6 ms·

Just yesterday I witnessed my friend type a url into the google search bar (on the results page). She found what she was looking for, so I guess that's alright.

booleandilemma 5y ago
On the rare occasions when I’m manually typing out a url, that’s what I do also, just in case I ever mistype it. It’s better than being directed to the wrong site. Normally I don’t even need a url though, I’ll just google “chase bank” or wherever it is I’m trying to go.
- Torwald 5y ago
  Yes, this or the site seems to be obscure and the URL is dated and who knoews wether they have changed the scheme without implementing redirects or something like that.
- JadeNB 5y ago
  > Normally I don’t even need a url though, I’ll just google “chase bank” or wherever it is I’m trying to go. I know Google is generally supposed to be above maliciously modifying search results, but people definitely aren't above maliciously poisoning Google search results. I definitely wouldn't want to get to my bank's website by any source other than my bank telling me where it is. (I do rely on my history and/or my bookmarks to remember that once the bank tells me, but hopefully those are proof against external malice, or else I've got bigger problems.)
ocdtrekkie 5y ago
This is probably why Google truly pays to be the default on search. They end up a data collection middleman for people they provide no actual beneficial service[0] to: Folks who already know where they are going. [0] One could argue that Google will correct spelling and URL errors for you. But on the other hand, it's likely to inject ads above the real destination, which are very likely fraud, so I'd say it's a wash at best there.
dylan604 5y ago
This has always perplexed me. The fact that so many people use a search engine for new windows/tabs combined with browsers shrinking the URL bar to near non-existence makes this an obvious thing people will do though. Reminds me of the old AOL keywords. It's all about getting those precious analytics. If the users go to a website directly from typing a URL, 3rd parties loose those metrics.
- coldpie 5y ago
  Google is actively trying to kill the URL[1]. I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, but it is a goal of theirs to fundamentally change or eliminate the URL entry bar, yes. [1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/google-chrome-ends-its-war-on-address-bar-urls-for-now-at-least/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/google-chrome-ends-i...
  - dylan604 5y ago
    >I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, It's bad, very very bad
    - efitz 5y ago
      If it’s Google doing something to try to change the internet, it approaches certainty that it’s bad, whatever “it” is.
      - lowlevel 5y ago
        I believe the word you're looking for is 'evil'.
    - coldpie 5y ago
      I tend to agree, but at the same time I find anecdotes like this comment elsewhere in this thread[1] compelling. It may be we're just wrong and there really is a better way to do it, I've certainly been wrong about plenty of other things. Dunno. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28864722 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28864722
leodriesch 5y ago
These moments are so painful to watch, yet I rarely speak up to my non-technical friends because I wouldn’t want to criticize them all the time.
npteljes 5y ago
To be honest, this is a way to avoid phishing too. Type facebook into a search engine and click the first result. Otherwise, on a sleepy morning, one might go to faecbok.com, and happily give away their credentials.

booleandilemma 5y ago

On the rare occasions when I’m manually typing out a url, that’s what I do also, just in case I ever mistype it. It’s better than being directed to the wrong site. Normally I don’t even need a url though, I’ll just google “chase bank” or wherever it is I’m trying to go.

Torwald 5y ago
Yes, this or the site seems to be obscure and the URL is dated and who knoews wether they have changed the scheme without implementing redirects or something like that.
JadeNB 5y ago
> Normally I don’t even need a url though, I’ll just google “chase bank” or wherever it is I’m trying to go. I know Google is generally supposed to be above maliciously modifying search results, but people definitely aren't above maliciously poisoning Google search results. I definitely wouldn't want to get to my bank's website by any source other than my bank telling me where it is. (I do rely on my history and/or my bookmarks to remember that once the bank tells me, but hopefully those are proof against external malice, or else I've got bigger problems.)

ocdtrekkie 5y ago

This is probably why Google truly pays to be the default on search. They end up a data collection middleman for people they provide no actual beneficial service[0] to: Folks who already know where they are going. [0] One could argue that Google will correct spelling and URL errors for you. But on the other hand, it's likely to inject ads above the real destination, which are very likely fraud, so I'd say it's a wash at best there.

dylan604 5y ago

This has always perplexed me. The fact that so many people use a search engine for new windows/tabs combined with browsers shrinking the URL bar to near non-existence makes this an obvious thing people will do though. Reminds me of the old AOL keywords. It's all about getting those precious analytics. If the users go to a website directly from typing a URL, 3rd parties loose those metrics.

coldpie 5y ago
Google is actively trying to kill the URL[1]. I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, but it is a goal of theirs to fundamentally change or eliminate the URL entry bar, yes. [1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/google-chrome-ends-its-war-on-address-bar-urls-for-now-at-least/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/google-chrome-ends-i...
- dylan604 5y ago
  >I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, It's bad, very very bad
  - efitz 5y ago
    If it’s Google doing something to try to change the internet, it approaches certainty that it’s bad, whatever “it” is.
    - lowlevel 5y ago
      I believe the word you're looking for is 'evil'.
  - coldpie 5y ago
    I tend to agree, but at the same time I find anecdotes like this comment elsewhere in this thread[1] compelling. It may be we're just wrong and there really is a better way to do it, I've certainly been wrong about plenty of other things. Dunno. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28864722 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28864722

leodriesch 5y ago

These moments are so painful to watch, yet I rarely speak up to my non-technical friends because I wouldn’t want to criticize them all the time.

npteljes 5y ago

To be honest, this is a way to avoid phishing too. Type facebook into a search engine and click the first result. Otherwise, on a sleepy morning, one might go to faecbok.com, and happily give away their credentials.