3 ms·

That's exactly what it is. Each page is more expensive to serve than the last (it is basically joining a bunch of indexes for each term and then skipping the fi

That's exactly what it is. Each page is more expensive to serve than the last (it is basically joining a bunch of indexes for each term and then skipping the first N). At some number of pages they drew a line and decided that the value of these pages isn't worth the cost (and DoS vulnerability) to serve them.

JacobThreeThree 4y ago
Nevertheless, it's a dark pattern. They should make it clear to the user how many results are available to them.
- kevincox 4y ago
  They are "available". Just the way to get there isn't by going through the result pages but by refining your search.
  - wolpoli 4y ago
    It made sense back then when you could tell Google the exact words that you are looking for. But now that Google drops random words from our query, it's not exactly easy to refine the search query.
groffee 4y ago
> At some number of pages they drew a line and decided that the value of these pages isn't worth the cost (and DoS vulnerability) to serve them. They have literally one job.
- kevincox 4y ago
  To serve you the 5 millionth search result for "funny"? Unless you are going to directly pay for that server cost it just doesn't make sense, and it is such a rare use case that it doesn't even make sense for them to give you that option. They have to cut you off somewhere. When is the last time you legitimately wanted the 401th page of the search results? It will be more efficent for both you and Google if you instead refine your search query than paging through the results forever.
  - robertlagrant 4y ago
    Pro tip. Never reply to someone who uses "literally" incorrectly.
    - iso1631 4y ago
      A definition of literally is literally one that is "not literally true", thus using literally in this case is literally correct https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally
      - robertlagrant 4y ago
        > is literally one that Does this literally mean not literally?
        iso1631 4y ago
        It is literally clear as literal mud

JacobThreeThree 4y ago

Nevertheless, it's a dark pattern. They should make it clear to the user how many results are available to them.

kevincox 4y ago
They are "available". Just the way to get there isn't by going through the result pages but by refining your search.
- wolpoli 4y ago
  It made sense back then when you could tell Google the exact words that you are looking for. But now that Google drops random words from our query, it's not exactly easy to refine the search query.

groffee 4y ago

> At some number of pages they drew a line and decided that the value of these pages isn't worth the cost (and DoS vulnerability) to serve them. They have literally one job.

kevincox 4y ago
To serve you the 5 millionth search result for "funny"? Unless you are going to directly pay for that server cost it just doesn't make sense, and it is such a rare use case that it doesn't even make sense for them to give you that option. They have to cut you off somewhere. When is the last time you legitimately wanted the 401th page of the search results? It will be more efficent for both you and Google if you instead refine your search query than paging through the results forever.
- robertlagrant 4y ago
  Pro tip. Never reply to someone who uses "literally" incorrectly.
  - iso1631 4y ago
    A definition of literally is literally one that is "not literally true", thus using literally in this case is literally correct https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally
    - robertlagrant 4y ago
      > is literally one that Does this literally mean not literally?
      - iso1631 4y ago
        It is literally clear as literal mud