8 ms·

Search is a very old codebase comprised of several large monoliths that are mostly tested by end-to-end diffs. There is no central repository of all search fea

by bhawks 4y ago

Search is a very old codebase comprised of several large monoliths that are mostly tested by end-to-end diffs. There is no central repository of all search features and if the timer is tested, it is likely forced to trigger with debug flags. For timer to disappear like this would most likely be caused by a ranking change which prevents it from appearing as the top result (the only position it can render itself in).

cmeacham98 4y ago
> For timer to disappear like this would most likely be caused by a ranking change which prevents it from appearing as the top result (the only position it can render itself in). Does Google really not have some sort of "Always rank this result first" flag?
- rwmj 4y ago
  Back in their Don't Be Evil days they actually clamped down on another part of Google that gamed their search results: https://searchengineland.com/google-penalizes-google-japan-16541 https://searchengineland.com/google-penalizes-google-japan-1...
  - bornfreddy 4y ago
    Yeah well... Those days are long gone. :-/
- themacguffinman 4y ago
  I'm sure they did at some point, but worth noting that prioritizing Google's own tools have been challenged in EU courts for being anti-competitive.
micromacrofoot 4y ago
> There is no central repository of all search features huh so I suppose it’s possible there are ghost features no one maintains but might still work?
- reaperducer 4y ago
  https://www.google.com/search?q=askew https://www.google.com/search?q=askew
  - Jerrrry 4y ago
    this is the best google secret ive seen in a long time
    - zerd 4y ago
      "do a barrel roll" still works.
- bhawks 4y ago
  An approximate ratio of the prevalence of feature without a dedicated team (or singleton) would be 99/100. That said we could argue for days about what a feature is.
  - chrsig 4y ago
    I'm less interested in what a feature is, and more curious if there's some exhaustive list internally - or if there's even awareness of all of them spread throughout the corporation. That is, in a large org like google (or msft, or...), how much stuff is there that no current employees are aware of? I work at a relatively small company for a number of years, and it's definitely been a challenge to maintain knowledge of feature creep that has occurred, let alone anything more in depth like what the features were _supposed_ to do.
    - bhawks 4y ago
      Building a registry has been very seriously attempted at least twice but ended with the acceptance of the futility of the endeavor.
bun_at_work 4y ago
Is it possible Google removed the timer because of the EU DMA? If the widget was a search result, it seems like that would be a violation of the new legislation, along with other things people have mentioned disappearing in this thread. It also would explain why the DDG one remains, as they don't meet the definition of a gatekeeper.
- sabjut 4y ago
  I think in such a legislation it has to be clearly defined what a "search result" is I'd be surprised if the legislation would count the timer widget as such.
- guitarbill 4y ago
  If this were the case, they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation. It wouldn't have happened silently.
  - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
    > they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation To what end? Needlessly pissing off lawmakers isn’t a smart strategy.
    - ocdtrekkie 4y ago
      It's basically their goto strategy though. For instance, responding to third party payment provider laws by saying "okay, but you still have to pay us 27% anyways" is pretty much purposely intended to respond by following the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law, forcing lawmakers to go back and be even more clear on the demand. They know the law was intended to address their abusive pricing arrangements, but they decided, of course, to thumb their nose at it and add a new "platform fee" instead.
    - soraminazuki 4y ago
      But they're already known to do exactly that. Here's how a lobbying group representing Google, among other companies, went full scaremongering in reaction to a proposed anti-trust law: https://inv.riverside.rocks/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1297 https://inv.riverside.rocks/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1297
graderjs 4y ago
Does that mean if you play with results per page P, and get it to land on the P+1 position, you might be able to coax it back into being? ^^ Or maybe you can pick "results from custom range" to a couple weeks ago when it was still active? ;p ;) xx ;p

by bhawks 4y ago

cmeacham98 4y ago

> For timer to disappear like this would most likely be caused by a ranking change which prevents it from appearing as the top result (the only position it can render itself in). Does Google really not have some sort of "Always rank this result first" flag?

rwmj 4y ago
Back in their Don't Be Evil days they actually clamped down on another part of Google that gamed their search results: https://searchengineland.com/google-penalizes-google-japan-16541 https://searchengineland.com/google-penalizes-google-japan-1...
- bornfreddy 4y ago
  Yeah well... Those days are long gone. :-/
themacguffinman 4y ago
I'm sure they did at some point, but worth noting that prioritizing Google's own tools have been challenged in EU courts for being anti-competitive.

micromacrofoot 4y ago

> There is no central repository of all search features huh so I suppose it’s possible there are ghost features no one maintains but might still work?

reaperducer 4y ago
https://www.google.com/search?q=askew https://www.google.com/search?q=askew
- Jerrrry 4y ago
  this is the best google secret ive seen in a long time
  - zerd 4y ago
    "do a barrel roll" still works.
bhawks 4y ago
An approximate ratio of the prevalence of feature without a dedicated team (or singleton) would be 99/100. That said we could argue for days about what a feature is.
- chrsig 4y ago
  I'm less interested in what a feature is, and more curious if there's some exhaustive list internally - or if there's even awareness of all of them spread throughout the corporation. That is, in a large org like google (or msft, or...), how much stuff is there that no current employees are aware of? I work at a relatively small company for a number of years, and it's definitely been a challenge to maintain knowledge of feature creep that has occurred, let alone anything more in depth like what the features were _supposed_ to do.
  - bhawks 4y ago
    Building a registry has been very seriously attempted at least twice but ended with the acceptance of the futility of the endeavor.

bun_at_work 4y ago

Is it possible Google removed the timer because of the EU DMA? If the widget was a search result, it seems like that would be a violation of the new legislation, along with other things people have mentioned disappearing in this thread. It also would explain why the DDG one remains, as they don't meet the definition of a gatekeeper.

sabjut 4y ago
I think in such a legislation it has to be clearly defined what a "search result" is I'd be surprised if the legislation would count the timer widget as such.
guitarbill 4y ago
If this were the case, they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation. It wouldn't have happened silently.
- JumpCrisscross 4y ago
  > they would've used it as a PR opportunity to bash the legislation To what end? Needlessly pissing off lawmakers isn’t a smart strategy.
  - ocdtrekkie 4y ago
    It's basically their goto strategy though. For instance, responding to third party payment provider laws by saying "okay, but you still have to pay us 27% anyways" is pretty much purposely intended to respond by following the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law, forcing lawmakers to go back and be even more clear on the demand. They know the law was intended to address their abusive pricing arrangements, but they decided, of course, to thumb their nose at it and add a new "platform fee" instead.
  - soraminazuki 4y ago
    But they're already known to do exactly that. Here's how a lobbying group representing Google, among other companies, went full scaremongering in reaction to a proposed anti-trust law: https://inv.riverside.rocks/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1297 https://inv.riverside.rocks/jXf04bhcjbg?t=1297

graderjs 4y ago

Does that mean if you play with results per page P, and get it to land on the P+1 position, you might be able to coax it back into being? ^^ Or maybe you can pick "results from custom range" to a couple weeks ago when it was still active? ;p ;) xx ;p