Google Instant Map Shows 'The United States Of Autocomplete' (PICTURE)

Google Instant's autocomplete feature, which selects search suggestions based on popular queries, can be as entertaining as it is helpful. Googling a politician's name, for example, sometimes yields shocking search results.

After querying Google Instant with the names of all 50 states in the U.S. (plus Wahington D.C.), cartoonist Dorothy Gambrell created a map that reflects Google Instant's first suggestion for each state. Every state on Gambrell's map is renamed, many after sports teams or colleges (think "Minnesota Vikings," "Arizona State University"), some after pieces of legislation ("Missouri Compromise"). A few names are pretty obvious ("Kentucky Fried Chicken"), but a couple are totally out of left field ("Montana Fishburne").

Take a look at "The United States of Autocomplete" (below). Have you noticed different search results when querying state names? Let us know in the comments. Then, check out our Google Instant Alphabet and see a list of "sexy" search terms banned from Google Instant.

LOOK: [via Very Small Array]

Comments

[freegeg]

05:33 PM on 12/09/2010

Gearge Bush is a .....lizard lol
Obama is a ....muslum lol
huphingtonpost is...my husband gay lol

[LMPE]

12:12 AM on 12/09/2010

Speaking of Montana:

"The capital of Montana is not Hannah." - written on the blackboard 100 times by Bart Simpson

[KirkDiggler]

11:30 PM on 12/08/2010

Basically shows how the mid-west is obsessed with football, college or pro.

[PostModernGuy]

10:35 PM on 12/08/2010

How did the Utah Jazz name come about? I know it's from the team, but there are few places which I would not associate with jazz.

[Drjimmy72296]

12:21 AM on 12/09/2010

They played in New Orleans for five years before relocating to Utah.

[Thomas Bradley]

10:44 AM on 12/09/2010

Are you kidding? Mormons love them some be-bop!

[StevenJames20]

10:28 PM on 12/08/2010

Vermont Country Store ? Should of been Vermont Teddie-Bear...

[beerent]

06:07 PM on 12/08/2010

This article is meaningless.

[nemo1107]

10:30 PM on 12/08/2010

what were you expecting?

[Jen Atlanta]

05:53 PM on 12/08/2010

When I typed in Georgia, I got Georgia Power (the electricity company).

[xphoenix]

05:17 PM on 12/08/2010

Contrast "Minnestoans are" with "Texans are."

[Lakesideboy]

05:02 PM on 12/08/2010

We really don't need everything that Google has to offer.....

[WilliePilgrim]

04:48 PM on 12/08/2010

It really reveals that we are a nation of pinheads, addicted to sports. I can only imagine if we had this in ancient Rome, the autocomplete would list gladiator names.

[Ivyleaguequaker]

04:43 PM on 12/08/2010

Maybe it depends on where you do your search??? I typed in a number of states and tourism sites were usually the top site.

[Jasmine Mar]

04:32 PM on 12/08/2010

I put in Indiana and the top autocomplete choice it gave me was "Indiana bmv" followed by "indiana unemployment"

apparently the author of this map probably likes football or something that skewed his results towards that.

[couer]

04:43 PM on 12/08/2010

I put in Indiana and got the Indianapolis Colts. I like football but like it more when my Colts are winning.

[LMPE]

12:11 AM on 12/09/2010

anyone get Indiana Jones?

[Rynox]

04:22 PM on 12/08/2010

Vermont Country Store... hah!

[Ashton Johnson]

04:09 PM on 12/08/2010

The problem is autocomplete also adjusts according to your history so you could get lots of different results between different computers.

For Minnesota (where I live) I got Minnesota State Fair. Makes sense, pretty huge deal here when it happens.

[JackBPravda]

03:57 PM on 12/08/2010

Florida, 'epididimous'