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I wish Google would add an advanced search parameter, maybe called "Unpolished discussion" for this reason (but to include forums, etc - results beyond just Red

I wish Google would add an advanced search parameter, maybe called "Unpolished discussion" for this reason (but to include forums, etc - results beyond just Reddit). I was looking at vacation destinations recently, and considering taking a toddler, and Google searches for things like "Destination A vs Destination B" or "Destination A with toddlers" led to so much SEO junk. Ads for shiny e-books with regurgitated information, text that was clearly robot-generated, etc. Then adding "reddit" to the end of the searches does get you to helpful discussion from everyday people. Sure, you might have to read between the lines ("oh, this person seems unwilling to pay more than Motel 6 rates", "oh, this person seems like they might be afraid of black people", etc). Sure, the info might be out of date, or otherwise in need of verification. But you can quickly accumulate some useful ideas that the shinier SEO-optimized junk sites just don't seem to provide.

jeffbee 4y ago
Well, thanks to HN's durability and Google's crawler we can count on being able to find this site as "that unbelievably ugly wet-dry vacuum database" hereafter.
vestrigi 4y ago
Practicing that often gives me the feeling that I just need any opinion about one of the many choices. Only after that I can commit to eg. buying something but I still know that I most likely only scratched the surface. I can't just try things out, I need to conclude first that I won't be able to pick the best option. Or just trust the one random person on reddit that was satisfied with his or her choice like it's your best friend.
- StrictDabbler 4y ago
  Any real review is like a vector basis. It establishes a universe in which you can evaluate the claims. Take this one-star review of a wet-dry vac: "I bought this thing specifically to suck out the ash in my fireplace. It got use with some other projects like small wood chips and sawdust before I tackled the fireplace, and it did fine. Then I put it to task. It sucked up maybe 1/5 capacity of dust and just stopped." If the top rated one-star review for this consumer-level vacuum is that the filter immediately clogs when you *SUCK UP ASH FROM A FIREPLACE* then I know hey, this one-star reviewer doesn't understand vacuums. So yeah, as long as you find one guy on Reddit who's really happy with the vacuum and the one-star reviews are stupid, you've got a good product.

jeffbee 4y ago

Well, thanks to HN's durability and Google's crawler we can count on being able to find this site as "that unbelievably ugly wet-dry vacuum database" hereafter.

vestrigi 4y ago

Practicing that often gives me the feeling that I just need any opinion about one of the many choices. Only after that I can commit to eg. buying something but I still know that I most likely only scratched the surface. I can't just try things out, I need to conclude first that I won't be able to pick the best option. Or just trust the one random person on reddit that was satisfied with his or her choice like it's your best friend.

StrictDabbler 4y ago
Any real review is like a vector basis. It establishes a universe in which you can evaluate the claims. Take this one-star review of a wet-dry vac: "I bought this thing specifically to suck out the ash in my fireplace. It got use with some other projects like small wood chips and sawdust before I tackled the fireplace, and it did fine. Then I put it to task. It sucked up maybe 1/5 capacity of dust and just stopped." If the top rated one-star review for this consumer-level vacuum is that the filter immediately clogs when you *SUCK UP ASH FROM A FIREPLACE* then I know hey, this one-star reviewer doesn't understand vacuums. So yeah, as long as you find one guy on Reddit who's really happy with the vacuum and the one-star reviews are stupid, you've got a good product.