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Google changes its search box

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Re: Google changes its search box

#91
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think LLMs are better at finding the most helpful sources now, but that's more a testament to how much the front page of web search has lost to low value LLM content.

The fact that you can express "Only show me websites run by Italian companies incorporated by Greece owners born in Turkey" for example, and it'll be able to filter through a bunch of stuff, just makes searching so much easier. Fuzzy-search is also on another level with language models.

this is exactly it… if google was smart they would focus on providing that experience on search vs. AI summarizing results. I want that fluid search experience, with refinement that remembers my previous ask…

Re: Google changes its search box

#93

Every organization eventually is taken over by the people who operate within it effectively, to the detriment of the people who operate outside and provide the actual public value. Google’s making a terrible, though understandable, mistake. They think people go to Google to see what Google wants to show them. This is like the people who run the airport imagining that travelers are popping by to see the decorations. T…

> They think people go to Google to see what Google wants to show them.

They are making the same mistake as Yahoo did. Ironic.

Re: Google changes its search box

#94

I haven't used Google search for years. It's almost totally irrelevant at this point and existing on pure inertia. I'm aware that most people still use it, but it's nothing like the glory days when Google was far ahead of the pack.

How can you say Google search is "totally irrelevant" and follow that with "I'm aware that most people still use it"?

Re: Google changes its search box

#95
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think LLMs are better at finding the most helpful sources now, but that's more a testament to how much the front page of web search has lost to low value LLM content.

The fact that you can express "Only show me websites run by Italian companies incorporated by Greece owners born in Turkey" for example, and it'll be able to filter through a bunch of stuff, just makes searching so much easier. Fuzzy-search is also on another level with language models.

Interestingly enough, precise search is on the way out.

Re: Google changes its search box

#96
post #22

I understand why they are doing this. My Google search usage is easily down 50%+. I doubt I am unique here. While there are times where I want pure search (Kagi, Old Google) I mostly use LLMs to search now and have them provide me links for source data. When I do use LLMs as a search engine I always want it integrated into my AI workflows with access to tools and scripts etc. I never want to have a conversation with…

I'm not at all in the same boat as you; I do not and likely will never primarily rely on LLMs for information. But it's fascinating to hear that even folks who do don't find this approach useful.

My google use is down because it turned to garbage. They're likely doing this because they poisoned their own well besides the advent of LLMs.

Re: Google changes its search box

#97
post #22

I understand why they are doing this. My Google search usage is easily down 50%+. I doubt I am unique here. While there are times where I want pure search (Kagi, Old Google) I mostly use LLMs to search now and have them provide me links for source data. When I do use LLMs as a search engine I always want it integrated into my AI workflows with access to tools and scripts etc. I never want to have a conversation with…

We all know Google search has been broken for a long, long time. SEO trash will fill up your first page with results from trash content generation sites that repeat the same thing, usually flat out wrong. Actual meaningful results are buried deep, if Google will even let out of the "In order to show you the most relevant results" hell hole.

My experience with AI searches is that they'll still be wrong a lot of times, but it will condense/flatten the content generating trash sites and give me alternatives from these deeper results. What I'm looking for is usally in there.

Re: Google changes its search box

#98
One good thing about the (current iteration of) AI era is it’s getting people used to paying directly for data. Yeah, of course i’d prefer information to be totally free. But if that isn’t possible, paying directly is far superior to paying for it via ad exposure.

Re: Google changes its search box

#100

Kind of Google to create a market opening for its competitors like this. I hope Kagi, Bing, and DuckDuckGo are taking notes.

I've been using Startpage as my default search engine for a while now for any search where I actually need information and not sales or marketing bullshit.

When I use google, usually from my phone, I am reminded of why I don't use google on desktop.

With the announcement of this move by them, I just manually removed google as an address bar search engine option in all my browsers on desktop and mobile.

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