I heard you can add "&pws=0" to a search query to turn off personalization: http://google.com/search?q=paul+graham&pws=0
Checking through a few different search terms, that works for me (provides different results)
DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
61–70 of 219 posts
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#62Shame on DDG for endorsing this nonsense. I understand the quest for a larger userbase but please don't use this sort of FUD that is being peddled by those who don't understand the technical aspects of search and are trying to sell their books. A search engine's prime function is to filter the millions of results for each query down to the most relevant results for each individual user, and never the same 10 results…
Sorry but this is a real issue, whether DDG solves it or not. At least to me.
Why do you think it is an issue? I think everyone already filters intuitively. It's called having a "bullshit filter". I believe it makes not much difference whether it's automated or everyone does it manually.
I think the chance that I would click on a bullshit source like Fox News is very low because I don't trust them. Even if Google brought it up as the first result.
My point is that people already only click on search results that they agree with. Nobody wants to see stuff that they disagree with. That is human nature.
So living in a filter bubble already happens without automatic filters. It happens in our brains and we call it personality.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#63It is well known that people seek out information that reinforces their own beliefs. And while it may not be ideal for an enlightened population, why should Google/Bing fight this natural inclination? Their job is to ultimately give their users what they are searching for, not challenge their users' opinions. Especially since there are tons of benefits to personalized search, and it may be hard to not throw the baby…
There are other options, i.e. opt-in vs opt-out, separate sections (only show in sidebar), instant on/off, and overall greater transparency.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#64I think this is a real issue, and I am glad that DDG is addressing it. This is a more-compelling take on the tracking issue IMO. What I'd really like to see, is a search engine to allow me to do both. I'd like to have a profile (that didn't use my name), and when I wanted to, I could click a result as 'useful'. This would go into my personal algorithm. I could then toggle between filtered search, or unfiltered search…
Use Incognito mode in Chrome when you would like to search the un-"filtered" Google.
Irony: Use of a Google product to circumvent Google's lack of privacy or anonymity in one of their other products.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#65Shame on DDG for endorsing this nonsense. I understand the quest for a larger userbase but please don't use this sort of FUD that is being peddled by those who don't understand the technical aspects of search and are trying to sell their books. A search engine's prime function is to filter the millions of results for each query down to the most relevant results for each individual user, and never the same 10 results…
So, your argument is that it's bullshit because it's true?
It's bullshit because search is filtering and the filtering done by search is being exaggerated by those who peddle this bullshit.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#66It is the ultimate quest for serendipity. If you filter by what you want you don't get what you didn't know you wanted. I will give DDG the benefit of the doubt and try it out for a couple of months. Starting now.
Also a long time DDG user. I have it set as my default search provider in chrome, and it has sped up my browsing considerably. Shortcuts like "!w some article" or "!a some product" (takes you directly to Wikipedia or Amazon, respectively) are very handy. The only times I've had to revert to Google are for very specific forum trawling.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#67Shame on DDG for endorsing this nonsense. I understand the quest for a larger userbase but please don't use this sort of FUD that is being peddled by those who don't understand the technical aspects of search and are trying to sell their books. A search engine's prime function is to filter the millions of results for each query down to the most relevant results for each individual user, and never the same 10 results…
I think you missed the point. Yes DDG ranks, but it may rank differently. Of course, there is an implicit slam on them here: instead of showing you what you want the vast majority of the time, they show you other stuff. This is good on occasion (so you don't live in an echo chamber), but if this was all the time it would mean lower quality search results for simple things.
They show you other stuff
Do you have any proof that this isn't what all search engines actually do?
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#68I heard you can add "&pws=0" to a search query to turn off personalization: http://google.com/search?q=paul+graham&pws=0
It's funny how "Paul Graham" is Hacker News' foo bar.
Also, works well for me.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#69Shame on DDG for endorsing this nonsense. I understand the quest for a larger userbase but please don't use this sort of FUD that is being peddled by those who don't understand the technical aspects of search and are trying to sell their books. A search engine's prime function is to filter the millions of results for each query down to the most relevant results for each individual user, and never the same 10 results…
So, your argument is that it's bullshit because it's true?
I see it as being a straw man argument.
The article makes the assumption that personalized search results are bad for you, then goes on exemplifying it, but does not say or demonstrate in any way why personalized search results are bad, especially since it doesn't give any context about the person making those queries.
Search ranking is a matter of context. "Egypt" does not mean anything, other than the name of a country, and different people mean different things. When you're searching for "Egypt" and want to get travel tips, if you don't get them you can always expand your query to "Egypt travelling tips". But even that is a pretty shallow request and you can further expand it like "Egypt travel guide to the pyramids".
The search engine's job is to find what I'm looking for. And IMHO the current state of the art is a little behind my expectations - I would have expected these personalized results to be far more effective than they are by now.
Re: DuckDuckGo: Escape your search engine filter bubble
#70Yeah this is an important issue. Google apparently ranks results (for you personally) based on some 57 inputs, even when not logged into Google services. In short results suffer from a self-reinforcing feedback loop, forever constraining what you see. I wonder how easy it is to get "clean" or "default" results from Google? And I know it's been discussed many times , but just how easy would it be to maintain real anon…
Incognito/private browsing + going through DuckDuckGo (even for Google queries, with !g prefix) works for me. (Edit to add since I can't reply: going through DDG avoids Google redirecting to country-specific variation).
I hate that country specific thing.
Somewhere, I think even on HN, I was taught about google.com/ncr - which should solve that problem (being in Country A and arriving on the localized, unreadable landing page) once and for all.
That said: I've DDG as my homepage and I'm a happy user.