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Look up filter bubbles[1]. The problem with a search engine that (helpfully) tailors its results to you, and keeps improving that tailoring over time, is that

Look up filter bubbles[1]. The problem with a search engine that (helpfully) tailors its results to you, and keeps improving that tailoring over time, is that it will cut you off from results that others would see (unless the others are exactly like you). In the short term, having better results is great, but in the long term you are in a bubble. While DDG does use Bing (and others), the DDG searchers are getting the same results because Bing can't track and tailor your results. Many also like DDG's bang[2] which easily lets you direct your search elsewhere. For example if you search for "example" and don't like the results, then "example !g" sends it to Google. I like it for slightly more obscure stuff - eg "example !homedepot" does what you'd expect. For us python folk, it is nice to do "example !py2" or "example !py3" depending on the codebase. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble [2] https://duckduckgo.com/bang https://duckduckgo.com/bang

stuntkite 8y ago
It took me forever to figure out that their bang feature exists. Not that I didn't want the privacy stuff eliminated when using search, but a filter bubble is REALLY useful for solving programming problems. Straight DDG gives terrible results for engineering questions. Especially when they are edge cases. Bang is rad. They should really make it more obvious when you're using the site.
- rogerbinns 8y ago
  The problem DDG has is not understanding the search terms. eg "usb 3 voltage" will get you lots of results as though you had left out one or two of the words (there are far more pages about "usb voltage" than "usb 3 voltage"). You know the 3 is critical, but they don't. A general rule of thumb is that 3 or more words in your DDG search dramatically worsens the results. (Amazon search is even worse where two words begins the spiral of spectacularly bad results.) That said DDG often does get reasonable results. And if you don't like them, just add in !g to see what google gets. (Conceptually I like to give DDG first crack at a search, and then fallback to google if DDG didn't do well.) What I have noticed is google's results are getting worse, as sites are getting better at gaming google.
bla2 8y ago
Meh, to look outside your filter bubble you can just open google in an incognito window. I do that from time to time, and for web search, filter bubbles don't have much of an impact imho. I mostly search for technical things though.

stuntkite 8y ago

It took me forever to figure out that their bang feature exists. Not that I didn't want the privacy stuff eliminated when using search, but a filter bubble is REALLY useful for solving programming problems. Straight DDG gives terrible results for engineering questions. Especially when they are edge cases. Bang is rad. They should really make it more obvious when you're using the site.

rogerbinns 8y ago
The problem DDG has is not understanding the search terms. eg "usb 3 voltage" will get you lots of results as though you had left out one or two of the words (there are far more pages about "usb voltage" than "usb 3 voltage"). You know the 3 is critical, but they don't. A general rule of thumb is that 3 or more words in your DDG search dramatically worsens the results. (Amazon search is even worse where two words begins the spiral of spectacularly bad results.) That said DDG often does get reasonable results. And if you don't like them, just add in !g to see what google gets. (Conceptually I like to give DDG first crack at a search, and then fallback to google if DDG didn't do well.) What I have noticed is google's results are getting worse, as sites are getting better at gaming google.

bla2 8y ago

Meh, to look outside your filter bubble you can just open google in an incognito window. I do that from time to time, and for web search, filter bubbles don't have much of an impact imho. I mostly search for technical things though.