[marltod]

Clearly this is an automated process. No one at Google has done research to determine who you have dated. It is possible that your parent, or friend or neighbor has done searches about both of them.

For example, an old friend may be curious if you are married so they search for you and your old GF names to see if you have a wedding website. Then by talking to a mutual friend at a later date they get your new girlfriends name and do a search for your new girlfriend.

And that is all it takes to make the connection.

[wonderwheelhuh]

If I understand what you're saying then despite the decent amount of info about each of us online (I'm a technical author, my girlfriend is a well-known blogger, and my ex does freelance writing for numerous periodicals), the relatively low-volume and infrequent queries that some people are making and that produce no search results are allowing Google to establish the connection?

Yes, the title on this post was a bit facetious, I don't think Google is actually cataloging my girlfriends, but I still don't buy your explanation. There is so much more info out there on each of us, and so many easier and better connections to make, that I am left to suspect that Google is not using the method you described to connect us because it is weaker than other possible connections.

Worse, even if I did accept infrequent GET requests to a search engine as an explanation for Google's connecting the names on the Wonder Wheel, I don't take it as a justification of that act. If a search engine is okay with drawing and publishing connections from just a few searches made, than wow is that a loop hole for fairly private information (especially about lesser-known people) to get out.

[orblivion]

That would mean Google is publicly (albeit indirectly) exposing his family members' searches.