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Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

economist.com

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Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#261

Post by epolanski »

ilc wrote: post #90

People seem to forget: AI is about data, the ability to process it, and having a few smart folks to do algorithms. The third part is actually the smallest and easiest part of the trilogy for AI. Google, has all three. The real question is can they not shoot themselves in the foot while doing it. Also SEO will always target the market leader. As far as Bing's results: I keep thinking Google is trashy. Then I use Bing…

> Then I use Bing and I remember just how good Google is.

I use a lot Ecosia (which gets results from Bing) due to them allegedly planting trees and being much more heavily into privacy.

My experience with Ecosia, thus Bing, is that for the overwhelming majority of searches (90% plus) the quality is comparable.

When you get into more niche searches Bing offers better results 1 out of 5 times and worse results 4 out of 5, with a worrying amount of those 4 being almost complete misses.

I still need to get onto Google occasionally when I don't find what I was looking for on Ecosia.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#262

Post by ranting-moth »

Invictus0 wrote: post #9

Do you people really want AI generated answers? As if the internet wasn't bland enough as it is. This forum has been soapboxing for years about the longtail of blogs and BBs and niche sites, right up to the moment that Bing got chatgpt.

People want answers. Google isn't giving them answers.

If you ask google a question then an awful lot of the time the majority of top 10 results will be promoting or selling stuff.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#263

Post by knome »

revskill wrote: post #256
erklik wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uh... Maps? Open, Permissive phone OS compared to the alternative? Greatest entertainment/information system, especially one that's democraticsed producing media? In terms dev-related stuff, TensorFlow - literally something that's made today's ML possible, Kubernetes, BigTable, MapReduce, and yknow, that good old thing called Chrome.. I understand hating on Google. They're not that great, but none of the FAANG are "g…

I don't use Phone, nor Maps, nor Youtube, nor Kubernetes, all the things you listed. They're helpful to you, not me.

this setup and response seem a little silly to me. "what did the romans ever do for me?" "roads? aquaducts?" "ha! I don't go anywhere and drink well water!"

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#264

Post by emodendroket »

nearbuy wrote: post #241
emodendroket wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“It tells me the right answer” and “I trust it to give me the right answer” are two different propositions.

It's just one data point but it may indicate the commenter is miscalibrated on what ChatGPT answers well and what it doesn't. It reminds me of when Wikipedia was new and we were told repeatedly that we couldn't trust it (by teachers, articles, etc.). It didn't matter if we could point to studies that found Wikipedia had similar accuracy to other encyclopedias. They objected on the grounds that anyone could edit it an…

It seems to be that information that’s on tons of Web pages already is precisely the type of information where search engines are hard to beat.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#265

Post by thefurdrake »

revskill wrote: post #258
monkey_monkey wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um no... > At least it improved human life in serious ways (Typescript, VSCode,...).

You mean "fast bullshit ads" ? I mean "meaningful search results". They're different.

... Did you reply to the wrong individual?

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#266

Post by s-xyz »

Have the feeling that we are in a state of overreacting (news outlets love the headlines).

In addition, my gut feeling says that Google does things better than Microsoft.

This comes from my experience with working with Google and GCP products vs working with Microsoft Office/Windows and Azure.

With Google, everything feels consistent, well documented and well presented: from Meet/Gmail to BigQuery, Tensorflow, Cloud SQL, Firebase, etc.

With Microsoft I frequently observe inconsistencies in design patterns, broken links and outdated documentation. Just compare for example Office products, the concept of Office 365, Live Account vs Outlook account, Windows, Bing, Azure products, etc. Basically its hard to find any commonality and it feels that there is generally a lack of vision for the entire suit.

I therefore extrapolate that Google will answer this hype in a more structured way, anchored to a vision, putting it against a grand scheme of things and deliver it as a seemingly integrated solution to the suite.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#267

Post by hardtke »

chias wrote: post #8

While Google certainly has its faults and I am frustrated with its trajectory, I would bet money that this is an article pushing the nonsensical notion that AI language models will replace search engines. Edit: based on the subtitle, it seems like I am correct.

Is it completely normal on HN to comment on articles you haven't read and to freely admit so?

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#268

Post by bobthepanda »

Ingaz wrote: post #260
system16 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ads aside, the UI of Youtube and Maps is atrocious. There is so much room for improvement here, but it will never happen from Google. It's just not in their DNA. Unfortunately, they have such a huge moat here I doubt we'll see anything better for a long time.

Actually Youtube is not so bad. Youtube Music is really .. strange. It looks wrong/outdated everywhere. Generated playlists (recomendations) are always (for days/weeks) the same. Not a bit randomization. It feels like they were approved by party commitete for years. I don't understand why they decided social network in music service. Ah hell. CUE-lists are still too novice technology for them. I still think that last…

Youtube Music lost me the moment they shut down my Google Play Music and told me to kick rocks.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#269

Post by thefurdrake »

revskill wrote: post #249
thefurdrake wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I'm gonna need to see some citation on how Typescript and VSCode improved life for humanity. Break out some of them facts you're talking about.

I specify "my life", not other's life, and it's a fact. Why bother then (i'm curious)?

You said it "improved human life" my dude. Everyone can scroll up and read.

Re: Is Google’s 20-year search dominance about to end?

#270

Post by WithinReason »

cjm42 wrote: post #236
GreedClarifies wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The correct temperature to sous vide a steak depends on the desired level of doneness. The following temperatures are guidelines for cooking steaks to different levels of doneness: Rare: 120-125°F (49-52°C) Medium-Rare: 130-135°F (54-57°C) Medium: 140-145°F (60-63°C) Medium-Well: 150-155°F (66-68°C) Well-Done: 160°F (71°C) and above It's important to note that cooking steaks at low temperatures for extended periods o…

The problem is that if you don't already know the answer, it's hard to tell the difference between ChatGPT giving you the correct information and ChatGPT authoritatively spouting the wrong information. Here's a chat I had today with ChatGPT: Q: Who was the first US president with a last name starting with R? A: Rutherford B. Hayes was the first US president with a last name starting with "R." Q: no, a surname startin…

I wish we could also see the answer probability that the model outputs, not just the answer.
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