Google pre-loads the first hit when you search for something. Check out this privoxy logs (I trimmed some non-essential calls).

Jan 07 09:37:01 Privoxy(02244) Request: www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=test&btnG=Google+Search

Jan 07 09:37:02 Privoxy(02248) Request: www.test.com/

Jan 07 09:37:21 Privoxy(00796) Request: www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=asdf&btnG=Search

Jan 07 09:37:21 Privoxy(02636) Request: www.asdf.com/

(clicking on asdf.com, notice there is no request for asdf.com, just the graphics on the page).

Jan 07 09:37:33 Privoxy(03636) Request: www.asdf.com/89asdf.gif

Jan 07 09:37:34 Privoxy(03580) Request: www.asdf.com/favicon.ico



That's gotta fuck with your log files.
I'm sure Dennis will tell us this is a privacy issue. :)

Probably uses this mechanism

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/netlib/Link_Prefetching_FAQ.html

Yeah, it's been around for a while.

http://www.yafla.com/papers/Block_Google_Prefetching/block_prefetching.html

It is no more a privacy issue than it's an issue for website operators. Secondly, if a kiddy porn site hyper-SEOd, and somehow got a primary spot for a common search phrase, or even if someone included a link (even if you didn't follow it), it's being cached onto your system.

SEO now has a cost.

Philo

On Dennis' second note, there needs to be a court holding that cached images are not evidence of anything.

Philo

It just loads the page, not the images.

It loads the first link. If the first link is an image, then it'll preload that.

Well that's stupid. :)

I was responding to Mark...

Note that the Google toolbar is (or at least was) much more aggressive in preloading, basically preloading widely. Mozilla/Firefox alternately looks for explicit pre-loading hints.

Since when is the first hit in Google ever just an image?

Or any, for that matter.

Mark,

The majority of hits do not include a specific document (e.g. http://www.somesite.com). That site can set whatever they want as the default document, including an image. They can even (wow!) specifically detect Google and feed them a different view than the world sees.

Secondly, why the defective focus on just Google.com? I specifically said it works for other sites, and is more of a problem with the Google toolbar.

Duh. Moron.

Dude, why the hostility?

I'm coming for you, beyotch!! >eyes boggle<

Really, though, there was no hostility (if you were being serious). That was Mark Warner-esque default hostility.

>>They can even (wow!) specifically detect Google and feed
>> them a different view than the world sees.

Yes, but the prefetch is coming from my computer not the googleplex...

No, O Canader, you don't get it. (Why the defect/moron, etc.)

They'll SEO an HTML file to Google, but then serve up an image file to me - just so I can have kiddie porn on my computer.

People will feed Google a different version than the rest of the world all the time. Heck, this forum does it - the thread links don't increment to Google.

As for why the focus on Google - it's because I don't think anyone really assumes privacy when they visit "Gooporn.com". Someone may game the search engine, but the search engine should still give me the choice as to whether or not to click the link.

Oh, hey - thanks for the link!

Wouldn't that screw up your results for people using the Google Web Accelartor?