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  3. You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago

You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago

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  • itamarst@hachyderm.ioI itamarst@hachyderm.io

    @ocean As predicted by Brin and Page: "we expect that advertising funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of the consumers." (The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine, 1998 - http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html)

    aarbrk@mstdn.mxA This user is from outside of this forum
    aarbrk@mstdn.mxA This user is from outside of this forum
    aarbrk@mstdn.mx
    wrote on last edited by
    #80

    @itamarst @ocean Great catch with this source! If only we had spent the interim setting up an alternative in the public interest. (Actually, is it too late?)

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    • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

      You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
      Turns out that was on purpose

      wampusmm@beige.partyW This user is from outside of this forum
      wampusmm@beige.partyW This user is from outside of this forum
      wampusmm@beige.party
      wrote on last edited by
      #81

      @ocean Wow, that’s despicable.

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      • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

        You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
        Turns out that was on purpose

        sheamuspatt@mstdn.caS This user is from outside of this forum
        sheamuspatt@mstdn.caS This user is from outside of this forum
        sheamuspatt@mstdn.ca
        wrote on last edited by
        #82

        @ocean
        Classic #enshittification, as noted by @pluralistic

        Link Preview Image
        Pluralistic: Too big to care (04 Apr 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

        favicon

        (pluralistic.net)

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        • terrorbite@meow.socialT This user is from outside of this forum
          terrorbite@meow.socialT This user is from outside of this forum
          terrorbite@meow.social
          wrote on last edited by
          #83

          @aetios now that it's proven true, you have to find a new conspiracy theory. Sorry, I don't make the rules

          @ocean

          jackemled@furry.engineerJ 1 Reply Last reply
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          • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

            @aetios Because Google is so synonymous with web search for Normies and they don't have any actual competition they can just do whatever and they won't lose users, knowing that, it just makes sense to keep users on your site longer and thus get served more ads

            catswhocode@twoot.siteC This user is from outside of this forum
            catswhocode@twoot.siteC This user is from outside of this forum
            catswhocode@twoot.site
            wrote on last edited by
            #84

            @ocean not surprising.
            Thankfully I rarely use them! @aetios

            powerpath@mastodon.socialP 1 Reply Last reply
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            • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

              You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
              Turns out that was on purpose

              radioazureus@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
              radioazureus@mastodon.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
              radioazureus@mastodon.social
              wrote on last edited by
              #85

              @ocean

              DuckDuckGo is smooth sailing in searches

              @nixCraft

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              • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                Turns out that was on purpose

                jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                jackemled@furry.engineer
                wrote on last edited by
                #86

                @ocean This is really strange. Do people who notice it has gotten even worse than Bing stay on Google anyway? Or do that few people notice?

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                • terrorbite@meow.socialT terrorbite@meow.social

                  @aetios now that it's proven true, you have to find a new conspiracy theory. Sorry, I don't make the rules

                  @ocean

                  jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                  jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                  jackemled@furry.engineer
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #87

                  @TerrorBite @aetios @ocean I've already found a new one & it has quickly become my favorite. My current conspiracy theory is that everything will be ok.

                  ochotonidknight@meemu.orgO 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                    You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                    Turns out that was on purpose

                    quantillion@mstdn.ioQ This user is from outside of this forum
                    quantillion@mstdn.ioQ This user is from outside of this forum
                    quantillion@mstdn.io
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #88

                    @ocean
                    This has been the case for decades.
                    It's one of the reasons I have all of Ggl's URLs uBlocked (+ Privacy Badger).
                    There are several alternatives. I generally use StartPage & I see no ads.

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                    • heptasean@social.tchncs.deH heptasean@social.tchncs.de

                      @Paradox @ocean Same! I *can* somehow tell it getting less good over the years – some paid results to ignore here, some only seldomly helpful AI result there, … – but all in all it is still useful enough for me to this day. Do I include enough keywords in my searches? Do I only research topics that are not *that* prone to bad results? Don't know. 🤷‍♂️

                      (It's not always on the first page, though. I tend to ignore quite a lot of results based on the preview.)

                      urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                      urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                      urban_hermit@mstdn.social
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #89

                      @HeptaSean @Paradox @ocean I use a search engine in two ways: 1.) basic information like how to spell a word (auto correct on my phone is crap now - ef Google). For that even the Google AI answer is good enough. Or, 2.) Very specific information on a specific thing that is uncommon. For that Google is crap and ignores specific words in your search so it can produce more common results that it has sold more advertising for. Now even if I use quotes results still favor the 'common' answer.

                      paradox@raru.reP urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU 2 Replies Last reply
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                      • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                        You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                        Turns out that was on purpose

                        oneupthextraman@kind.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                        oneupthextraman@kind.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                        oneupthextraman@kind.social
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #90

                        @ocean I use Bing.

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                        • jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                          jackemled@furry.engineerJ This user is from outside of this forum
                          jackemled@furry.engineer
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #91

                          @prisixia @ocean @Stellar No libraries anymore, at least not in the USA. Libraries are also much slower to update information & don't have the obscure topics alot of people look up, such as how to install pyssnshit (everyone's favorite python script), or the history of the use of sewing machines in Australia. Any libraries that are still operational are going to be horrifically underfunded & not even have a card index to search them with, & with certain governments restricting access to certain written knowledge (Germany 1940s, USA 2020s), alot of very important things that libraries have are about to disappear. Libraries may have been the backup plan when the Internet failed at one point, but now the Internet is the backup plan for libraries failing, but the most important parts of the Internet are failing at the same time. I have not heard well of libraries in other countries either. For most places in the world it may be fine, but for many they aren't a solution.

                          shadowfals@toot.catS 1 Reply Last reply
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                          • urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU urban_hermit@mstdn.social

                            @HeptaSean @Paradox @ocean I use a search engine in two ways: 1.) basic information like how to spell a word (auto correct on my phone is crap now - ef Google). For that even the Google AI answer is good enough. Or, 2.) Very specific information on a specific thing that is uncommon. For that Google is crap and ignores specific words in your search so it can produce more common results that it has sold more advertising for. Now even if I use quotes results still favor the 'common' answer.

                            paradox@raru.reP This user is from outside of this forum
                            paradox@raru.reP This user is from outside of this forum
                            paradox@raru.re
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #92

                            @Urban_Hermit
                            I think my confusion stems from the idea that, to blame Google for such shortcomings, is to think that the information exists somewhere and to fail to find it the way you always have.
                            If I'm searching up something obscure and don't get good results, I consider that normal. Maybe it doesn't exist, or maybe I'm not asking the question right. Smarter people than me have struggled to dig up very obscure info.

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                            • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                              You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                              Turns out that was on purpose

                              jeanniewarner@wandering.shopJ This user is from outside of this forum
                              jeanniewarner@wandering.shopJ This user is from outside of this forum
                              jeanniewarner@wandering.shop
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #93

                              @ocean This observation of horse results is why many of us talk to using Google as a search engine more than 5 years ago. I'm not sure what year they started to let you pay to have your pages come up higher, but that was the end for many of us.

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                              • urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU urban_hermit@mstdn.social

                                @HeptaSean @Paradox @ocean I use a search engine in two ways: 1.) basic information like how to spell a word (auto correct on my phone is crap now - ef Google). For that even the Google AI answer is good enough. Or, 2.) Very specific information on a specific thing that is uncommon. For that Google is crap and ignores specific words in your search so it can produce more common results that it has sold more advertising for. Now even if I use quotes results still favor the 'common' answer.

                                urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU This user is from outside of this forum
                                urban_hermit@mstdn.social
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #94

                                @HeptaSean @Paradox @ocean Example: I was very sick recently and it is very obvious, for the second time in a year, that my sinuses got packed with thin mucus AFTER I tried to use acetaminophen to break the fever and clear the headache. It made my cold 500x worse and 3x longer. It was literally dangerous in how bad it affected my breathing and sleep, but I can't find information about this because results are drowned out with mundane information.

                                paradox@raru.reP 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • urban_hermit@mstdn.socialU urban_hermit@mstdn.social

                                  @HeptaSean @Paradox @ocean Example: I was very sick recently and it is very obvious, for the second time in a year, that my sinuses got packed with thin mucus AFTER I tried to use acetaminophen to break the fever and clear the headache. It made my cold 500x worse and 3x longer. It was literally dangerous in how bad it affected my breathing and sleep, but I can't find information about this because results are drowned out with mundane information.

                                  paradox@raru.reP This user is from outside of this forum
                                  paradox@raru.reP This user is from outside of this forum
                                  paradox@raru.re
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #95

                                  @Urban_Hermit
                                  There are many pages discussing that, although personally I'd reach for an antihistamine first. I'm not sure why some recommend Tylenol, and I'm sorry that happened to you.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                                    You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                                    Turns out that was on purpose

                                    sjb@mstdn.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
                                    sjb@mstdn.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
                                    sjb@mstdn.io
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #96

                                    @ocean Tried to find the source and got the relevant paragraph from the court document.
                                    https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Google%20Search%20Engine%20Monopoly%20Ruling.pdf

                                    Link Preview Image
                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                                      You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                                      Turns out that was on purpose

                                      janetgrbr@mastodon.socialJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                      janetgrbr@mastodon.socialJ This user is from outside of this forum
                                      janetgrbr@mastodon.social
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #97

                                      @ocean No I haven't googled for many years, and I don't understand why people keep using it.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • ocean@raru.reO ocean@raru.re

                                        You noticed how google search became unusably shit a few years ago?
                                        Turns out that was on purpose

                                        myrmecofourmis@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                                        myrmecofourmis@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                                        myrmecofourmis@mastodon.social
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #98

                                        @ocean Also making it much harder for small quality websites like mine to still get traffic...

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • darwinwoodka@mastodon.socialD darwinwoodka@mastodon.social

                                          @svenjacobs @ocean

                                          duckduckgo

                                          earthlingusa@mas.toE This user is from outside of this forum
                                          earthlingusa@mas.toE This user is from outside of this forum
                                          earthlingusa@mas.to
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #99

                                          @svenjacobs @ocean @darwinwoodka Yes, if you need to do an internet search, Duck it.

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