[txxxxd]

> I wouldn't say it was obvious, mainly because this was something Google did specifically to cause this

There is a subtle point that many posts like this are overlooking. Google didn't run this experiment to cause bing to show bogus results, they did it to confirm the rise in suspiciously similar results produced by bing.

[corin_]

  Google didn't run this experiment to cause bing to show bogus results, they did it to confirm...

There is a counter argument to that. If Bing's claims are true, then Google didn't run the experiment to confirm the results, they ran it to cause the results.

I think 99% of HN, including myself, will share your opinion, but it doesn't counter Bing's claims because it boils down to "which company do we believe?"

[muro]

Google: we found that bing is copying us. To prove it, we ran this experiment.

Bing: doh, of course we use google results, but we told you that before in an obscure academic paper. Didn't you read that? And we are innovative - shiny pictures!

[simonk]

I don't understand what are Bing's claims that make it so just went Google did this they were copying results.