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Google search results have been decreasing in quality quite dramatically in the past few years for me. I need to spend more and more time crafting complex sear

Google search results have been decreasing in quality quite dramatically in the past few years for me. I need to spend more and more time crafting complex search queries tuned to my needs, and still most of the results are more or less irrelevant. Or sometimes it seems to completely ignore the syntax I give it. Basically, Google search does not understand what I'm asking. Sure AI hallucinates stuff, but at least the stuff it hallucinates is mostly relevant to what I'm asking. I'm not saying I'm ready to replace Google by ChatGPT or Bing AI. I'm saying this is a huge step in the right direction overall for human-computer interaction, and Google has been sleeping at the wheel for this one.

godzillabrennus 4y ago
I switched from Google search in 2017 to DuckDuckGo and haven’t looked back. I started switching family away to DDG during the pandemic and they haven’t noticed. Google has a legacy moat but they aren’t the best by a noticeable amount anymore.
- simfree 4y ago
  DuckDuckGo hasn't had results on par with Qwant.com for me. I do find myself using DDG too often tho since it's default on Debian Firefox.
- ikt 4y ago
  Not sure why you're getting downvoted, looks like we both had a similar path around the same time. I tried DDG very early on maybe 2012/13 and the results were awful but I tried it again in 2017 and found it works fine. I have since moved to Ecosia a year or two ago as I found the results were very similar and have no issue with it. Does make me sad the traffic page is gone: https://instruments.digital/duckduckgo-traffic-archive/ https://instruments.digital/duckduckgo-traffic-archive/
pg_1234 4y ago
This is why they may need a new CEO. Currently they have a "caretaker CEO". Google was sitting on a massive cash cow, so they appointed someone who would just keep it ticking over. In the face of an existential threat, like ChatGPT, they need someone who can actually drive innovation. Not innovate themselves, nobody expects a CEO to do that, just create a culture which has a hope in hell of rising to fend off challenges to the empire. They don't have this. That have a CEO who is only capable in "good times" ... along with most of the company. Faced with sufficient adversity, they will need a CEO who can succeed in the face of adversity.
Ferret7446 4y ago
Do you disable any data tracking or personalization? Do you log into a Google account? Do you use a VPN?

godzillabrennus 4y ago

I switched from Google search in 2017 to DuckDuckGo and haven’t looked back. I started switching family away to DDG during the pandemic and they haven’t noticed. Google has a legacy moat but they aren’t the best by a noticeable amount anymore.

simfree 4y ago
DuckDuckGo hasn't had results on par with Qwant.com for me. I do find myself using DDG too often tho since it's default on Debian Firefox.
ikt 4y ago
Not sure why you're getting downvoted, looks like we both had a similar path around the same time. I tried DDG very early on maybe 2012/13 and the results were awful but I tried it again in 2017 and found it works fine. I have since moved to Ecosia a year or two ago as I found the results were very similar and have no issue with it. Does make me sad the traffic page is gone: https://instruments.digital/duckduckgo-traffic-archive/ https://instruments.digital/duckduckgo-traffic-archive/

pg_1234 4y ago

This is why they may need a new CEO. Currently they have a "caretaker CEO". Google was sitting on a massive cash cow, so they appointed someone who would just keep it ticking over. In the face of an existential threat, like ChatGPT, they need someone who can actually drive innovation. Not innovate themselves, nobody expects a CEO to do that, just create a culture which has a hope in hell of rising to fend off challenges to the empire. They don't have this. That have a CEO who is only capable in "good times" ... along with most of the company. Faced with sufficient adversity, they will need a CEO who can succeed in the face of adversity.

Ferret7446 4y ago

Do you disable any data tracking or personalization? Do you log into a Google account? Do you use a VPN?