Wow some terrible reporting about Google's latest horrible ideas about how to distort information access in the name of "convenience" (or something):

[mrmoore@mstdn.social]

@emilymbender Sometimes it feels like these people are trying to create a world from science fiction stories. For example, in Star Trek when they ask the computer something and it just gives them the answer. They don't understand that plenty of science fiction has no basis in reality and/or are terrible for how our brains actually work (like you've pointed out).

That or they are just greedy bastards that are looking to exploit anyone and everyone for a profit.

[mspcommentary@mastodon.online]

@emilymbender wait! You can opt out?!

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

@emilymbender it's an XKCD reference isn't it?

[damonwakes@mastodon.sdf.org]

@sleepfreeparent @mrmoore @emilymbender Also they can show their ads on their platform without those pesky users nipping off to see the source of the information (and possibly supporting it in any way).

[damonwakes@mastodon.sdf.org]

@emilymbender Oh, goodie. They've invented a guy who barges between you and the library shelves and proceeds to give you his vague recollection of what some of the books say. Sort of. Maybe. Unless he decides you were actually looking for something else.

[jackeric@beige.party]

@whitequark @emilymbender surely. `import antigravity` in python, about 20+ years ago

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

@jackeric @emilymbender doesn't make it less cringe, of course

[jackeric@beige.party]

@whitequark @emilymbender indeed

[taghunt@infosec.exchange]

@emilymbender
Good thing they block adblockers then aye?

[mrmoore@mstdn.social]

@DamonWakes @sleepfreeparent @emilymbender It's amazing how it's changed from want to get users out of search to websites, as quickly as possible. Now, it's the opposite. Keep users in search as long as possible and don't allow them escape to the websites.

[morqendi@mstdn.social]

@tomtom @ShadSterling @romli @hamishb @emilymbender

Even easier:

DuckDuckGo - Protection. Privacy. Peace of mind.

The Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs.

DuckDuckGo (noai.duckduckgo.com)

Enjoy!

#NoAI

[thethunderwolf@tech.lgbt]

@hipsterelectron @emilymbender

i have never observed google demonstrate any behavior that struck me as evidence of them gathering any form of information

except for them unethically gathering lots of information about you?

[shadsterling@mastodon.social]

@morqendi @tomtom @romli @hamishb @emilymbender the only time I use Google is when DDG results are useless so I prepend with “g! ” to try Google, and even the noai version doesn’t append “ -ai” so I still get the AI overview and an actual setting would still help.

I’ll try to remember to try prepending with “g! -ai “, but that’s not an acceptable way for them to interpret “opt out”

[wizardofdocs@wandering.shop]

@emilymbender you know, I was just thinking

Google gave up on "don't be evil" at least a decade ago

while I worked there about five years ago, they gave up on "respect the user, respect the opportunity, respect each other"

now they seem to have given up on "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful"

I hate that my livelihood is still tied to them.