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Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

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Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#371

How decent is Brave as a browser? I've been very hesitant on it as a primary browser due to them starting up their own cryptocurrency (BAT), adding automatic affiliate cryptocurrency links in pages, and a history of serving their own ads on top of others.

As decent as any Chromium fork with built in ad/tracker blocker can be. The cryptocurrency is opt-in, the only affiliates I know of are in their start page widgets, and their ads don't sit on top of others, they're opt-in notifications.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#372

You know what, I welcome a new search provider, even if it's by a cryptocurrency company. I'd rather see Qwant succeed, but their search is having trouble competing with even duckduckgo. What I don't see is where Brave gets its image search results from. After Microsoft blatantly started serving the CCP by blocking queries for "tank man", which as far as I know they've never actually apologised for, just explained it…

I'd honestly rather have a search provider run by the CPC than by a cryptocurrency company, though naturally I'd prefer neither.

> I'd honestly rather have a search provider run by the CPC

Any reason behind your preference? It baffles me to hear you'd rather use a heavily censored and CCP-controlled search provider than a search provider from a free market with an alternative business model.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#373
post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate how smart it tries to be. Sometimes you need to search an intentional misspelling, say, "Aple" (just an example), Google will helpfully try to correct you with "did you mean Apple?", and even if you put the word in quotes you still get results for Apple, not my intentionally misspelled search. Listen to what I'm trying to tell you, dumb machine. They've tweaked it so it only respond to what it thinks you want…

Why not use a real example instead of "Aple" (which returns what you expect: the stock for Apple Hospitality REIT)? Shouldn't be hard at all if this really is such a common problem.

I can't speak for others, but I move on in frustration. I don't meticulously document Google's myriad failures. Even if I dove into my search history to find one, odds are good you wouldn't have the same experience. And the divergence would increase with time and further training of the AI, to the point that even I wouldn't get the same result.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#374
post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can’t remember if it was a former feature of Google search or a Chrome extension, but that capability used to be available in Chrome. w3schools was on that list, among other republishers and whatnot. Loved it. Maybe someone else can augment my hazy recollection.

You're probably thinking of "Personal Blocklist", an official Chrome extension developed by Google. It's no longer available. https://www.ghacks.net/2010/03/18/blacklist-google-search-re...

Someone should inform https://killedbygoogle.com/ to update their site.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#375
post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's sad that Joe Rogan comes up as any kind of authority on anything besides mixed martial arts.

Why do you need to be an “authority” to talk about what you saw with your own eyes on a search engine?

You don't think it's dangerous for someone with a platform like Rogan has to spread misinformation?

That's what I'm referring to.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#376

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am surprised by this as well since Google is able to identify the origin of content (eg. Stackoverflow) and penalize sites for duplicating that content (or so they say). In my opinion it wouldn’t be difficult to identify the domains duplicating the content and penalize heavily. But, those sites are most likely displaying Google Ads so…

I just wish I could configure google to not show certain domains such as W3schools without adding a complex search query or installing plugins

The W3schools hate is a bit outdated. Even W3Fools[1] eventually backtracked and acknowledged that W3Schools has continuously improved and updated their content.

1. https://www.w3fools.com/

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

brave shilling is concerningly effective

The only concerning thing here is the growing belief that one's consumer choices are their "identity", and alternate choices are an attack on that identity. Moreover, that alternative choices must be feigned in bad faith, part of a conspiracy, "fake news", etc. What happened to you, Internet? Politics is one thing, but this is starting to bleed over into "liking Apple", or "hating Apple", or any similar camp one find…

I'd love it if this wasn't political. If Brendan Eich wasn't running Brave, I'd probably trust the browser a whole lot more. Same as how if Apple stopped providing service to China and quit leveraging slave-labor, I'd probably trust their products a lot more too.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#378

You know what, I welcome a new search provider, even if it's by a cryptocurrency company. I'd rather see Qwant succeed, but their search is having trouble competing with even duckduckgo. What I don't see is where Brave gets its image search results from. After Microsoft blatantly started serving the CCP by blocking queries for "tank man", which as far as I know they've never actually apologised for, just explained it…

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tank+man&atb=v156-1&iax=images&ia=... seems fine to me. If you are referring to it being blocked in China, well, are we at all surprised that private companies kowtow to autocratic regimes in favor of making more money?

No, we're not referring to it being blocked only in China. It was blocked on 4th June worldwide by all search engines that rely on Bing (DDG, Qwant, Ecosia, ...)

You can see them returning no results for "tank man" from the web archive: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27398376

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#379
post #7

I’ve been using Brave search for several months now. I switched the day that it was announced. The quality is fairly good, but I’m having troubling telling whether it’s just my own halo effect or if the initial quality that experienced has started to slip a little as it indexes more widely or something. At first I was impressed with how little spam ended up in top results, but lately exact queries for Python function…

I wonder maybe every other day if I could delist W3Schools, by maybe always adding a negating query aspect to the URL. But this all doesn't seem easily supported, when I looked at it. Yep, hating on W3Schools with a passion. Younger self shot himself too often in foot with W3Schools.

You don't have to use W3Schools (I prefer MDN myself) but you can forgive them. They've gotten better over time: https://www.w3fools.com/

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I really wish a search engine would empower me to provide a URL ban list that gets applied server-side instead of filtering on the front end (if anything). The irony is that Google wants all our information "to improve our user experience", except they don't want our ban lists.

pinterest. Bane of all image searches.

It’s a bit ridiculous, really. I actually don’t feel the need to ban that many sites. I would probably be happy if I could just ban them. How can one site be so bad?
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