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There is DDG and Bing. Google runs circles around them in terms of quality. Both DDG and Bing are not crappy, they are good but Google is just better. This is

There is DDG and Bing. Google runs circles around them in terms of quality. Both DDG and Bing are not crappy, they are good but Google is just better. This is a bit like going after Tesla for capturing EV market. One can have dozen other reasons to hate and complain about Google but it is a simple fact that Google search is just too damn good and useful.

laichzeit0 6y ago
It’s debatable whether Google is better. I get different results for DDG that somehow Google just doesn’t care about or the results are just SEO gamed. For coding and mathematics I prefer DDG’s results.
- can16358p 6y ago
  This is interesting. Coding results was the number one thing for me to give up DDG and go back to Google (unfortunately).
- KorematsuFred 6y ago
  In my case it was opposite. For me DDG is pretty good for "how to I make bread" but really bad for "Is Math.random really random".
x87678r 6y ago
"is just better" isn't a very good distinction. Do you have an example of something that works only with Google? (I don't like Teslas either btw:-) )
- hombre_fatal 6y ago
  "Elm list" (my classic example) in Google gives me the documentation page for the List datastructure, "<language> <concept>" being my most common query when trying to get work done, like "javascript array" leading me to the MDN docs. I will say that DDG has finally improved to at least providing a random tutorial for the List as its first result, but it still doesn't provide official docs and also suspects I might be asking about trees. Google consistently understands what's being asked here and knows to rank canonical documentations highly.
  - boogies 6y ago
    That’s interesting. “C# list”, “java list”, “js list”, “lua list”, “nim list”, “php list”, “python list”, “rust list”, “scheme list”, “visual basic list”, “zig list”, all show canonical-looking docs at the top on DDG — some in convenient sidebars, which are one feature I prefer DDG’s implementation of.
- KorematsuFred 6y ago
  I do not have to convince anyone that Google is better. It is my personal experience, others can have a different experience. But my point was that I am not using google search because Google has somehow forced me to use them, the way IRS forces me to pay them or the way US government forces me to pay social security "contribution" to them or how most bay area cities force me to use PGnE for energy and force me to put ethanol my in car. Latter are all examples of coercion where as former is all about Google doing something better than others.
abdullahkhalids 6y ago
Is there a particular reason you just have to use the "best" product even if it is highly unethical? Why is it not okay to use a product which is better than Google2010, which we were amazingly happy about back then. In other words, how does ethics feature in your decision calculus?
- KorematsuFred 6y ago
  I have my personal code of ethics and I do not think using Google is unethical.

laichzeit0 6y ago

It’s debatable whether Google is better. I get different results for DDG that somehow Google just doesn’t care about or the results are just SEO gamed. For coding and mathematics I prefer DDG’s results.

can16358p 6y ago
This is interesting. Coding results was the number one thing for me to give up DDG and go back to Google (unfortunately).
KorematsuFred 6y ago
In my case it was opposite. For me DDG is pretty good for "how to I make bread" but really bad for "Is Math.random really random".

x87678r 6y ago

"is just better" isn't a very good distinction. Do you have an example of something that works only with Google? (I don't like Teslas either btw:-) )

hombre_fatal 6y ago
"Elm list" (my classic example) in Google gives me the documentation page for the List datastructure, "<language> <concept>" being my most common query when trying to get work done, like "javascript array" leading me to the MDN docs. I will say that DDG has finally improved to at least providing a random tutorial for the List as its first result, but it still doesn't provide official docs and also suspects I might be asking about trees. Google consistently understands what's being asked here and knows to rank canonical documentations highly.
- boogies 6y ago
  That’s interesting. “C# list”, “java list”, “js list”, “lua list”, “nim list”, “php list”, “python list”, “rust list”, “scheme list”, “visual basic list”, “zig list”, all show canonical-looking docs at the top on DDG — some in convenient sidebars, which are one feature I prefer DDG’s implementation of.
KorematsuFred 6y ago
I do not have to convince anyone that Google is better. It is my personal experience, others can have a different experience. But my point was that I am not using google search because Google has somehow forced me to use them, the way IRS forces me to pay them or the way US government forces me to pay social security "contribution" to them or how most bay area cities force me to use PGnE for energy and force me to put ethanol my in car. Latter are all examples of coercion where as former is all about Google doing something better than others.

abdullahkhalids 6y ago

Is there a particular reason you just have to use the "best" product even if it is highly unethical? Why is it not okay to use a product which is better than Google2010, which we were amazingly happy about back then. In other words, how does ethics feature in your decision calculus?

KorematsuFred 6y ago
I have my personal code of ethics and I do not think using Google is unethical.