"Follow the Drinking Gourd": Search Engine Analysis

Follow the Drinking Gourd:
A Cultural History

Search Engine Analysis – Notes (Partial)

(1) Complete Search Engine Rankings

Search Engine Rankings for followthedrinkinggourd.org
Updated 6/21/2007

Date	Google Search	Yahoo Search	MSN Search
Week of 1/29	>1,000	>1,000
2/5/2007	346	9	6
2/11/2007	380	8	7
2/12/2007	42	8	8
2/13/2007	42	8	8
2/14/2007	28	8	8
2/15/2007	28	7	8
2/16/2007	26	8	8
2/18/2007	35	7	8
2/19/2007	44	-	-
2/20/2007	30	-	-
2/21/2007	29	9	8
2/22/2007	35	7	5
2/23/2007	42	8	5
2/24/2007	39	6	5
2/25/2007	35	8	5
2/26/2007	28	8	5
2/27/2007	32	8	5
2/28/2007	39	11	5
3/1/2007	41	11	5
3/2/2007	34	9	5
3/3/2007	33	9	4
3/4/2007	31	7	4
3/5/2007	30	8	4
3/6/2007	35	7	4
3/8/2007	40	18	5
3/9/2007	37	18	4
3/10/2007	33	11	5
3/11/2007	28	11	4
3/13/2007	42	11	5
3/14/2007	37	12	4
3/15/2007	37	12	5
3/16/2007	38	7	4
3/18/2007	39	7	3
3/20/2007	39	7	3
3/23/2007	33	8	3
3/24/2007	37	8	3
3/26/2007	39	8	3
3/27/2007	25	7	3
3/28/2007	25	7	3
3/29/2007	44	7	3
3/30/2007	40	8	3
3/31/2007	34	8	3
4/1/2007	40	8	3
4/2/2007	36	8	3
4/3/2007	36	8	3
4/4/2007	43	4	3
4/6/2007	26	4	3
4/7/2007	44	4	3
4/8/2007	37	4 & 43	3
4/9/2007	41	4 & 42	3
4/10/2007	33	4 & 42	3
4/11/2007	28	4 & 41	3
4/12/2007	34	4 & 41	3
4/14/2007	25	4 & 41	2
4/17/2007	27	4 & 41	2
4/19/2007	35	4 & ?	2
4/21/2007	4	4 & ?	2
4/22/2007	3	4 & 40	2
4/23/2007	4	4 & 42	2
4/24/2007	4	4 & 41	2
5/1/2007	3	4 & 38	3
5/7/2007	2	4 & 41	2
5/14/2007	1	2 & 6	2
5/30/2007	1	2 & 6	2
6/21/2007	1	1 & 18	1

(2) Pages with Partially Unsearchable Content

Screenshot of the Google cache of "Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years.htm"
4/25/2007

Sources: http://72.14.209.104/search?hl=en&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2F
www.followthedrinkinggourd.org%2FInterpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years.htm
&btnG=Google+Search
Highlighting added separately. Note the cache date of April 1, 2007

Screenshot of a Google search for "formed the narrative core..."
4/25/2007

Google Search Screen Shot

Screenshot of a Google search for "formed the narrative core..."
5/2/2007

Sample Cached Pages Containing Text Not Located by Google Searches
5/15/2007

Page: http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendix_Teachers_Guide.htm
Cache: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:aNyF8a_MUsIJ:www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendix_Teachers_Guide.htm
Text: "fourth verse of the Parks"
Text: "It is this version that is used"

Page: http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years-Notes.htm
Cache: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:Hi1OhcJR0NwJ:www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_
Years-Notes.htm

Text: "migratory quails in the world"
Text: "For more information on the northern bobwhite" (Yahoo misses this, too...)

Page: http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendix_Childrens_Books-Notes.htm
Cache: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:FN77iMek9NcJ:www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendix_Childrens_Books-Notes.htm

Text: "nearly as hazardous as running away"

Page: http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendices_Timeline&Gazetteer.htm
Cache: http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:PlqhbkzacpIJ:www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/Appendices_Timeline&Gazetteer.htm

Text: "Parks version of the account and song"

Sample Phrases and Search Results
3/17/07 to 6/21/07

	6/21/07	6/4/07	5/13/07	4/24/07	3/18/07	3/16/07
URL & PHRASE	Found?	Found?	Found?	Found?	Found?	Found?
index.htm (THE SITE'S HOME PAGE) "supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative"
Afterword.htm "constantly asked whether the Drinking Gourd"
Afterword-Notes.htm "welcome help sourcing unusual recordings"
Appendices_Misc.htm "serious map collectors and strong supporters"
Appendices_Timeline&Gazetteer.htm "hearing the song sung by a young black boy"				N		N
Appendix_Additional_Materials_For_Teachers.htm "when master and slave sing the same song text"						N
Appendix_Additional_Materials_For_Teachers-Notes.htm "Ohio of 150 years ago was considerably shallower"			N		N	N
Appendix_Adult_Books.htm "quarters this book was seen as the antithesis"				N		N
Appendix_Adult_Books-Notes.htm "Hays was an ardent Whitman devotee"				N	N	N
Appendix_Childrens_Books.htm "South Carolina and are following the drinking gourd"						N
Appendix_Childrens_Books-Notes.htm "Underground Railroad agent based at Point Harmar"	N					N
Appendix_Parks_Biography.htm "preparatory school of Blackburn College"				N
Appendix_Parks_Biography-Notes.htm "Professor Burke was also the kind source"				N	N	N
Appendix_Recordings.htm "Alternate version with big-band accompaniment"				N		N
Appendix_Search_Engines.htm "view relevant hits culled from billions"						-
Appendix_Search_Engines-Notes.htm "Delisting Pages After Removal"				N		-
Appendix_Teachers_Guide.htm "bringing the song closer to the 1928 original"				N
Appendix_Teachers_Guide-Notes.htm "Deborah Gray White in David W. Blight"	N	N	N	N	N	N
Collection_Story.htm "entomologist who was also an amateur folklorist"						N
Collection_Story-Notes.htm "Chesson weighs in on the subject in a somewhat splenetic"			N	N	N	N
Cultural_History.htm "sang it as best he could to a musicologist"						N
How_Do_We_Know_What_We_Know.htm "error had been cloned across the websites"
How_Do_We_Know_What_We_Know-Notes.htm "other slave accounts describing meandering journeys"
Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years.htm "formed the narrative core of a planetarium show"				N		N
Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years-Notes.htm "only migratory quails in the world are the Old World quails"			N	N	N	N
Introduction-Notes.htm "second in command at his music publisher The Richmond Organization"
The_Song_As_History.htm "universally taken at face value by musicians"
The_Song_As_History-Notes.htm "veteran Seth Concklin"					N	N
What_The_Lyrics_Mean.htm "what I remember as pieced out by the Lomax song"
What_The_Lyrics_Mean-Notes.htm "Underground Railroad operatives marking trees"

(3) Home Page Cache

Home Page Cache Dates for followthedrinkinggourd.org
Final Version, 4/24/2007

	Google		Yahoo		MSN
Date	Last Visit	Cache (Days)	Last Visit	Cache (Days)	Last Visit	Cache (Days)
2/24/2007	2/9/2007	15	2/24/2007	0	2/16/2007	8
2/25/2007	2/12/2007	13	2/24/2007	1	2/16/2007	9
2/26/2007	2/12/2007	14	2/24/2007	2	2/16/2007	10
2/27/2007	2/12/2007	15	2/24/2007	3	2/16/2007	11
2/28/2007	2/12/2007	16	2/24/2007	4	2/16/2007	12
3/1/2007	2/27/2007	2	2/24/2007	5	2/16/2007	13
3/2/2007	2/27/2007	3	2/24/2007	6	2/16/2007	14
3/3/2007	2/27/2007	4	2/24/2007	7	3/2/2007	1
3/4/2007	2/27/2007	5	2/24/2007	8	3/2/2007	2
3/5/2007	2/27/2007	6	2/24/2007	9	3/2/2007	3
3/6/2007	3/6/2007	0	3/6/2007	0	3/2/2007	4
3/8/2007	3/6/2007	2	3/8/2007	0	3/2/2007	6
3/9/2007	3/6/2007	3	3/8/2007	1	3/2/2007	7
3/10/2007	3/6/2007	4	3/10/2007	0	3/2/2007	8
3/11/2007	3/6/2007	5	3/11/2007	0	3/2/2007	9
3/13/2007	3/11/2007	2	3/11/2007	2	3/2/2007	11
3/14/2007	3/11/2007	3	3/11/2007	3	3/2/2007	12
3/15/2007	3/11/2007	4	3/14/2007	1	3/2/2007	13
3/16/2007	3/11/2007	5	3/15/2007	1	3/2/2007	14
3/18/2007	3/11/2007	7	3/16/2007	2	3 /16/2007	2
3/20/2007	3/11/2007	9	3/18/2007	2	3 /16/2007	4
3/23/2007	3/16/2007	7	3/22/2007	1	3 /16/2007	7
3/24/2007	3/16/2007	8	3/24/2007	0	3 /16/2007	8
3/26/2007	3/22/2007	4	3/26/2007	0	3 /16/2007	10
3/27/2007	3/22/2007	5	3/27/2007	0	3 /16/2007	11
3/28/2007	3/22/2007	6	3/28/2007	0	3 /16/2007	12
3/29/2007	3/22/2007	7	3/29/2007	0	3 /16/2007	13
3/30/2007	3/26/2007	4	3/20/2007	0	3 /16/2007	14
3/31/2007	3/22/2007	9	3/31/2007	0	3/20/2007	11
4/1/2007	3/26/2007	6	3/31/2007	1	3/20/2007	12
4/2/2007	3/31/2007	2	4/2/2007	0	3/20/2007	13
4/3/2007	3/31/2007	3	4/2/2007	1	3/30/2007	4
4/4/2007	3/31/2007	4	4/3/2007	1	3/30/2007	5
4/6/2007	3/31/2007	6	4/3/2007	3	3/30/2007	7
4/7/2007	4/4/2007	3	4/5/2007	2	3/30/2007	8
4/8/2007	4/4/2007	4	4/5/2007	3	3/30/2007	9
4/9/2007	4/4/2007	5	4/5/2007	4	3/30/2007	10
4/10/2007	4/8/2007	2	4/9/2007	1	3/30/2007	11
4/11/2007	4/8/2007	3	4/9/2007	2	3/30/2007	12
4/12/2007	4/8/2007	4	4/11/2007	1	3/30/2007	13
4/14/2007	4/8/2007	6	4/13/2007	1	3/30/2007	15
4/17/2007	4/15/2007	2	4/17/2007	0	4/13/2007	4
4/19/2007	4/15/2007	4	4/19/2007	0	4/13/2007	6
4/21/2007	4/15/2007	6	4/20/2007	1	4/13/2007	8
4/22/2007	4/18/2007	4	4/21/2007	1	4/13/2007	9
4/23/2007	4/18/2007	5	4/23/2007	0	4/13/2007	10
4/24/2007	4/18/2007	6	4/23/2007	1	4/13/2007	11
	Overall average	4		2		9
	Visits, Total	14		28		5

(4) Site Cache

Site-wide Cache Dates for followthedrinkinggourd.org
Final Version, 4/24/2007

OVERALL AVERAGE SITE-WIDE CACHE LAG	30	15	10
Cache dates as of 4/24/2007	Google	Yahoo	MSN
index.htm (THE SITE'S HOME PAGE)	4/23/2007	4/23/2007	4/13/2007

Afterword.htm	4/4/2007	4/5/2007	4/12/2007
Afterword-Notes.htm	4/6/2007	4/4/2007	4/12/2007
Appendices_Misc.htm	4/1/2007	-	4/12/2007
Appendices_Timeline&Gazetteer.htm	4/1/2007	4/3/2007	4/15/2007
Appendix_Additional_Materials_For_Teachers.htm	4/11/2007	3/12/2007	4/14/2007
Appendix_Additional_Materials_For_Teachers-Notes.htm	-	4/4/2007	4/12/2007
Appendix_Adult_Books.htm	4/1/2007	3/13/2007	4/15/2007
Appendix_Adult_Books-Notes.htm	4/12/2007	3/30/2007	4/15/2007
Appendix_Childrens_Books.htm	4/3/2007	4/3/2007	4/13/2007
Appendix_Childrens_Books-Notes.htm	4/13/2007	3/20/2007	4/15/2007
Appendix_Parks_Biography.htm	4/2/2007	4/5/2007	4/12/2007
Appendix_Parks_Biography-Notes.htm	4/9/2007	4/4/2007	4/12/2007
Appendix_Recordings.htm	4/1/2007	3/29/2007	4/18/2007
Appendix_Search_Engines.htm	4/16/2007	4/23/2007	4/14/2007
Appendix_Search_Engines-Notes.htm	4/12/2007	3/26/2007	4/12/2007
Appendix_Teachers_Guide.htm	4/1/2007	4/3/2007	4/14/2007
Appendix_Teachers_Guide-Notes.htm	4/10/2007	3/20/2007	4/18/2007
Collection_Story.htm	4/3/2007	4/4/2007	4/14/2007
Collection_Story-Notes.htm	4/7/2007	4/4/2007	4/15/2007
Cultural_History.htm	4/3/2007	4/3/2007	4/15/2007
How_Do_We_Know_What_We_Know.htm	4/3/2007	3/10/2007	4/15/2007
How_Do_We_Know_What_We_Know-Notes.htm	4/11/2007	3/26/2007	4/15/2007
Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years.htm	4/1/2007	3/12/2007	4/15/2007
Interpretation_Over_The_Last_Ten_Years-Notes.htm	4/8/2007	3/13/2007	4/15/2007
Introduction-Notes.htm	4/1/2007	3/18/2007	4/14/2007
The_Song_As_History.htm	4/5/2007	3/23/2007	4/15/2007
The_Song_As_History-Notes.htm	4/5/2007	4/5/2007	4/15/2007
What_The_Lyrics_Mean.htm	4/1/2007	4/4/2007	4/15/2007
What_The_Lyrics_Mean-Notes.htm	4/14/2007	4/4/2007	4/15/2007
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 4/24/2007	18	27	10
EARLIER RESULTS
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 3/31/2007	27	17	11
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 3/18/2007	21	12	12
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 3/16/2007	41	10	11
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 3/12/2007	37	13	9
Average site-wide cache lag (excl. Home Page), 3/7/2007	33	10	5

(5) Delisting Pages After Removal

Case I
Domain: madison.k12.wi.us; Document: ftdg1.htm; Removed: 2/2/2007
Updated 6/21/2007

	Google			Yahoo	MSN
	Rank	Cache Date	Notes	Rank	Rank	Cache Date
2/5/2007	2	1/7/2007		6	3	1/29/2007
2/6/2007	2	1/7/2007		7	4	1/29/2007
2/7/2007	2	1/7/2007		6	4	1/29/2007
2/8/2007	2	1/7/2007		6	6	1/29/2007
2/10/2007	14 (See Notes)	1/7/2007	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf	6	3	1/29/2007
2/11/2007	14 (See Notes)	1/7/2007	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/12/2007	14 (See Notes)	1/7/2007	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/13/2007	8 (See Notes)	NA	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/14/2007	8 (See Notes)	NA	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/15/2007	8 (See Notes)	NA	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/16/1007	8 (See Notes)	NA	Indented; Main document: ftdgsong.pdf		3	1/29/2007
2/28/2007					3	1/29/2007
3/1/2007					3	No cache
6/21/2007					5	No cache

Case II
Domain: NSA.gov; Document: publi00011.cfm; Removed: 2/28/2007
Updated 6/21/2007

	Google			Yahoo	MSN
	Rank	Cache Date	Notes	Rank	Rank	Cache Date
3/1/2007	2	2/25/2007		7	6	2/15/2007
3/2/2007	2	2/25/2007		6	6	2/15/2007
3/3/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain	6	6	2/15/2007
3/4/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain	6	6	2/15/2007
3/5/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain	6	6	2/15/2007
3/6/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain		6	2/15/2007
3/8/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain		6	2/15/2007
3/9/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain		6	2/15/2007
3/10/2007	2	12/31/2006	Numeric domain		6	2/15/2007
3/13/2007					6	2/15/2007
3/18/2007					6	No cache
6/21/2007					9	No cache

Case III
Domains: www.pocanticohills.org & www2.lhric.org;
Document: gourd.htm; Removed: 2/22/2007
Updated 6/21/2007

	Google		Yahoo	MSN
	Rank	Cache Date	Rank	Rank	Cache Date
2/23/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
2/24/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
2/25/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
2/26/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
2/27/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
2/28/2007	1	2/6/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
3/1/2007	1	2/11/2007	3	2	2/14/2007
3/2/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/3/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/4/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/5/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/6/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/8/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/9/2007	1	2/11/2007		2	2/14/2007
3/18/2007				2	No cache
6/21/2007				6	No cache

(6) Day-to-Day Volatility of a Google search

Results of a search on "follow the drinking gourd" (without the quotes)
4/6/2007 & 4/7/2007

4/6/2007	4/7/2007	Change	URL
1	1	0	quest.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk/gourd2.html
2	2	0	www.contemplator.com/america/gourd.html
3	3	0	www.amazon.com/Follow-Drinking-Gourd-Jeanette-Winter/...
4	5	1	artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2467/
5	9	4	www.amaranthpublishing.com/gourd.htm
6	4	2	education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad...
7	6	1	www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdgsong.pdf
8	7	1	pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/gourd1.cfm
9	8	1	www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons...
10	10	0	ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social...
11	11	0	followthedrinkinggourd.net/
12	12	0	www.greattapes.com/gt/product.phtml/followgv
13	13	0	www.osblackhistory.com/drinkinggourd.php
14	14	0	www.tngenweb.org/tncolor/gourd.htm
15	15	0	www.mc.cc.md.us/Departments/hpolscrv/gourd.html
16	22	6	www.galaxymaine.com/SA/SA2e.htm
17	16	1	www.lessonplanspage.com/OMDUndergroundRailroad...
18	17	1	www.pbs.org/independentlens/strangefruit/slavery.html
19	18	1	www.tv.com/treasure-hunters/follow-the-drinking-gourd...
20	19	1	www.siue.edu/EDUCATION/AAM/lesson/gallagher/AAM...
21	20	1	www.mariners-museum.org/captivepassage/legacy/...
22	21	1	www.powells.com/cgi-bin/partner?partner_id=28772...
23	23	0	www.education-world.com/a_lesson/02/lp256-03.shtml
24	24	0	artists3.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Marco_Capelli/index-1.html
25	25	0	starryskies.com/articles/dln/2-96/drinking.html
26	44	18	www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/
27	-	-	www.northern-stars.com/Follow_theDrinking_Gourd.pdf
28	26	2	movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=18042
29	27	2	www.amazon.co.uk/Follow-Drinking-Gourd-Jeanette...
30	28	2	www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/9087/black/gourd.html
31	29	2	en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_the_Drinkin'_Gourd
32	30	2	www2.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/planet/shows/gourd.htm

Follow the Drinking Gourd: A Cultural History