Search engine 'results' counts (was Re: PHP vs Python)

[Peter Hansen]

Alain TESIO wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 15 Jan 2001 01:42:34 GMT, "TC" <trclark at home.com> wrote:
> 
> >I did a quick search for deja python +php +review
[snip]
> >2-who has more users
> 
> from altavista :
> 
> python AND (mod_snake OR NOT snake) => 186,508 pages
> php => 177,182 pages (overestimated as it's the default extension)

On the topic of using search engines to compare counts 
of 'users' (not that I think you were very serious :), 
here's what you get from google:

'python -snake': 617,000 pages
'php': 9,990,000 pages

I'm not exactly sure what that means, and I didn't waste
my time looking beyond the first page.  I just strongly 
suspect this is yet another time when the 'pages found'
count is essentially meaningless.  

I think it may mean there are a lot of pages 
actually *written* with PHP, since this match probably 
includes all pages with the .PHP extension...  either
that or about 10% of all web pages are on the topic
of PHP. :)