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Wikipedia:You can't fix Google through Wikipedia

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by NatGertler (talk | contribs) at 19:01, 4 January 2015 (Added visual example). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
File:GoogleInfobox.tiff
For example, while the biographical information in this Google information box was derived from Wikipedia, the book list was not. The Feedback button can be seen at the lower right.

Search results from the Google search engine often include a block of information on the topic presented by Google itself. These search results often include a link to Wikipedia in them, leading people to believe that Wikipedia is the source of this information, and that any misinformation in the Google output can be corrected by correcting Wikipedia.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Google may use Wikipedia as a source for their information blurb, but it is not their only source, nor is it automatically updated when Wikipedia is updated. We've had people complaining to Wikipedia about Google descriptions of themselves that include a date of death, when the complainer is obviously still alive and Wikipedia has never claimed otherwise.

The good news is that Google does provide a way to correct misinformation. At the lower right of their information box, you'll find the word Feedback. Click on that, and you'll be able to note the error. Experience shows that it takes Google a few days to adjust the information.