4 ms·

“term” is require_exact_match(term) and +term was require(term), so the latter would, for example, allow spell checking, IIRC.

ihuman 8y ago
So the old `+term1 +term2 +term3` is like the new `"term1" "term2" "term3"`, but with spell checking?
ergothus 8y ago
It's not really "term" - at least, it can't handle multiple words. "foo bar" is actually treated like "foo" "bar", which is far less useful than it once was.
- gniv 8y ago
  > "foo bar" is actually treated like "foo" "bar" No it isn't. Compare "internal engine" with "internal" "engine": https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal+engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal+engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal%22+%22engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal%22+%22engine%22
  - ergothus 8y ago
    You're correct, it does not work as I describe. My description of the problem was just wrong, so thanks for pointing that out. However, it doesn't work the way it used to either. I get frustrated once or twice a year about this, and every time I fight with the many (old) tutorial examples, but eventually end here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/6gHVUEl8y1k/discussion https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/6gH... Where we see that "foo bar" only says that "foo" will appear in the text before "bar" (but anything can be between them), and that's assuming the bug is actually fixed. That status of "we think it's fixed and users don't agree" is the last I've ever seen.
    - gniv 8y ago
      I haven't had these issues. Also, the intext: operator works for me (make sure there is no space after ':').
    - Izkata 8y ago
      Under "search tools", you can change "all results" to "verbatim" to fix that. Really not obvious, though.
fromthestart 8y ago
You know, I don't think any of this matters so much at all now, because I recently realized that SEO has totally destroyed some 90% of the technical utility that Google once had. There was a time when one could ask meaningful questions and see links to useful websites like hyperphysics, engineering toolbox, and others. Now, even if you're lucky enough that Google recognizes the technical nature of your question, you still end up with a page full of ads, commercial websites, blogs, and unrelated garbage on the first page[1]. Remember when if it wasn't on the first page it probably didn't exist? I only lament that I have no way to compare modern and legacy Google search functionality to prove the decline I've noticed for years. Even the way we search has changed, as Google seems to have normalized asking full questions instead of just searching for keywords. The internet seems to be regressing. This is just one of many fronts. Of course Google is only partly to blame. Users and their obliviousness to harmful commercialization are also a part of the problem. 1. Unless you're asking a coding related question, in which case Google is still great for directing you to the correct stack overflow question.
pas 8y ago
okay, but why only spellchecking, why not synonyms too? and bam, you got what Google does now by default.

ihuman 8y ago

So the old `+term1 +term2 +term3` is like the new `"term1" "term2" "term3"`, but with spell checking?

ergothus 8y ago

It's not really "term" - at least, it can't handle multiple words. "foo bar" is actually treated like "foo" "bar", which is far less useful than it once was.

gniv 8y ago
> "foo bar" is actually treated like "foo" "bar" No it isn't. Compare "internal engine" with "internal" "engine": https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal+engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal+engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal%22+%22engine%22 https://www.google.com/search?q=%22internal%22+%22engine%22
- ergothus 8y ago
  You're correct, it does not work as I describe. My description of the problem was just wrong, so thanks for pointing that out. However, it doesn't work the way it used to either. I get frustrated once or twice a year about this, and every time I fight with the many (old) tutorial examples, but eventually end here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/6gHVUEl8y1k/discussion https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/6gH... Where we see that "foo bar" only says that "foo" will appear in the text before "bar" (but anything can be between them), and that's assuming the bug is actually fixed. That status of "we think it's fixed and users don't agree" is the last I've ever seen.
  - gniv 8y ago
    I haven't had these issues. Also, the intext: operator works for me (make sure there is no space after ':').
  - Izkata 8y ago
    Under "search tools", you can change "all results" to "verbatim" to fix that. Really not obvious, though.

fromthestart 8y ago

You know, I don't think any of this matters so much at all now, because I recently realized that SEO has totally destroyed some 90% of the technical utility that Google once had. There was a time when one could ask meaningful questions and see links to useful websites like hyperphysics, engineering toolbox, and others. Now, even if you're lucky enough that Google recognizes the technical nature of your question, you still end up with a page full of ads, commercial websites, blogs, and unrelated garbage on the first page[1]. Remember when if it wasn't on the first page it probably didn't exist? I only lament that I have no way to compare modern and legacy Google search functionality to prove the decline I've noticed for years. Even the way we search has changed, as Google seems to have normalized asking full questions instead of just searching for keywords. The internet seems to be regressing. This is just one of many fronts. Of course Google is only partly to blame. Users and their obliviousness to harmful commercialization are also a part of the problem. 1. Unless you're asking a coding related question, in which case Google is still great for directing you to the correct stack overflow question.

pas 8y ago

okay, but why only spellchecking, why not synonyms too? and bam, you got what Google does now by default.