxurious quintuple-ply toilet paper.
I'm assuming you know that Koch Industries subsidiary Georgia-Pacific makes Angel Soft® and Quilted Northern® Bathroom Tissue (as well as Dixie® Cups... and you thought Solo® was the most evil brand of disposable cups)

I think you'll find that the name of the search engine is DuckDuckGo
I'm making it a standard of my FPPs that I will always get some name wrong. (And the Duck is my selected default search engine in Firefox)
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:17 PM on April 27, 2015

When I search Google for "paul rand" (without quote marks), the top results are www.paul-rand.com, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rand, and only then do I get en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul. The image search suggestions are for some of his logos. The contextual sidebar also brings up A Designer's Art, by Paul Rand the graphic designer.

Googling "rand paul" (again without quotes) brings up www.paul.senate.gov and www.randpaul.com, and shows "In the news" results about the senator.

So there may be a bias towards contemporary and popular search results, but Paul Rand is not being completely overshadowed by Rand Paul.
posted by Rangi at 12:19 PM on April 27, 2015

Back in 2008, I was teaching an introductory computer class to senior citizens. To illustrate how Google results are affected by current relevance, I had them search "Paul", which resulted in Ron Paul hits. I told them if you had tried that search just several years prior to that, you'd receive hits pertaining to the apostle.

So I guess what I'm saying is that while the Paul political dynasty isn't, Google -wise, necessarily "bigger than Jesus", it's aiming for the same ballpark.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 1:24 PM on April 27, 2015

And TheVerge has picked up on the story.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:17 PM on April 30, 2015