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This is why I really like the DDG system of !bang operators. Because each search engine works differently, if you're knowledgeable about the different engines,
by windsurfer 7y ago
This is why I really like the DDG system of !bang operators. Because each search engine works differently, if you're knowledgeable about the different engines, you can pick the best one for the job.
Just for fun, I thought I would try to figure out when the next solar eclipse would be: I'll use the simple phrase "Next solar eclipse"
I'd probably try Wolfram Alpha. On DDG I would type "Next solar eclipse !wa". It returns a date "Thursday, December 26, 2019 (2 months from now)" Nice.
Next I look at plain DDG: I knew it probably wouldn't be useful, but first result is a website that calculates the next solar eclipse. It requires another click, but it gets "Dec 26, 2019" right at the top of the page. Not bad.
Now for Google, who I knew wouldn't be sure (since their interpretation of the very exact phrase would be fuzzy): In big, prominant and confident letters it reads: "July 2, 2019".... thanks Google. Wrong.
The skill in searching is no longer in using the search engine to the best of it's ability, it's in picking the right place to look. This has sort of always the case, but has become more of a skill as Google has strayed away from improving for the knowledgeable searcher.