internet advice needed

Just used 'google' for the first time in a while.  Normally when I type in just one letter a list appears of the previous sites I've searched.  Then, I could delete them if I chose, or select the one which I've searched for in the past.

Today, when I typed in one letter a strange list dropped down of different site, but NONE that I've brought up or looked at myself. 

I just tried it and it did the same thing to me! Those must be the companies that pay google extra to make their name appear there - that's internet marketing for ya.

Yahoo does this, too. It doesn't have anything to do with what you've searched. It's like they are guessing what you are going to type, or whatever the top searches are with those letters.

just typed in 2-3 letters of the site I wanted and then, the actual list of MY previous sites did appear.

Actually, it's a list of the most common searches. It just so happens that a lot of those are for companies, but there are plenty of others that pop up if you start typing in terms.

If it was the most common searches wouldn't things that aren't business pop up?  When I did it they were all large companies.  (All I put was an 's' and an 'r')

It's a feature called Google Suggest.  I tries to predict what you're searching for and give you a list.  It's not just businesses though.  For example, if you type in test, one of the suggestions is testicular cancer.

Here is more information about it as well as how to disable the feature.

http://www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?a nswer=106230&hl=en

kisteel:  thank you very much.  I used your link and disabled the feature as it was an annoyance.