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Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

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Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#301

Post by CamperBob2 »

richardsocher wrote: post #173
primitivesuave wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I strongly second this. I immediately gave up on trying it out once I realized I had to download something. Your KPIs should be around how sticky your search features are, it seems like it is currently based on download counts.

Hey. Yea. We struggle with the extension -> navbar search requirement also. We have found that if you're not the default engine that is easily accessible from the Navbar, you will not be able to break the Google monopoly. We also found that many people will just do a quick search for "asd" or "weather" and then leave because those searches aren't really differentiated (and just can't really be). Our extension is 33kB…

Hey. Yea. We struggle with the extension -> navbar search requirement also.

Struggle some more.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#302

Post by [deleted] »

richardsocher wrote: post #260
somenewaccount1 wrote: post #135

I installed the plugin and it instantly mucked up my chrome profiles. It felt very disconcerting and I instantly removed it. I imagine most users might not have multiple chrome profiles and so wouldn't notice, but for me it was an instant stop. What are you doing with profiles? Why does it need to be installed as a plugin?

That's a Chrome setting. We dont change anything in your profile. I guess folks here have a lot of reasonable doubts about extensions. I get it. I hate them also because many follow you around to all the sites you visit, etc. Surprisingly nobody mentioned all day that the ONLY permission this app has is to change your navbar setting. Chrome says that so clearly when you install it :) The reason to install it is to ha…

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#303

Post by CamperBob2 »

RattleyCooper wrote: post #20

I like the concept but the desktop version makes me scroll horizontally to look through results. I'd rather scroll vertically on desktop, and come to think of it I'd probably prefer vertical on mobile. Scrolling sideways like that is really annoying.

Scrolling sideways like that is really annoying.

Yes, and it seems to be spreading faster than COVID. If only we could quarantine and vaccinate web developers who come up with ideas like this.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#304

Post by llaolleh »

ulber wrote: post #124

I found your pitch really interesting, I'd love to try it. I, however, refuse to install an extension and change my default search engine just to be allowed to type in a search query. I'm sure you have some "growth hacking" reason for this that is compelling to you. Maybe you hope that the slight annoyance of switching back will outweigh the inevitable annoyances with a new product like this. It does come off as user…

Damn I thought me getting redirected to an extension was a bug. This is super lame.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#305

Post by lolinder »

richardsocher wrote: post #260
somenewaccount1 wrote: post #135

I installed the plugin and it instantly mucked up my chrome profiles. It felt very disconcerting and I instantly removed it. I imagine most users might not have multiple chrome profiles and so wouldn't notice, but for me it was an instant stop. What are you doing with profiles? Why does it need to be installed as a plugin?

That's a Chrome setting. We dont change anything in your profile. I guess folks here have a lot of reasonable doubts about extensions. I get it. I hate them also because many follow you around to all the sites you visit, etc. Surprisingly nobody mentioned all day that the ONLY permission this app has is to change your navbar setting. Chrome says that so clearly when you install it :) The reason to install it is to ha…

Requiring people to set you as the default search engine (much less install an extension!) to even try the thing is setting up a barrier to entry large enough to cause most people to nope out. I'd be surprised if your usage stats will improve by shutting down the top of the funnel so completely.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#306

Post by stopagephobia »

pkamb wrote: post #141

I've always wanted a search engine that searched mainly (only?) Stack Overflow, Reddit, and a handful of other authentic sites. One note: You.com seems to include Stack Overflow scrapers in the results. Would be better with those removed. These two results go the same content, one on SO and one scraped from it: https://i.imgur.com/TwvDIiC.png

Google got the same problem, probably they use blackhat SEO so its hard to keep up.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#307

Post by freediver »

corobo wrote: post #276
reaperducer wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their growing by word of mouth from geeks like us Well, to be complete, DDG also advertises on radio, on streaming, on billboards, and in newspapers. I think TV is the only place I haven't seen a DDG ad.

It does now. Were they busting out the billboards when they first launched?

No, but when they first launched they needed 5,000 users to grow 10%, now they need 5M(?) to grow the same? So investing in other means is probably necessary.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#308

Post by DennisP »

Matthias1 wrote: post #298
richardsocher wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yea.. why? the truth is that most users have no other easily accessible way for them to switch away from a monopoly that sells them, their data and privacy to the highest bidder and requires all companies to pay a tax to exist in the online economy... if you are an expert, you can change your settings manually and hence not require the extension.

Sorry, I went to make a search without the extension installed (because I did try) and I got hit with a full screen error message saying I needed to install the extension. My mistake was obviously typing in the search bar at the top of the screen. I should have edited the address in the address bar manually. If you don’t have the extension installed, the search bar serves only to take you to an ad to install it. A UI…

Yeah when I tried a search and got that "download our extension" message, my immediate gut reaction was that it was trying to hack me. If I hadn't started from HN, I'd have been convinced of it, closed the browser immediately, and never gone back.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#309

Post by brrrrrm »

bogwog wrote: post #204
nozepas wrote: post #120

It does strike me as odd that is private but I need to install a chrome extension to use it and there is a prominent 'Sign up' button on the top right corner. I am also struggling to understand why the need to install a chrome extension to see search results. Feels like a lot of users will get lost on this first funnel step.

You don't need the extension or sign up to use the search engine, just type into the search bar on the top of the page. What is raising red flags for me is this part of the FAQ: > How does You.com make money? > We are currently focused on building the best possible search experience. We will explore monetization ideas in the future and look forward to your feedback in that process. So they don't have a monetization s…

> You don't need the extension or sign up to use the search engine, just type into the search bar on the top of the page.

I'm not sure this is true when you're using Chrome. I use safari and thought the same thing at first.

Re: Show HN: You.com, private search engine that summarizes the web – built for devs

#310

Post by fourseventy »

richardsocher wrote: post #213
DennisP wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having the extension and letting people try it on the web seems like a more reasonable choice. People need to try it out. That said...there is a search textbox at the top of the page and it worked for me in Firefox and Chrome. Did people just miss it? If so, it should probably be in the middle with the big blue button.

it takes 5 seconds to install and uninstall an extension. we will open source it also so people can see how simple and benign it is. It feels like 5s to help move the internet away from a privacy invading monopoly isn't too bad? If you like privacy and agency of your information diet, or saving lots of time while coding, or Reddit results always accessible to browse for most queries, etc. Then the 5s install will be…

You ever hear the saying "The customer is always right?". Seems like you are insisting on learning that lesson the hard way.
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