If you have a WordPress Blog, one of the cool features you’ll find under ‘blog stats’ is ’search terms’. These are the search strings people put into Google or whatever to find your blog. If you’re not using WordPress, then you can find the same data using Google Analytics.
Most of the search terms are what you would expect: “Top Blogs”, “Rachel Corrie”, “Canada Atheism” etc… But down there at the bottom are a lot of good, insightful questions.
Here are some of the searches/questions from last week – edited for spelling and grammar.
1. What language do people speak in Vancouver?
Most people speak English. It’s the first language of about half of Vancouverites. The only places where it will be difficult to speak English are Chinatown near downtown Vancouver, the Japanese area around Alberni street, and the tiny Korean area around Robson and Denman.
2. What does a ‘dime a dozen’ mean?
Short, trite answer – it means I have a proper sense of perspective. Real answer: it’s an idiomatic noun phrase that means something is cheap and common.
3. Do white women like Persian men?
Yes, I suppose some do. But they don’t like you anonymous web searcher. They think you’re small.
4. Why do Quebecers hate Stephane Dion?
See above. Also, the Clarity Act.
5. Can you change someone’s mind?
Yes. Just don’t insult them and do make sure that you constantly repeat your argument. Frequency of repetition – even if it’s just from one person – is enough to convince someone to change their mind.
6. Why do the NDP hate Jews?
They don’t hate Jews, they are just hateful toward the world’s one and only Jewish state.
7. How do you declare bankruptcy in Toronto?
Moral bankruptcy can be declared by subscribing to the Toronto Star, voting Liberal because you’re afraid of Tories, and complaining about how dumb people are in the rest of the country.
8. What are the origins of the phrase ’sexist pig’?
The phrase came in to common use by the women’s movement in 1972. Back then the term was Male Chauvinist Pig – but since then it’s been abbreviated to ’sexist pig’. ‘Pig’ is used in a new-ish way here. People began referring to police as ‘pigs’ back in the 1880’s – here in the phrase ’sexist pig’ they are using it in a similar way – pig in the first sense was an authority figure, and in the expanded feminist sense, extends to all powerful men.
9. What are the connections between white power and the Vancouver Library? [ and related ] When is Greg Felton coming to the Vancouver Public Library?
The first person is probably asking about Greg Felcher. Felcher seems to be of the far left, so I don’t think he’s down with the white power, even though he is objectively an anti-semite and probably a racist. Felcher is coming to the library on Monday. See the ‘events’ thing above for details.
I have my own question: why can’t people spell-check?
