3 ms·

Bubbling (something Google does intentionally to make the user experience better) is a much different and much less serious problem than the fact that Google of

by shawnz 8y ago

Bubbling (something Google does intentionally to make the user experience better) is a much different and much less serious problem than the fact that Google offers inadequate customer support and has a heavy-handed banning policy

dTal 8y ago
I'm not convinced it's less serious. Google's bad behaviour is serious precisely because it has total control of the memetic environment. I've never had a problem with Google that would have required customer support, but I am conscious that I make dozens of Google searches a day, and that my view of the web is exactly what Google wants my view of the web to be. That scares me more than the customer service I've never gotten.
- merpnderp 8y ago
  Use DuckDuckGo.
- shawnz 8y ago
  > and that my view of the web is exactly what Google wants my view of the web to be How so? As far as I know, the bubbling is based on your input only, not Google's. So their desires as a company are not involved in what you see.
  - dTal 8y ago
    "Bubbling" per se is essentially defined as that portion of Google's ranking algorithm that incorporates its opinion of you. The rest of it, the generic part of Google's algorithm, can and does reflect Google's desires as a company. The EU even fined them billions for it (specifically, for promoting Google Shopping over competing comparison services).
    - shawnz 8y ago
      > "Bubbling" per se is essentially defined as that portion of Google's ranking algorithm that incorporates its opinion of you. It's about incorporating Google's opinion of what you want to see, but you seemed to be implying that it is about incorporating Google's opinion of what you ought to see. I think that is somewhat misleading. > The rest of it, the generic part of Google's algorithm, can and does reflect Google's desires as a company. True, but what does that have to do with bubbling? Any sufficiently advanced search technology will have that problem whether it uses bubbling or not.

by shawnz 8y ago

dTal 8y ago

I'm not convinced it's less serious. Google's bad behaviour is serious precisely because it has total control of the memetic environment. I've never had a problem with Google that would have required customer support, but I am conscious that I make dozens of Google searches a day, and that my view of the web is exactly what Google wants my view of the web to be. That scares me more than the customer service I've never gotten.

merpnderp 8y ago
Use DuckDuckGo.
shawnz 8y ago
> and that my view of the web is exactly what Google wants my view of the web to be How so? As far as I know, the bubbling is based on your input only, not Google's. So their desires as a company are not involved in what you see.
- dTal 8y ago
  "Bubbling" per se is essentially defined as that portion of Google's ranking algorithm that incorporates its opinion of you. The rest of it, the generic part of Google's algorithm, can and does reflect Google's desires as a company. The EU even fined them billions for it (specifically, for promoting Google Shopping over competing comparison services).
  - shawnz 8y ago
    > "Bubbling" per se is essentially defined as that portion of Google's ranking algorithm that incorporates its opinion of you. It's about incorporating Google's opinion of what you want to see, but you seemed to be implying that it is about incorporating Google's opinion of what you ought to see. I think that is somewhat misleading. > The rest of it, the generic part of Google's algorithm, can and does reflect Google's desires as a company. True, but what does that have to do with bubbling? Any sufficiently advanced search technology will have that problem whether it uses bubbling or not.