2008 through the search prism

Posted December 1st, 2008 at 9:31 am by Vera Chan, Yahoo! Buzz

 3 Comments / Filed in: Trends & News

Beware: The task of looking back at 2008 could induce whiplash.

Last year, I introduced our annual review of search trends and touched on the subject on how a billion (or so) searches can sketch a portrait of a culture in motion. The motion this year was volatile, to say the least, what with the American presidential elections, the Beijing Olympics, and a doggedly stubborn global economic morass.

This time, the Yahoo! Year in Review is even bigger and more ambitious, the better to reflect the potent issues that rumbled in news and searches. Editors and producers from throughout Yahoo!–news, sports, Buzz Log, Buzz, and much more–investigated the themes that emerged for you this year, including economy, politicians, Olympians, and influential women.

While 2007 was a time of environmental activism and a tech evolution, this year showed your growing sophistication and reliance on the Web in the political process. From the primaries to Election Day, you went online in droves to register to vote, donate campaign funds, check out primary results, figure out what a delegate was, scrutinize the Electoral College, and vet the candidates, their associates, and even their family members. Likely (factcheck.org) and unlikely (snopes) sources became your stop to check rumors.

And lest you think I’m avoiding the subject–yes, Britney Spears has once again emerged as the top search in 2008. Even the music artist’s story this time around symbolized the year’s sober mood…and she has some fascinating company in the Top 10.

Visit our site to check out other trends in search and news. To compare what intrigued you in 2007 versus 2008, take a gander at the Flashback overview, which also links to previous years’ lists. Finally, a late-breaking blog will introduce more top 10 lists of 2008 throughout December.

Vera H-C Chan
Senior Editor, Buzz Log

Tagged: yahoo! buzz, yahoo! search, year in review

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3 Comments Add your own

Ivor Dunmoanin | December 2nd, 2008 at 3:42 am

FAO VERA CHAN

Dear Vera,

How does Britney do it? We love Obama too, but the Girl Guides of the UK need you…how do we switch people on to British politics via the internet and use celebrity to make politics fun?

See http://wannabepm.blogspot.com/2008/12/britney-spears-mp.html

Much Love, peace and global harmony!
Ivor and Polly XX
WANNABEPM
http://wannabepm.blogspot.com/2008/10/polly-and-ivor-go-live.html

PS At the very least can you press a default button on YAHOO to ensure that our blogsite is first link to Britney…every little helps? Thanks! X

Dorothy Stahlnecker | December 3rd, 2008 at 3:56 am

Vera, I’ve been writing on our blog less then two years, just finished battling Ovarian Cancer and chemo so I’d missed a few months this spring and summer. However, as a 62 year old grandmother (attempting to promote grandma’s) I’m so sorry I didn’t find this site sooner then Nov 30th.

It’s one of the best sites I’ve ever visited and so easy to find so much. I work full time and my blogging is limited however, truly it’s become my passion. (hope I have enough time to do more and more posting) having said that I wonder if I didn’t realize you had this blog I wonder how you can get the word out to more of us novices… Truly eons and Divine Caroline, wow, etc are great this seems to have more for everyone.

Glad to know you, and wishing you much more success.

My best,
Dorothy from grammology
http://grammology.com

Wat is beleggen | December 7th, 2008 at 5:41 am

I think there will be a lot financial terms in the report at the end of this year…