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How I Use Kagi

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Re: How I Use Kagi

#271

Post by slow_typist »

slow_typist wrote: post #217
jwr wrote: post #12

Unfortunately, Kagi works with Russian companies and pays them money, which in my book is a no-no. I do not want any of my money to contribute to the Russian economy in any way, because I know what is happening to people in Ukraine. (I was a Kagi subscriber, no more, because of this)

These are EU imports from Russia in 2024 in the energy sector alone: 52 bcm gas to 10 EU countries 13 million tonnes oil to 3 EU countries 2800 tonnes enriched uranium/fuel to 7 EU countries Source: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/repowereu-roadmap_en

Inevitably at least one person downvoted this. Predictably so in a thread where people feel entitled to state what "most Europeans want". I am European. Of course I want this war to end today. The idea that a consumer who searches with Kagi is responsible for the war is just … misleading. This is not a question of "picking your battles". Establishment of a fair business model for search could even prevent future wars.

I wanted to point out that holding Kagi to your believed highest standards does lead to moral inconsistencies on a very material level if other providers of commodities are not held to the same standards.

That is not whataboutism.

Now - if you are European and still feel like downvoting me - go to the next MEP‘s local office first and ask them what they do about the facts stated in my first post. After that you are cordially invited to come back and still downvote my posts. Literally any of my posts. Oh you don’t know the address? Try the search engine of choice but don’t think to hard about the global implications of doing so…

Re: How I Use Kagi

#272

Post by adham-omran »

Kagi has been a great asset for the past year, their support team is phenomenal and responsive. The result quality is great and have seen co-workers eyeing the service because of what they've seen.

Re: How I Use Kagi

#273

Post by nulld3v »

throw123xz wrote: post #202
dingnuts wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh you're taking a moral stance? So how do you get by without search? Because surely Google and Microsoft have many other moral problems, likely even the same ones. But you're morally pure so you use no search at all right?

You can install an adblocker and Google/Microsoft end up losing money if you use them. You can't stop Kagi from sending money to Yandex, unless of course you stop using Kagi.

One big reason to use alternative search engines like Kagi is to try to break the search engine monopoly. A bit of a tangent, but I would argue that if search became revenue-neutral, Google would still continue to support and promote it. Control over search is incredibly valuable.

Re: How I Use Kagi

#274

Post by plqbfbv »

McDyver wrote: post #166
freediver wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kagi founder here. I notice you bring this up consistently in Kagi discussions. A search engine's job is to deliver the best possible results. We evaluate API sources on search quality, not geopolitics. Yandex represents 2% of our costs but contributes meaningfully to search quality - removing it would harm all users while having minimal economic impact. We've used their API since 2019 and evaluate all sources purely…

> The moment politics influences search results is the moment we stop being a search engine. Everything is politics, whether you acknowledge it or not. And right now you are taking a political stance.

> Everything is politics, whether you acknowledge it or not. And right now you are taking a political stance.

No, not everything is politics.

Kagi is a well-made tool, and part of the reason why it works so well is exactly because it tries not to be political. Thanks to the founder's reply, we know it ranks its sources based on utility to its users. Part of being a search engine is allowing the users to be exposed to all the information available on a given topic. The user decides how to use the tool.

I am (as many europeans) against the war that Russia started against Ukraine, but that shouldn't prevent me from looking into what Russia is saying about it should I desire to do so, and having the Yandex integration means that I, the user, am in control whether I want to click on the Yandex result or not, but at least I'm aware it exists. If the platform would decide to shut out Yandex, it wouldn't make the problem disappear, it would just remove your awareness and knowledge of it.

Re: How I Use Kagi

#275

Post by moebrowne »

Tadpole9181 wrote: post #241
jszymborski wrote: post #192

So is it truly the case that I can now pay for Kagi without my searches being associated to my account? And I dont mean by scouts pledge, but I recall reading something about anonymous crypto tokens? I'd consider getting an account if so.

Privacy pass exists, but is limited to 1,500 tokens per month (3, batches of 500). Furthermore, they do not allow disabling safe search or customizing the results in any way (including your block lists) when using it. Also, since they are the token signer, make sure you use a different IP to get tokens signed / when logged in, otherwise the traffic for the "private" searches is trivially reversible. So... Kinda usele…

> Furthermore, they do not allow disabling safe search or customizing the results in any way (including your block lists) when using it.

You make out like this is a bad thing, implementing these features would undermine your anonymity. It's explained in detail in their announcement blog: https://blog.kagi.com/kagi-privacy-pass#:~:text=If%20Kagi,pe...

Re: How I Use Kagi

#276

Post by [deleted] »

i_love_retros wrote: post #150
GoatInGrey wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cancelled my kagi subscription upon seeing this response. I donate to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia. I lost a family member to Russian artillery as well while providing medical aid to civilians. I very much do not want my dollars to fund the very thing that my donations are intended to defend against. I'm going to assume you run a similar policy with Chinese search providers. After seeing Chinese warships of…

[flagged]

[deleted]

Re: How I Use Kagi

#277

Post by xigoi »

cosmicgadget wrote: post #227
mebizzle wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then get your ass off of the internet because there as so many commercial entities profiting off of every bit of your use.

Joke's on them, I'm using private browsing mode. Hackerman

“Private” browsing mode is a misleading name. It only protects you from other people looking at your search history, not from online tracking.

Re: How I Use Kagi

#278

Post by laacz »

jwr wrote: post #12

Unfortunately, Kagi works with Russian companies and pays them money, which in my book is a no-no. I do not want any of my money to contribute to the Russian economy in any way, because I know what is happening to people in Ukraine. (I was a Kagi subscriber, no more, because of this)

This thread's responses are a classic whataboutism. Instead of addressing this particular issue, people address others. I support motion for Kagi to drop Yandex integration, because of the reasons cited.

Re: How I Use Kagi

#279

Post by xigoi »

cosmicgadget wrote: post #231
Ar-Curunir wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you talking about the United States? Like, yes, the Russian regime is awful, but how are you looking around at the the world and not applying the same standards to the US?

Can we just stop at the "yes the Russian regime (and oligarchy and substantial popular support) is awful" part? Because that is really all you need to reasonably boycott Yandex. Is it good to be ideologically consistent? Absolutely! Is it required? Not if you're aiming to reduce the amount of evil in the world. Redirecting discussion about Russia's shittiness to a criticism of the US is a dumb propaganda tactic that…

The point is, if you boycott Yandex because of Russia, then in order to be morally consistent, you should also boycott Google and Bing. At that point, what search engines do you have left?

Re: How I Use Kagi

#280

Post by xigoi »

lvl155 wrote: post #203

I go to Kagi to try it out. Asks me to sign in to do search. That’s just a bad onboarding experience.

Kagi is a paid service. Allowing random people to search for free would defeat the point and make them go bankrupt.
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