Using DuckDuckGo is pleasant in ways that Google just isn't, but can be easy to forget. I'm reminded every time I somehow default to Google by mistake (using d

Using DuckDuckGo is pleasant in ways that Google just isn't, but can be easy to forget. I'm reminded every time I somehow default to Google by mistake (using different browser or PC, for example) and am hit with one of those "Before you go!.. some bright colours and dark patterns which we hope will shield us from GDPR" modals.* It's just such a nice break from what the internet has become, like booting into Linux and simply not having that general feeling that everything you touch is out to screw you somehow to squeeze just a little more value out of the interaction. No modals, no overlays, no cookie warnings, no needing to save cookies to avoid cookie warnings which have already been acknowledged. So refreshing. Their branding and message is so on-point that after a while of using their search, a journey into chrome/Google feels almost seedy, like downloading a "Best Free Calculator/Flashlight App" from the android play store, or browsing sourceforge a few years ago. *As a sidenote, I'd love to see the statistics of people who immediately stop and bounce to DDG when presented with one of those.