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Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

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Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#61

Post by userbinator »

michaelt wrote: post #60

I have an Intel Realsense camera, which sometimes reports the error "Failed to recconect" (there being a typo in the drivers) [1] - that's a pretty unique error, so in combination with the product name that should be a very easy keyword search, right? Especially if I throw in some quotation marks, to make it clear I want a literal match? Yet when I search for realsense "failed to recconect" Google, in its infinite wi…

That is insane. I've had similarly idiotic "decisions" made by Google when searching for error codes --- things which are also similarly unique, and their uniqueness is the key to finding relevant results. Instead, searching for e.g. 1234 gives 1235, 1236, 1233, and even 12345, but no 1234. I used to use quoting but even that doesn't work now. Absolutely useless.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#62

Post by kazinator »

braddeicide wrote: post #37

Google results are low quality unless you enable verbatim. Tools, all results, verbatim. It blows my mind this isn't the default. I can only assume they've adopted the opinion of search engines before them that they could benefit from showing lower quality results to keep the users on their site longer.

Is this something accessible through the Settings, bottom right? I cannot find it.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#63

Post by DerSaidin »

michaelt wrote: post #60

I have an Intel Realsense camera, which sometimes reports the error "Failed to recconect" (there being a typo in the drivers) [1] - that's a pretty unique error, so in combination with the product name that should be a very easy keyword search, right? Especially if I throw in some quotation marks, to make it clear I want a literal match? Yet when I search for realsense "failed to recconect" Google, in its infinite wi…

It corrected the typo, but it shows you the option to put it back.

Click the: Search instead for realsense "failed to recconect"

Then you get some very plausible looking results (idk how well they'll solve your problem).

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#64

Post by joak »

User23 wrote: post #26
hamiltonians wrote: post #12

google hardly works for anything

It’s still not bad at getting Wikipedia links.

Not true. If you google some Wikipedia entry in some language let's say French, you get the result in English. Which is weird and annoying.

I'm fluent in several languages, whenever I search some sentence in one language google makes a translation, sometimes erroneous, and only give me answers in English (or whatever language is set as default). So annoying.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#65

Post by Vanit »

michaelt wrote: post #60

I have an Intel Realsense camera, which sometimes reports the error "Failed to recconect" (there being a typo in the drivers) [1] - that's a pretty unique error, so in combination with the product name that should be a very easy keyword search, right? Especially if I throw in some quotation marks, to make it clear I want a literal match? Yet when I search for realsense "failed to recconect" Google, in its infinite wi…

I don't suppose you're using an Android phone and tested this in the search bar widget? I was able to reproduce your results that way, but it did provide me with a search instead option that did lead to the relevant GitHub page. I then tried again to reproduce the test in mobile Chrome and immediately got the right result without being promoted to search instead for what I'd actually searched for.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#66

Post by sdflhasjd »

It used to be possible search for obscure model numbers and product codes and return only 5 results, all of which were what you're after.

Now it returns a bunch of spam and rubbish, with the model number nowhere to be found.

Sometimes you do find matches... and the results are just computer generated spam for God knows what purpose.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#67

Post by iamleppert »

I really want a search engine that works more like a database. I want to see why it returned the results it did, like an EXPLAIN syntax does for SQL queries. I want fine grain control of the actual query, and ability to sort the results by different facets.

I think there’s 100% a market for a new search engine that is geared toward the power user, the researcher.

Google hasn’t innovated their actual search engine in ways that actually benefit the user in years. The only changes they have done have been driven by a profit motive.

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#68

Post by genewitch »

DerSaidin wrote: post #63
michaelt wrote: post #60

I have an Intel Realsense camera, which sometimes reports the error "Failed to recconect" (there being a typo in the drivers) [1] - that's a pretty unique error, so in combination with the product name that should be a very easy keyword search, right? Especially if I throw in some quotation marks, to make it clear I want a literal match? Yet when I search for realsense "failed to recconect" Google, in its infinite wi…

It corrected the typo, but it shows you the option to put it back. Click the: Search instead for realsense "failed to recconect" Then you get some very plausible looking results (idk how well they'll solve your problem).

Putting quotes or other search flags and instructions should - as a rule, interpret that literally. Anyone using them wants them to work.

The only time it may annoy someone is if they're copying and pasting ... Quotes, as text, from some website? A plurality of quotes on Facebook are images of text.

It's just Google's interest to keep you faffing around on their search page longer. There's no other reason - this stuff used to work!

Re: Tell HN: Google doesn't work anymore for exact matches

#70

Post by weare138 »

It's not just you. I have been having similar problems and it just seems to keep getting worse. The other issue I've been having is the precedence of product pages over everything else. Now it seems no matter what I search for I'm bombarded with links to products and low quality product focused blogspam. Also I've noticed search results will change based on what I have recently searched. The same search can yield different results at different times. Google screwed up the one thing it was actually good at. Now Google Search just feels like every other subpar Google knockoff product.
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