Google Asks Feds For Better Document Access
The numerous agencies of the federal government possess thousands of documents and pieces of information that can't be found by Google's crawlers.
As the leading search engine, those who use Google in an attempt to find what they need probably won't find it if it's stuffed behind an online search form at an agency's site.
Today, the Google Public Policy blog noted the company's testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about this problem. Google's J.L. Needham called out forms as an obstacle to indexing content effectively:
The most common barrier is the search form for a database that asks users to input several fields of information to find what they’re looking for. Our crawlers cannot effectively follow the links to reach behind the search form.
A search for "New York radiation" does not find basic FEMA and DHS information about current conditions and monitoring.
A search to help grandparents with a question about visitation of their grandchildren in any search engine does not turn up an article of the same title located on the Web site of the Administration for Children & Families.
A search for "small farm loans" turns up the commercial offers for loans, and statistics about government loans, but not most of the major federal government programs designed to help fund small farms.
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