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AT THE end of every year internet giant Google releases its "Zeitgeist" lists, compiling the annum's most searched-for topics.
This year's lists reveal a globe obsessed with pop stars, but also fascinated with less obvious rock names. Online games and social networks also feature prominently. And, thanks to the granularity of Google's systems, we are able to break it down at a South African level.
You'd expect South Africa to have featured prominently in 2010's most-searched for lists thanks to our hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and you'd expect this to be especially true when looking at what South Africans themselves were searching for.
But the soccer spectacle was outranked in Google's "fastest rising searches" by annoying child star Justin Bieber - even in SA.
Bafana Bafana topped local searches related to the tournament, however, with the Brazilian soccer team coming in second. The phrase "flags of countries" is also on the list, with Shakira's Waka Waka World Cup song and Paul the not-so-psychic octopus.
The vuvuzela also featured prominently, with searches focused on pictures, mp3 downloads of vuvzela noises and searches for manufacturers of the instrument.
South Africa also featured on search lists, thanks to local zef rap group Die Antwoord which is right up there with Bieber. Die Antwoord was an internet sensation, captivating audiences from the USA to Eastern Europe in 2010.
Fellow zef rapper Jack Parow also pops up on the South African search list for people. Promisingly, Parrow was searched for more than Julius Malema in 2010, who came in at number six on the people list.
He topped the political list, however, followed by perennial favourites Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma. Thabo Mbeki and Helen Zille were at four and five on the political inventory.
When it comes to world news headlines, search results were dominated by the earthquake in Haiti.
The lists also showed which internet services South Africans are most interested, in with Facebook and Google's free email service Gmail being the two favourites. Popular mobile social network Mxit also features prominently.
The global search results must be satisfying for Apple, with its popular iPad device being the second most searched-for subject of the year.
But the number one, most searched for topic of 2010 is the obscure website Chatroulette. The invention of a Russian teenager, Chatroulette simply connects to your webcam and allows you to see and hear random people online.
As soon as you've had enough of one person, you just move on to the next. It's completely random and soon became the domain of perverts and other weirdos.
The year 2010 was a wild ride and the Google Zeitgeist reveals the mix of natural disasters, politics, major sporting events and unexpected pop culture phenomena that were highlighted this year.
My only hope for 2011 is that we'll see less of Bieber and Malema. Natural disasters are hard to avoid, but our fixation on people is clearly in desperate need of rejigging.
- Fin24
This year's lists reveal a globe obsessed with pop stars, but also fascinated with less obvious rock names. Online games and social networks also feature prominently. And, thanks to the granularity of Google's systems, we are able to break it down at a South African level.
You'd expect South Africa to have featured prominently in 2010's most-searched for lists thanks to our hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and you'd expect this to be especially true when looking at what South Africans themselves were searching for.
But the soccer spectacle was outranked in Google's "fastest rising searches" by annoying child star Justin Bieber - even in SA.
Bafana Bafana topped local searches related to the tournament, however, with the Brazilian soccer team coming in second. The phrase "flags of countries" is also on the list, with Shakira's Waka Waka World Cup song and Paul the not-so-psychic octopus.
The vuvuzela also featured prominently, with searches focused on pictures, mp3 downloads of vuvzela noises and searches for manufacturers of the instrument.
South Africa also featured on search lists, thanks to local zef rap group Die Antwoord which is right up there with Bieber. Die Antwoord was an internet sensation, captivating audiences from the USA to Eastern Europe in 2010.
Fellow zef rapper Jack Parow also pops up on the South African search list for people. Promisingly, Parrow was searched for more than Julius Malema in 2010, who came in at number six on the people list.
He topped the political list, however, followed by perennial favourites Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma. Thabo Mbeki and Helen Zille were at four and five on the political inventory.
When it comes to world news headlines, search results were dominated by the earthquake in Haiti.
The lists also showed which internet services South Africans are most interested, in with Facebook and Google's free email service Gmail being the two favourites. Popular mobile social network Mxit also features prominently.
The global search results must be satisfying for Apple, with its popular iPad device being the second most searched-for subject of the year.
But the number one, most searched for topic of 2010 is the obscure website Chatroulette. The invention of a Russian teenager, Chatroulette simply connects to your webcam and allows you to see and hear random people online.
As soon as you've had enough of one person, you just move on to the next. It's completely random and soon became the domain of perverts and other weirdos.
The year 2010 was a wild ride and the Google Zeitgeist reveals the mix of natural disasters, politics, major sporting events and unexpected pop culture phenomena that were highlighted this year.
My only hope for 2011 is that we'll see less of Bieber and Malema. Natural disasters are hard to avoid, but our fixation on people is clearly in desperate need of rejigging.
- Fin24
