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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

2012 / Politics / Savage Love / Teh Internets Looking Forward to Hearing From You, Rick

Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 3:59 PM

Rick Santorum contacted Google, says company spreads 'filth'

A Google search for Santorum has generated some inappropriate results since gay columnist Dan Savage organized an online campaign to link graphic sexual terms to the socially conservative senator’s name. Now, the Republican presidential candidate says he’s convinced Google could do something to remedy the issue, if the company wanted to.... Santorum has acknowledged his widely covered “Google problem” in the past, but his contact with the company is a newer development. A Google spokesperson responded to Santorum by advising that users who want "content removed from the Internet should contact the webmaster of the page directly."

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Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Dan, could you provide a link to the page of the content he finds so offensive? Whatever he's miffed at is glossed over in the Politico stub.

Posted by Ziggity on September 20, 2011 at 4:01 PM

Neat. Go pat yourself on the back (again).

Posted by North American Speckled Fleebeedoo on September 20, 2011 at 4:02 PM

I pray that anyone against Google is homeless for the rest of their lives. >.> Now I have a reason to actually hate this Santorum guy.

Posted by KittenKoder

on September 20, 2011 at 4:03 PM

Very little is truly priceless, but this is.

Posted by gloomy gus on September 20, 2011 at 4:05 PM

@3 There are so many reasons, but whatever works for you, dahlink.

Posted by Brooklyn Reader on September 20, 2011 at 4:08 PM

HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

Posted by OuterCow on September 20, 2011 at 4:09 PM

You've gotten to him, Dan. Good job.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on September 20, 2011 at 4:09 PM

Hi Dan - what if he were to apologize? Would you take it down at this stage? What would it take from him?

Posted by Conor on September 20, 2011 at 4:10 PM

When you look at the dead-behind-the-eyes, you think of it and laugh. Even if he gets Google to do something, he's not going to stop that. Maybe he should sue Al Gore.

Posted by biffp on September 20, 2011 at 4:10 PM

grow up

Posted by Swearengen on September 20, 2011 at 4:11 PM

Uh, Dan? How can I link to the page?

Posted by TLjr on September 20, 2011 at 4:11 PM

@8, an admission that he hates because he experimented in college.

Posted by biffp on September 20, 2011 at 4:12 PM

@8, what about filming an "It Gets Better" with Dan?

Posted by biffp on September 20, 2011 at 4:14 PM

@5 Sorry. but everyone picks what issues they care about, mine is the internet, any politician that attacks it is evil, why do you think I hate Obama?

Posted by KittenKoder

on September 20, 2011 at 4:15 PM

'Cause you know Google has a "Remove Meme" button all ready to go...

Posted by Daily in LA on September 20, 2011 at 4:15 PM

@1, @11
http://www.spreadingsantorum.com/

Posted by ozchick on September 20, 2011 at 4:15 PM

@1 @11 - or were you being sarcastic?

Posted by ozchick on September 20, 2011 at 4:16 PM

What about the filth that comes out of his mouth on a daily basis? That's far more offensive.

Posted by very bad homo on September 20, 2011 at 4:26 PM

How's about Rick stop equating gay marriage with things like,umm say, bestiality? That might work too...

Posted by pissy mcslogbot on September 20, 2011 at 4:30 PM

He should just fight fire with fire. Maybe he can get his friends to make "Savage" a word that people associate with brutality and being mean?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on September 20, 2011 at 4:31 PM

P.S. I feel sorry for all the people with the last name of Raindrop. Here’s hoping they all get the chance to grow up into adults that can change their name to Swearengen.

Posted by OuterCow on September 20, 2011 at 4:31 PM

I had someone at SLOG link my name with racist comments that someone else made, so I actually feel that someone here overstepped the bounds of legality and libel...not to say causing grievous harm. It's particularly painful to me that Savage's (or his cohorts) Google bomb still exists to this day.

I look forward to the next few years, when data mining technologies can be applied to track down all the "anonymous" fiends and send them off to law enforcement.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on September 20, 2011 at 4:31 PM

stipple ask autocorrect.

Posted by pissy mcslogbot on September 20, 2011 at 4:34 PM

1. It could be surprising if his people (or him himself) won't read this post.

2. His 2012 election campaign (and arguably, electability) may be potentially permanent stalled.

3. I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the opening salvo in a public relations campaign of some sort to raise his profile for a future career in punditry, or even as the beginning opening salvos of some legal effort (go 1st Amendment!).

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on September 20, 2011 at 4:34 PM

@14

Because you're a dolt?

Posted by HelpMeJebus on September 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM

Sorry, Bailo, for it to be libel, you have to have a reputation that can be ruined.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on September 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM

@20, ftw

Posted by MasMadness on September 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM

@22 most web servers rarely (if that) keep access logs beyond 30-31 days' time. Some, due to extreme system stresses and potential disk space requirements for storage, save them even less--weeks, days, or even less. If you invent a way to backtrace people in the past, please let me know when you're taking initial angel investors. I would like to be a ground floor investor in the new time travel machine market.

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on September 20, 2011 at 4:37 PM

Why does it seem like Santorum is actually encouraging the linking of his name to his "google problem"? If anyone is elevating the connection now it is him. Maybe he figures it is the only chance at having his name carved into history. Works for me.

Posted by SeattleKim on September 20, 2011 at 4:39 PM

Does it count if you go to the site and click "reload"? Because I just did that like 12 times.

Posted by this guy I know in Spokane on September 20, 2011 at 4:52 PM

@14: Then you should hate Google even more.

Posted by BlackRose on September 20, 2011 at 4:53 PM

@28 Actually, many times the IPs are stored with posts directly, so the amount of time one could scan depends on how much they keep old posts. Most forums and blogs you can go back for several years. So it's not impossible, just a really pointless thing to do.

@31 How so? Google has put up a free service and they follow the law of the land (based on where that service is accessed). They don't restrict content accessible just because they can or want to. So how did they attack the internet? By creating the largest search engine and becoming a household name instead of Yahoo or Ask Jeeves?

Posted by KittenKoder

on September 20, 2011 at 5:01 PM

Tell him you'll take down the page when he denounces (in print, public and video) everything he's ever said about gay people. When he starts supporting marriage equality and speaking out against discrimination and bullying you'll be happy to take it down. Until then he has a "Google problem."

Posted by monkey on September 20, 2011 at 5:07 PM

#26

Dam...I forgot that part.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on September 20, 2011 at 5:09 PM

Fuck Ricky and the bucking brown wave he rode in on.

Posted by rob!

on September 20, 2011 at 5:12 PM

Looks like the paid Rick Santorum ad on the Google search for his name is gone now, too. Might wanna update http;//spreadingsantorum.com that he's out of money for even that.

Posted by NaFun

on September 20, 2011 at 5:19 PM

I enjoy reading about Santorum's problem with Savage. But, for the record, if Savage ever has a problem with Santorum, I will not want to hear about that.

Posted by eclexia on September 20, 2011 at 5:24 PM

Don't know why he's picking on Google. Bing and Yahoo also return http://www.spreadingsantorum.com as the first result for the search term "Santorum". Now, ask.com, on the other hand, won't return http://www.spreadingsantorum.com at all, even for the question "What is Santorum"? What's up with that?

Posted by Why have referees? on September 20, 2011 at 5:26 PM

Santorum's views are the filth,he has spread them disgustingly, and no amount of paper towels or napkins can wipe that clean.

Also: lol at #20.

Posted by Alanmt on September 20, 2011 at 5:27 PM

So now he's promoting censorship. Nice.

Posted by Zannie on September 20, 2011 at 6:14 PM

Please don't delete SpreadingSantorum anytime soon, Dan. He fully deserves it. Perhaps once he realizes he truly is no longer relevant and withdraws from politics, lobbying, writing, and television and takes up goat farming, then you can consider removing the site.

Posted by Dan Not Savage on September 20, 2011 at 6:36 PM

@32, http://motherjones.com/politics/2006/10/…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-green…

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/schmi…

http://www.infoworld.com/t/cringely/just…

I use Google all the time. I like it better and it's more convenient for me. But they are no angels in the global marketplace.

Posted by clashfan on September 20, 2011 at 6:37 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YrIj4I7e…

Posted by Rob in Baltimore

on September 20, 2011 at 6:42 PM

If for some reason he does in fact contact you (yeah, right), please please please record that conversation. Please.

Posted by Looking For a Better Read on September 20, 2011 at 6:53 PM

Wanna guess what the first result is when I Bing Santorum? God that sounds disgusting.

Posted by prompt on September 20, 2011 at 7:00 PM

I feel badly for folks that have the Santorum surname.

Posted by raindrop on September 20, 2011 at 7:03 PM

It ain't just a Google problem he has. Check out Bing.

Posted by Hawke

on September 20, 2011 at 7:21 PM

@46, how about folks with the surname
SoFuckinglyTransparentSideShowCircusBullshit?

Posted by biffp on September 20, 2011 at 7:32 PM

"Rick stepped into a frothy pile of Santorum"

Posted by Spicy McHaggis on September 20, 2011 at 7:49 PM

Oh, my heart bleeds (uh, no, that was eating too many apples) for the absolute persecution Santorum is being subjected to. It's just ter-....

Actually, it's not terrible at all. He started the vicious attacks, but never realized that anyone would fight back with a ruthlessly clever campaign.

He lost. BTW, Rick, spreading grotesque lies is far dirtier than spreading "your-last-name".

Posted by Helenka (also a Canuck) on September 20, 2011 at 9:27 PM

I thought conservatrons believed in "hands off the businesses!!" Looks like the Invisible Hand smeared something all over Ricky.

Posted by Gaffer75 on September 20, 2011 at 9:35 PM

@42 Never said they were angels, I do warn people to only give up information they need to people they trust online. ;) But as I pointed out, they don't censor content more than they have to according to the law of the location they are being accessed from. I even think Bing is good (in spite of not liking MS) ... Yahoo less so because they do censor based on bias more than legality, but meh, it's their server they can do what they want with it. Just, the internet as a whole, and that's what this will turn into if not stopped, they will use it as firepower against internet freedom like so many other causes thought up in the name of "the good of the people" .... that always worries me. But, look on the bright side, many of us who didn't care one way or the other about this Santorum guy actually do care now and think he needs to learn to shut up.

Posted by KittenKoder

on September 20, 2011 at 11:42 PM

@46 - Yeah, we know.

Posted by very bad homo on September 21, 2011 at 12:12 AM

@46 I really hope you knowingly chose to use "badly" in that sentence.

Posted by adj vs adv on September 21, 2011 at 1:42 AM

46, as 54 pointed out, unless you are talking about physically touching the Santorum family in an inadequate manner, in the future, when writing your unimaginative post the next 1000 or so times, you may want to write that you feel bad. I'm no grammar troll. There are probably grammatical errors in this post, but come on, you have a one note job one slog. You can at least do it right.

Posted by Rob in Baltimore

on September 21, 2011 at 4:17 AM

@55
Fake or insincere emotions might qualify as "feeling badly."

Posted by Lymis on September 21, 2011 at 6:33 AM

@52 "But, look on the bright side, many of us who didn't care one way or the other about this Santorum guy..."

By "many of us" you clearly mean "you" and quite frankly the actual "many of us" on this forum don't really care one way or the other about your desperate cries for attention via vaguely condescending comments and attempts at rabble rousing.

If you were left alone in a room for more than five minutes without anyone to talk at, do you suppose you might create a separate personality with whom to argue? =)

Posted by Mudkips on September 21, 2011 at 6:47 AM

@52, you stated @3: "I pray that anyone against Google is homeless for the rest of their lives". That is a severe statement. There are lots of people who have good reasons to be against Google, but you want them to be homeless. Nice job.

Don't smiley-wink at me. We're not friends.

Posted by clashfan on September 21, 2011 at 7:14 AM

56,You're right. I suppose Raindrop could mean that he is having a hard time feeling anything for people with the Santorum surname. (Frankly, Raindrop doesn't seem that clever, in that he can't think of anything different to post, let alone purposely making it ironic.)

Posted by Rob in Baltimore

on September 21, 2011 at 7:26 AM

Wow, this should only add about 10,000 in-bound links to the Politico story and www.spreadingsantorum.com. Plus another 200,000 Google searches where the user clicks on the link for spreadingsantorum.com instead of Rick's campaign page. Since Google factors user responses to displayed search terms, that might just be the last nail in the coffin for Rick's campaign site. Nice work fella! BTW: I always make sure not to publish anything online that uses the word "Santorum" unless it is in the context of spreadingsantorum.com. Other times I just refer to him as Rick S.

Posted by agitado on September 21, 2011 at 8:06 AM

There was a headline on Drudge Report about this: "Google spreads Santorum."
I am fairly sure that was intentional, and it made me laugh regardless.

Posted by I do not want to give you a name on September 21, 2011 at 8:34 AM

He is such an idiot, and hopefully no longer a dangerous one.

Posted by geewhizbang on September 21, 2011 at 8:52 AM

@32 that assumes a website stores them. If you have no legal obligation to do so, you shouldn't beyond as short a window as is absolutely required to be of practical or legal benefit to you as a site administrator. Internet anonymity is a GOOD thing in some situations. But that's just me.

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on September 21, 2011 at 9:19 AM

Ahahahahahahaha. Google ain't gonna do shit: their entire business (well, in terms of searching, which is hardly their entire business any more) is based on representing what's out there on the Interwebz as accurately as they can. It's not Google's problem that your last name is also a term for the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex, Rick, and that more people on the 'net like that definition of santorum than the one where it's your name. It's your problem, and the only way to solve it is to stop being an awful, hateful person. Also, as a search for "Joe Biden asshat" reveals, there are plenty of negative things about Biden that Google also indexes (the top result lauds Biden as "Asshat of the Week", for example). It's like you didn't even take the ten seconds to fact-check before you opened your face hole.

Posted by John Horstman on September 21, 2011 at 9:46 AM

@44: Ooh, yeah, what are the laws around recording conversations in WA? Is it one-party or two-party (or no-party?!) consent?

Posted by John Horstman on September 21, 2011 at 9:48 AM

Another note: apparently Google considers "asshole" to be a synonym for "asshat" and includes it in search results for "asshat" if one does not specify an exact match. Sometimes I really love Google.

Posted by John Horstman on September 21, 2011 at 9:50 AM

All you have to do is google "santorum" and you will quickly see what he is so offended about. Hilarious and totally accurate definition of the word.

Posted by stexasdave on September 21, 2011 at 10:05 AM

#20 won the thread hands down.

Posted by debug on September 21, 2011 at 10:07 AM

Make sure to click through the search results to further boost the results!

Posted by undead ayn rand on September 21, 2011 at 11:49 AM

Ha ha. Rick's too scared of you, Dan. You won't be hearing from him. He'll flinch first. Or maybe he'll start some frivolous lawsuit that'll only put him knee deep in Santorumy press.

Posted by Smell on September 21, 2011 at 12:36 PM

@20 Hilarious.

Posted by Superfrankenstein

on September 21, 2011 at 12:48 PM

More...

Posted by Brooklyn Reader on September 21, 2011 at 4:30 PM

@63 Internet anonymity is actually inaccurate .... I hate using long words, I really do, but that's the best way I can describe it. ;) The largest reason for tracking long term IP postings is to weed out spam and bot servers, but really many database setups it's just a field that's in the post tables. The actual time these remain recorded depends on so many factors, and the reasons are also numerous. Some only track the IPs accessing user accounts, others it's per post. Some even use the IP as the "anonymous" user name, some display them for the world to see.

Posted by KittenKoder

on September 22, 2011 at 5:38 AM

"inaccurate" is a long word?

Posted by anarchy burger on September 22, 2011 at 6:17 PM

Slander! It was just one graphically sexual term. Oh wait, you coined "ricking" as well. I guess it's not slander, then.

Again, it was super mean, but then Senator Santorum called gays no better than child molesters and people who penetrate dogs. Mr. Savage responded by calling Mr. Santorum a big pile of poop.

Posted by DRF on September 23, 2011 at 2:32 PM

Santorum is spreading santorum on his own campaign signs now. http://unicornbooty.com/blog/2011/12/14/…

Posted by nospam4me on December 24, 2011 at 9:32 PM