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Comment by js2 | Hacker News Reader

A few years back, Sergey and Larry were on NPR's Fresh Air. At one point in the interview, Terry Gross says "I tried searching for 'Google' by putting 'Google' into the search box and clicking I'm Feeling Lucky, but it didn't seem to do anything." Larry tries to explain what happened, but it seemed to go over Terry's head. At one point during the explanation I think Sergey mentioned recursion, and Terry asks "Recur-what?" To which Larry's reply was something like "Sergey is just geeking out, nevermind."

edit: maybe I'm misrembering the details a bit. From http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/17770.htm -

"Yah, it was a pretty interesting segment. Sergey talked about idempotence. :) The host (terry gross?) wondered why when you go to www.google.com and type in google and hit I'm Feeling Lucky, it went back to the main google page. Larry called it recursion. I could just imagine NPR listeners' heads shaking all across America. :)"

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Reminds me of this Google Easter Egg:

http://www.google.com/search?q=recursion

I can't believe it, I type "Idempotence" in and hit Lucky and it just takes me to the Wikipedia entry on Idempotence!

Even worse, "idempotence idempotence idempotence" doesn't produce exactly the same result in Google as "idempotence".

Because the ghost named Idempotence appears?

I like this, but only because I like Reddit so much.

Side note: With results-as-you-type now being the default even from the Google front page, isn't "I'm feeling lucky" a totally vestigial button at this point?

Another non-cited story I've heard is an A/B test, or similar, was once done where they removed the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button from the front page, and an overwhelming number of users said they did not like the solitary search button. Having both gave the users a sense of choice, even though (as the story goes), "I'm feeling lucky" is used by only a small fraction of a percent of users.

I agree that it looks better with two buttons, though I can't quite articulate why.

this is so because we instinctively feel unbalanced when we see a single legged object rather than a two legged one. we'd feel similarly unbalanced if the two legs (the buttons) were of very different widths.

I've heard this as well. Can't remember where from.

And humorously enough, the present "I'm feeling lucky" button literally cannot be pressed ... except on the initial, empty search box ... under which circumstances it leads you to ... a list old Google Doodles... Feelin' Lucky now? Guy...

Umm, I just used it and it worked fine.

List > (i am feeling lucky) = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisp_%28programming_language%29

PS: Not everyone enables scripts.

I suppose it depends on the browser and whether you use Google instant (which is on by default).

As soon as I type a letter, the "lucky" button vanishes.

Thats funny. It has become an association at this point with Google.

I think it's only ever been used by snarky lmgtfy-ers.

Wrote a blog post a couple weeks ago about turning it into a keyword quick search.

http://www.pushingbits.net/posts/google-im-feeling-lucky-add...

Very useful.

The Firefox address bar can be set jump straight to the "I'm feeling lucky" result instead of showing search results when it's confide t enough in the search.

That behavior alone, which for some reason nobody else replicates as a feature of their browser, kept me using FF for years longer than I would have otherwise. The FF address bar is still best in class in my opinion.

Isn't the Search button useless as well? :D I suppose the only reason either is there is familiarity...

Haha true. I didn't think of it that way because my mind saw the homepage button and the search as you type button as "the same button" but yeah you're right. At this point (assuming you didn't disable scripts) the Google homepage needs nothing beyond an empty text field. No buttons, nothing. Weird.

I think it's a psychological trick that Google is using, trying to instill to you the idea that you 're lucky to be their customer. </conspiracy

I wanted to try it, but there seems to be no way to use the "im feeling lucky" button any more. Its on the home page, but as soon as I type something it dissapears.

Is the button only a decoration now?

Continue tying; you get a hanging drop-down box at the top with suggestions. Hover over the search term and you get the "I'm feeling lucky" button.

Wow, when I read Terry's name I could immediately hear her voice. But for the life of me I can't imagine what she looks like. But for Serge & Larry, I can't imagine what they sound like at all, though I "see" their faces.

Larry has one of the most recognizable voices on the planet, in my opinion. He's probably tied with Tom waits.

The first time I heard Steve Jobs' voice a few months ago, I was really taken aback by how much of a nerdy voice he had. Strangely, I give him a lot more respect because of it. I imagined he would be one of those sly-talking, politician-types, but it really made me amazed at how much he was able to accomplish without "the voice."

P.S. Yes, I really heard his voice only a few months ago for the first time. I never watched any keynotes or anything like that.

Instead of recursion a jump/goto can explain it better. You don't have a return on the Google page. The back button in the browser is a return but is an additional browser feature.

The more important questions is whether Google has developed self-awareness.

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