>How does the TIOBE rankings actually work? If it is by how often certain keywords are searched on how are they privy to what searches are performed on the various search sites?
No, they do the searches, and check how often the keywords appear in Web pages. It is actually quite simple - and far from perfect. But it is the best we have, AFAIK.
For a more detailed explanation: Go to
www.tiobe.com, click on the TPC index (lower right) - this is where the actual language comparison appears - and look at the end of the second regular paragraph, where it says "The definition... can be found here".
Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)
