5 ms·

Ask HN: What do you hate about Google Search?

14 points by repartix 6y ago

alain_gilbert 6y ago
When I search for something, then just as I am about to click a link in the results, some panel animation scroll half the results down and I click on a completely unrelated link.
Minor49er 6y ago
As of the last several months, it has been excluding terms from my search by default because my specific query returned fewer results than a broader query. Also, Google Maps does not let me exclude any terms from my searches which is a problem because large chains will smother out smaller stores unless I zoom in to the street level.
throwaway888abc 6y ago
Ads, spam content, overall the subjective "quality" of links returned is getting lower while the time spend on narrowing query or going though page with results is higher. It's basically getting less and less relevant over time (decade).
- d26900 6y ago
  Yep, I now use duckduckgo.com and yandex.com for reverse image searches.
yesenadam 6y ago
1-click verbatim search would be nice, instead of 3. Or even 0. "Verbatim" search, a.k.a. searching for actually what I wanted to search for. I rarely do a search that I don't want to be verbatim. The way it's hidden under Tools now I think most people don't even know about it. Also, when I search for a lot of things, the results are 90% obviously fake sites with super-dubious junk URLs...I'm not sure why they're not blocked, it can't be that hard.
- happymellon 6y ago
  Personally, I use unfuck Google. It helps a lot, but it would be better if I didn't need to do this. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/unfuck-google/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/unfuck-google...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
approxim8ion 6y ago
-AMP -link hijacking to replace all results with google redirects -sometimes poor quality results -the Q&A section is often useless
scoutt 6y ago
1) Pinterest. 2) "Missing: word. Must include: word". So Tools->All Results->Verbatim for every single search. 3) It sucks for technical queries. 4) That no matter if I use a new account, lifetime account or no account at all, it never gets to know me. My search results oscillate between generic Stack Overflow answers and ResearchGate (and the like) papers, which most of the time are too complex or not accessible at all. 5) Piling up filters. My queries often include "-amazon -ebay -alibaba -aliexpress", etc.......
kuya11 6y ago
Image Search. It took a massive hit to utility years back when Google removed the “view image” feature. It’s even worse now though: it’s basically essential to filter/blacklist Pinterest to prevent 50% of the your search from being polluted with unusable garbage. That said, I also wish I could just turn off AMP (I try to avoid most news) and the QA thing.
emrah 6y ago
- Inability to find good but smaller sources of information - No way to personalize my search own results - Google being too powerful and using that power to remain in power rather than get better

14 points by repartix 6y ago

When I search for something, then just as I am about to click a link in the results, some panel animation scroll half the results down and I click on a completely unrelated link.

Minor49er 6y ago

As of the last several months, it has been excluding terms from my search by default because my specific query returned fewer results than a broader query. Also, Google Maps does not let me exclude any terms from my searches which is a problem because large chains will smother out smaller stores unless I zoom in to the street level.

throwaway888abc 6y ago

Ads, spam content, overall the subjective "quality" of links returned is getting lower while the time spend on narrowing query or going though page with results is higher. It's basically getting less and less relevant over time (decade).

d26900 6y ago
Yep, I now use duckduckgo.com and yandex.com for reverse image searches.

yesenadam 6y ago

1-click verbatim search would be nice, instead of 3. Or even 0. "Verbatim" search, a.k.a. searching for actually what I wanted to search for. I rarely do a search that I don't want to be verbatim. The way it's hidden under Tools now I think most people don't even know about it. Also, when I search for a lot of things, the results are 90% obviously fake sites with super-dubious junk URLs...I'm not sure why they're not blocked, it can't be that hard.

happymellon 6y ago
Personally, I use unfuck Google. It helps a lot, but it would be better if I didn't need to do this. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/unfuck-google/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/unfuck-google...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

approxim8ion 6y ago

-AMP -link hijacking to replace all results with google redirects -sometimes poor quality results -the Q&A section is often useless

scoutt 6y ago

1) Pinterest. 2) "Missing: word. Must include: word". So Tools->All Results->Verbatim for every single search. 3) It sucks for technical queries. 4) That no matter if I use a new account, lifetime account or no account at all, it never gets to know me. My search results oscillate between generic Stack Overflow answers and ResearchGate (and the like) papers, which most of the time are too complex or not accessible at all. 5) Piling up filters. My queries often include "-amazon -ebay -alibaba -aliexpress", etc.......

kuya11 6y ago

Image Search. It took a massive hit to utility years back when Google removed the “view image” feature. It’s even worse now though: it’s basically essential to filter/blacklist Pinterest to prevent 50% of the your search from being polluted with unusable garbage. That said, I also wish I could just turn off AMP (I try to avoid most news) and the QA thing.

emrah 6y ago

- Inability to find good but smaller sources of information - No way to personalize my search own results - Google being too powerful and using that power to remain in power rather than get better