How many links does it take to

How many links does it take to get to your site from Google.com?. Without using the search box, wiseass.

By Jason Kottke • Jul 14, 2004 at 12:35 am

There are 34 reader comments

Brad Choate • Jul 14 2004 • 1:04AM

6.

more -> directory -> people -> personal homepages -> c -> choate, brad

Paulo • Jul 14 2004 • 1:14AM

Google > More > Directory > Internet > On The Web > Weblogs > Personal > B > Me.

Eight clicks. The directory pretty much does it for most folks.

Dave S. • Jul 14 2004 • 1:15AM

huh, I thought the 6 of us who did the Blogger templates might have had the inside track on this, but no such luck. Still 6.

more -> Blogger -> Knowledge -> Blogger Reloaded -> Read all about it -> Dave Shea

Paulo • Jul 14 2004 • 1:19AM

(You know, a meme this fresh needs a name. "GooLinkNumber?")

David Jacobs • Jul 14 2004 • 1:22AM

MediaRights: 6
more -> directory -> society -> activism -> media -> MediaRights.org

Hello, Typepad: 7
As Matt said: ...I found a second path from Google to my site that used 7 links. From Blogger, to their Knowledge Base, is a link to a Wired story on Blogger Burnout, which links to Kottke.org which links has a sidebar link to my site.

RandomWalks: 8 or 9
8: The above method +1
9: more -> directory -> Computers > Internet > On the Web > Weblogs > Personal > R > randomwalks.com

Of course, all blogger members are 3 clicks away if they're logged in.

R. • Jul 14 2004 • 1:43AM

Eight:

Google -> more -> Directory -> Internet -> On the Web -> Weblogs -> Personal -> H -> highindustrial.com

Swami Prem • Jul 14 2004 • 1:57AM

6 for me.

Google -> more -> Directory -> Religion -> Yoga -> Personal Pages -> Swami Prem

Matt • Jul 14 2004 • 2:47AM

I tried a bunch of ways and couldn't get lower then 7 or 8, but then found this path in 5:

Google > More > Directory > Reference > Quotations > moi

Of course it's much cooler if you don't go through the directory.

Ryan MacCarthy • Jul 14 2004 • 2:53AM

3 for me (if i'm already automatically logged into blogger... otherwise 4)

Google > More > Blogger > Bay Area Free Wireless (under "Blogs of Note")

of course that'll be more once I drop off the list. but hopefully that won't be for a while. also, to get to my personal page, that adds a click too... from the BayAreaFreeFi site to my personal site.

rg • Jul 14 2004 • 3:09AM

5.

News -> Guardian (almost any) -> Guardian ("Weblog") -> Guardian ("Online") -> nyclondon.com

Josh • Jul 14 2004 • 3:22AM

12. (I'm a. maintaining some level of anonymity b. not producing any worthwhile content and c. not a big part of the weblogging community.)

Google -> more -> Blogger -> Blogger Developers -> AtomEnabled.org Developers -> Feed Validator -> Dive Into Mark -> XML is Tough -> Phil Ringnalda -> Musings: Objection Overruled! -> Musings -> Musings: WordPress 1.2, MathML Goodness -> me.

You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike.

Greg • Jul 14 2004 • 3:44AM

You all have too much time on your hands :)

Michael Hanscom • Jul 14 2004 • 4:01AM

Eight for me:

Google > More > Blogger > Knowledge > Working With Blogger > How Not to Get Fired Because of Your Blog > Seattle Times: Microsoft Fires Worker Over Weblog > eclecticism

Subzero Blue • Jul 14 2004 • 4:46AM

For me, it's eight.

Google > More > Directory > Internet > On The Web > Weblogs > Personal > S > Subzero Blue.

Jeff • Jul 14 2004 • 8:02AM

I'm a little obscure, so it took seven clicks.

www.dontforward.com

Craig • Jul 14 2004 • 8:21AM

Seven clicks, from two paths:

more -> Directory -> Computers -> Graphics -> Web -> Colors -> Using Colour on the Web

more -> Directory -> Society -> Genealogy -> Personal Pages -> S -> Saila

Alterego • Jul 14 2004 • 8:51AM

Google > More > Directory > Computers > Internet > On the Web > Weblogs > Technology > Google Weblog > Alterego

10.

Corni • Jul 14 2004 • 9:06AM

i count 5 clicks.

Google > Verzeichnis (1) > Menschen (2) > persoe. HPs (3) > weblogs (4) > persoe. weblogs (5) > weblog

nosa • Jul 14 2004 • 9:26AM

Google > More > Directory > Internet > On The Web > Weblogs > Personal > A > > Aderemi's New Notebook > me @ insinuendo

11. I got lucky with step 9...otherwise i'd have given up due to RSI.

Brad Daily • Jul 14 2004 • 10:32AM

Here's some variety off of the directory theme....

Google > Directory > Computers > Data Formats > Stlye Sheets > CSS > Examples > CSS Zen Garden > bradleyboy

Andy • Jul 14 2004 • 10:41AM

How about the question:
How many clicks does it take to get from any page to any other page on the web?

I wrote a short entry about the path length between two web pages. On average any two random sites can be connected by only 19 clicks. Pretty small considering how gigantic the web is.

Izzy • Jul 14 2004 • 11:16AM

9 here

Google > More > Directory > Internet > On the Web > Weblogs > Webrings > Obscure Blogs > Member List > Undisclosed Location

10 this way

Google > More > Directory > Internet > On the Web > Weblogs > Collaborative > Meme > Unconscious Mutterings > Check out who's playing > Undisclosed Location

Jason Wall • Jul 14 2004 • 12:03PM

Mine tally's up to 6:
Google > more > Directory > People > Personal Homepages > The "Computers>Internet>On the Web>Weblogs>Personal" link, W, Walljm.com

Could also do it in 7:
Google > more > Directory > Internet > On the Web > Weblogs > Personal > W > Walljm.com

Six degres of separation?

Andrew • Jul 14 2004 • 1:25PM

Google > Blogger > Knowledge > "Bloggers Suffer Burnout" > Instapundit > Eric Zorn's Notebook > Weblogs of Interest > Gapers Block

googlemaster • Jul 14 2004 • 1:50PM

0: Google

Deanna • Jul 14 2004 • 2:40PM

Only eight people a day read my blog (and probably 4 of them are my mother), and it only took me 9 clicks.

google>more>directory>internet>on the web>weblogs>directories>blogscanada>DeannaInUganda

If it only takes me 9, i don't know where the challenge is for the rest of you

Moss • Jul 14 2004 • 4:35PM

Nine clicks: Google > More > Blogger > Knowledge > Burnout > Whiskey Bar > Crooked Timber > Language Hat > PF > Moss

Fun! But now it's going to be all I can do not to spend the rest of the day trying to find a shorter path.

Sharon • Jul 14 2004 • 5:34PM

5:
Google > more > directory > Games:Board Games > Print and Play > Invisible City Productions' Game District

Moss! I know you. You're Remi's friend. I recognized you by your url. Fancy meeting you here...

Jonathan Stanley • Jul 14 2004 • 8:30PM

Eight...

Google » More » Directory » Internet » On The Web » Weblogs » Personal » L » My good self

ACJ • Jul 15 2004 • 12:37AM

I'm affraid I'd have to keep clicking untill any relation actually comes to exist. Could take a while, too.

Michael Buffington • Jul 15 2004 • 12:58AM

Google > More > Directory > Computers > News Media > freshnews.org > Gizmodo > digitalslr.org

7. Would have thought I could find a shorter path to Gizmodo, but no luck.

PurpleCar • Jul 15 2004 • 10:45AM

Google > More > Society > Religion & Spirituality > Atheism > Personal Pages > The Raving Atheist > PurpleCar 7? Maybe 8 if you don't see my link right away.

How dubious, eh? This game will morph into who has the shortest and WEIRDEST path. Mr. Kottke should hand out prizes for the best one.

7 clicks is the quickest route I could think of right now, but I'll have fun with this. Thanks! Although, I think I'll start worrying if it gets below 5 clicks. I like to be anonymous.

yi • Jul 15 2004 • 6:09PM

we used to play a similar game when i was in college. yahoo had a random link that would take you to a random site in their index and we'd see how long it took to navigate to your home page. it was like 1994/95 back then so not many people had personal sites and "blogrolls" but it was pretty simple to find a government page which usually linked to state governments and universities and then we could easily navigate back to our sites since they were hosted on the university's servers.

Adrian • Jul 17 2004 • 1:06PM

7: More > Directory > Regional > Polar Regions > Antarctic > South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands > Boogenstein.com

A nice surprise, I thought it would take me hours to get from one to the other.

This thread is closed to new comments. Thanks to everyone who responded.