Do You Want To Know What AOL Users Searched For?
I heard from this post, that AOL released a file that contains three months worth of searchs created by AOL users. Do you want to know what AOL users searched for? You can… follow this link to download the 439 Meg file directly from AOL Research Server. Below is a screen shot of the file. Look at all the information on the file… it’s pretty good stuff!
- click to view full size
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August 7th, 2006 at 7:16 am
I saw that on Digg. That’s incredible actually that AOL would be that stupid and release that, if I was one of their users I would be pissed, but then again I would never use an AOL product except for AIM and I don’t even use their client for it. Too bad it’s not easily searchable.
August 7th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
The theme looks good! I like this one a lot. You have yours tweaked better than mine though..
August 7th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
There is no tweaking needed! Yes, I agree this is the best theme I have found yet… I know that I always say that once a week… but this one is finally it! Well, lets just say its the best three column widget ready theme available unless you were to pay for it.
All the tools are there for you to customize the theme to your needs. If you are unsure with what I have done, look back on my site later this evening for a post that talks all about this theme.
It’s totally awesome… I planned on creating a post about it.
Thanks for the comment… just sent you a reply back about your add link request. Talk to you soon.
Garry
August 7th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
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August 8th, 2006 at 12:50 am
I’ve tried repeatedly to download the file from different sites, and it always say Gateway timedout.
I want that file, I am an AOL user, and really want that file. Is there a mirror site? Everytime I try one of the mirror sites it just keeps taking me to AOL and says, Gateway Timed out.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
August 8th, 2006 at 6:57 am
http://www.gregsadetsky.com/aol-data/
download from here
August 8th, 2006 at 9:28 pm whos watching me says:
August 8th, 2006 at 6:57 am
http://www.gregsadetsky.com/aol-data/
download from here
Look like you got what you wanted. I actually thought about downloading it when I had the chance… it was less than 500 megs. I guess I knew in the back of my mind that there would be archives of it available out there in Internet’ville. Cathy thanks for posting the request, and greg, thanks for posting a source to where the file will be accessable to the public.
- Garry
August 8th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Ok, I have it on my PC, but now its says windows can’t open it.
Grrr
August 8th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Cathy,
That is no trouble at all.. I believe that its a .tar file which means Windows doesn’t come with a program that opens it. You need to download a program that opens .tar files.
I believe WinRAR opens .tar files…. its basically just like WinZIP back in the Windows 98 days before Windows XP.
August 12th, 2006 at 9:50 am
A site where you can search the data is here:
http://www.datablunder.com
August 12th, 2006 at 10:23 am
Excellent. Thank you for providing another archive location to where people can download the file. We all really appreciate it.
August 21st, 2006 at 4:18 pm
I am a member of AOL. Has benn one since the last 10 years. It is incredible that the CTO of the compnay, Maureen Govern, intentionally released the 3 month search data.
I called AOL to see if my name was on the list? The AOL people asked me to confirm my name, my mothers name, my address, my screen name — all of that just to speak to me. Imaging that, the CTO of the company is not required to answer even a simple ID question to access my profile, my account details etc.
They wouldn’t even write a letter to confirm tht I was not or I was on the list. This was told to me by Mr. Martin Cochran, a manager there. He says he is not authorized to write a letter to me. He would forward my request to the corporate office.
Yes - If Maureen Govern, received such a request she would trash it immediately.
As of now - I do not know if my search data was released to the Bush administration or to the Russians, or the Tony Blair or to Citi Bank.
Incredible breach of privacy in America…
Satya
20 Aug 06
August 28th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
I wish you would take down the information that directs people to the aol data. Truly, it is a privacy issue. Do you want to be a part of such a horrible, horrible event.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:11 am
And these are the same people responsible for Mozilla & Firefox.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:48 am
OH Man… thank you for being you, Vex… it’s the one line’ers that I always enjoy the best from you.
The sickly, dry, sarcastic yet always truthful or correct thoughts rage thru your mind down to your finger tips allowing your to instantly transfer your thoughts to a computer screen faster than you can physically talk! Love it… the one line’ers are awesome… and this one was one of your best…. had me ROFL for real!
Your comment has a very good point!
August 29th, 2006 at 1:07 am
Sara,
As much as I have thought about it, I can’t quite match your request entirely… but what I am willing to do is have you create a small statement and I will edit my post and paste your statement directly above the links where people can download it…
that way your opinion can be heard before someone decides to download it…
I am not removing the links because if I removed the links the person wanting to download it will just move on to the next site of thousands that have the file available…
This whole issue I actually find funny. People have actually made very cool sites allowing people to search and sort thru the information in so many different ways… its totally funny!
Honestly though… what do you care, unless you want to hide what you searched for from other people.
All the AOL users that used AOL to search for sex toys or porn or crap like and feel guilty about it, or similiar… would bitch about their freaking privacy.
complain complain…. who cares about the AOL Database…. for real. “Who Cares” unless you have something you want to hide… then it shouldn’t matter…
People don’t need AOL to track what YOU do online…. any ISP can take care of that, your IP address can take care of that! Your screen name that you use on message boards and blogs can take care of that!! as well as your email address…
Your online activity is tracked more closely than a guy acting weird or fishy, like he could steel something, in the entertainment section at Wal-Mart. Internet is not private… you can be tracked, and there is nothing you can do to change that.
I don’t know… what do I know? Not much… but I do know this, I wouldn’t search for anything online unless I felt comfortable sharing that with people.
Maybe I am just a Noid! LOL!!! Anyway, doesn’t change that the AOL leak doesn’t matter to me either way…
October 4th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
[...] AOL Said That They Made A Mistake!
LOL! Blogged under Internet by Garry on Monday 7 August 2006 at 5:30 pm America Online AOL Data Internet News Privacy Search ResultsA follow up post was made from this post on Techcrunch. It’s pretty funny because AOL admits that releasing all that data might not have been the brightest idea! LOL!! Yesterday I made a post about it that directed people to the original post. [...]