Is Google the new devil?

Looks like Microsoft may have been biding its time to get back at search giant Google. The software company on Thursday launched a beta version of its MSN search engine. If you search for the term "more evil than satan" Google pops up as the top entry.

It may be tit for tat. In 1999, the same search on Google had Microsoft topping the charts.

Coincidence? Sadly for conspiracy theorists, yes.

One reason Google shows up so often as "more evil than satan" may have to do with its motto "Do no evil." And in case you were wondering, searching "more evil than satan" on Microsoft's engine has Microsoft as the sixth link.

As for why Microsoft showed up on Google back in 1999, it may be because there were a significant number of Web pages on which the word "evil" appeared near the word "Microsoft."

Shortening the search to "more evil" results in Google coming in first, with Microsoft in second place.