4 ms·

I personally don't like the short Wikipedia excerpts. I almost always want more information, and Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as unintuitive as poss

I personally don't like the short Wikipedia excerpts. I almost always want more information, and Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as unintuitive as possible in order to keep the user on Google property. What's more, showing the info box means that the real article link is removed from the results list. Edit: to clarify, I do find the blue Wikipedia link decidedly small and I often have to actively look for it instead of it being an intuitive click and clear on first sight, especially on mobile. WRT to the results, they do indeed seem to appear now, but often not in the first or second position. (I do remember that not being the case previously, but I admittedly might be mistaken)

crazygringo 6y ago
> Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as undiscoverable as possible Huh? If I search for "who founded the new york times", then immediately below the three-line snippet answer, is a big (not small) blue link to "The New York Times - Wikipedia". In fact, it's literally the easiest, most prominent thing on the page for me to click on. Google is helping to guide me on to visit Wikipedia for more info. I think you're confusing the short excerpts (with have a clear, obvious Wikipedia link) with Google's Knowledge Graph results, which is a different thing and is based on many different sources.
- kortex 6y ago
  Fascinating, quoting the query changes results. Pipes represent the search field: __________________________ |who founded the new york times| __________________________ > Search Results > The New York Times/Founder > Henry Jarvis Raymond [link to google query |Henry Jarvis Raymond|] > The New York Times was founded as the New-York Daily Times on September 18, 1851. Founded by journalist and politician Henry Jarvis Raymond and former banker George Jones, the Times was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. > The New York Times - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times] > People also searched for... ___________________________ |"who founded the new york times"| ___________________________ > Henry Jarvis Raymond [link to google query |Henry Jarvis Raymond|] > People also searched for...
  - thelean12 6y ago
    That's because quoting searches has a completely different meaning... Quotes look for exact results on Google.
- nemo 6y ago
  I think they're talking about the Knowledgegraph, assuming Knowledgegraph is the content in the right column. If so, they're right. The discoverability of wikipedia in that thing is poor and it's aggravating when they bury the one link I want inside text content so it's a moving target on the page in a small font.
- tasogare 6y ago
  > I almost always want more information, and Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as unintuitive as possible in order to keep the user on Google property. I have exactly the same problem, so I hate those Wikipedia boxes. Half of the time I go to a Wiki page for some term then switch to another language (either because I searched an unknown word or because I’m searching for a translation) so the box don’t solve my need. The other half I want more info than what is displayed anyway. And I also find super confusing the position of the link, I have to search for it each and every time.
oefrha 6y ago
That’s just false, showing the info box does not remove the link from itemized search results. If a Wikipedia link is nowhere to be found, that’s indication that the info box isn’t info from Wikipedia in the first place (e.g. movies, certain persons). Same goes for answer snippets.
- donmcronald 6y ago
  I wonder if there are multiple UIs in play. I just went and searched for some examples and the box I'm seeing today is fine, but I swear I've had a box in the past where the Wikipedia link was small, buried, and hard to find. When I say hard, I mean it takes a few seconds, but the idea is I have to go hunting for it while Google tries to entice me to click something else which isn't what I want.
  - MiroF 6y ago
    I've absolutely encountered this as well - maybe on mobile?

crazygringo 6y ago

> Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as undiscoverable as possible Huh? If I search for "who founded the new york times", then immediately below the three-line snippet answer, is a big (not small) blue link to "The New York Times - Wikipedia". In fact, it's literally the easiest, most prominent thing on the page for me to click on. Google is helping to guide me on to visit Wikipedia for more info. I think you're confusing the short excerpts (with have a clear, obvious Wikipedia link) with Google's Knowledge Graph results, which is a different thing and is based on many different sources.

kortex 6y ago
Fascinating, quoting the query changes results. Pipes represent the search field: __________________________ |who founded the new york times| __________________________ > Search Results > The New York Times/Founder > Henry Jarvis Raymond [link to google query |Henry Jarvis Raymond|] > The New York Times was founded as the New-York Daily Times on September 18, 1851. Founded by journalist and politician Henry Jarvis Raymond and former banker George Jones, the Times was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. > The New York Times - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times] > People also searched for... ___________________________ |"who founded the new york times"| ___________________________ > Henry Jarvis Raymond [link to google query |Henry Jarvis Raymond|] > People also searched for...
- thelean12 6y ago
  That's because quoting searches has a completely different meaning... Quotes look for exact results on Google.
nemo 6y ago
I think they're talking about the Knowledgegraph, assuming Knowledgegraph is the content in the right column. If so, they're right. The discoverability of wikipedia in that thing is poor and it's aggravating when they bury the one link I want inside text content so it's a moving target on the page in a small font.
tasogare 6y ago
> I almost always want more information, and Google tries to make the Wikipedia link as unintuitive as possible in order to keep the user on Google property. I have exactly the same problem, so I hate those Wikipedia boxes. Half of the time I go to a Wiki page for some term then switch to another language (either because I searched an unknown word or because I’m searching for a translation) so the box don’t solve my need. The other half I want more info than what is displayed anyway. And I also find super confusing the position of the link, I have to search for it each and every time.

oefrha 6y ago

That’s just false, showing the info box does not remove the link from itemized search results. If a Wikipedia link is nowhere to be found, that’s indication that the info box isn’t info from Wikipedia in the first place (e.g. movies, certain persons). Same goes for answer snippets.

donmcronald 6y ago
I wonder if there are multiple UIs in play. I just went and searched for some examples and the box I'm seeing today is fine, but I swear I've had a box in the past where the Wikipedia link was small, buried, and hard to find. When I say hard, I mean it takes a few seconds, but the idea is I have to go hunting for it while Google tries to entice me to click something else which isn't what I want.
- MiroF 6y ago
  I've absolutely encountered this as well - maybe on mobile?