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DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

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Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#31

Post by Fire-Dragon-DoL »

NayamAmarshe wrote: post #9
shawn_w wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a lot of links to local businesses that have nothing to do with what I'm searching for. DDG has really dropped off in quality over the last couple of years. I'm about ready to try that paid search engine that keeps being mentioned here on HN.

I've been using Brave Search for years and it's fantastic. I haven't used Google since and it supports Bangs! like DDG. It's free so you can give it a try.

How to make sure Brave (the browser) gets some money if I'm not using their search engine? (I use Kagi)

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#32

Post by stanislavb »

NayamAmarshe wrote: post #9
shawn_w wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a lot of links to local businesses that have nothing to do with what I'm searching for. DDG has really dropped off in quality over the last couple of years. I'm about ready to try that paid search engine that keeps being mentioned here on HN.

I've been using Brave Search for years and it's fantastic. I haven't used Google since and it supports Bangs! like DDG. It's free so you can give it a try.

I still use Google; however, Brave Search has been my default and it is good in most cases. Better than Bing (and DDG).

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#33

Post by Raed667 »

jojohohanon wrote: post #3

I am confused. Ddg is a web search engine. So for Mac seems like a type error. The linked page tells you that they are hiring, and how to install the project, but /not what it is/.

Having worked in this space, you'd be amazed how the average user confuses search engine, browser and app.

It makes sense for anything that wants to compete with Google to also offer a desktop and mobile a browser.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#34

Post by djaychela »

shawn_w wrote: post #7
0xbadcafebee wrote: post #2

Has anyone else noticed 99% of DDG search results are now AI spam? I can't look for anything on DDG anymore, it's 100 pages of "Table of Contents" questions/answers by AI. It's like when recipe blogs took over the internet, but worse now, because I can't even get a reliable answer now.

I get a lot of links to local businesses that have nothing to do with what I'm searching for. DDG has really dropped off in quality over the last couple of years. I'm about ready to try that paid search engine that keeps being mentioned here on HN.

I've started using Kagi for any "important" searches and I have to say it works very well, quite a contrast to what DDG has now become.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#35

Post by NayamAmarshe »

HKH2 wrote: post #14
NayamAmarshe wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using Brave Search for years and it's fantastic. I haven't used Google since and it supports Bangs! like DDG. It's free so you can give it a try.

It's not good for images, unfortunately. Bing is way better for images.

Yes, for images I just do !gi

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#36

Post by NayamAmarshe »

mattl wrote: post #22
NayamAmarshe wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using Brave Search for years and it's fantastic. I haven't used Google since and it supports Bangs! like DDG. It's free so you can give it a try.

Did Brave give up on their cryptocurrency stuff?

They've kinda realized that it's not going anywhere. So now they're focusing on products that can earn them revenue. Like AI features and search ads.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#37

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

falcor84 wrote: post #10
ergonaught wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://duckduckgo.com/mac You'll never guess the one trick I used to find that. They don't want you to know.

Note that this page triggers a download - which is quite rude on their behalf - apparently there's no page on their site where you can read about the browser before deciding whether you may want to download it.

If you write an app that references that link, Apple will not approve it for the App Store (less of a requirement for Mac, than iOS).

I ran into this with Zoom. If you follow a Zoom conference link, it automatically starts downloading the Zoom client. I wrote an app that helps folks find Zoom meetings.

I was forced to add code that intercepts callouts to Safari, that access Zoom conferences, and show an alert, instead, asking the user to download the app.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#38

Post by mrweasel »

landolix wrote: post #19
0xbadcafebee wrote: post #2

Has anyone else noticed 99% of DDG search results are now AI spam? I can't look for anything on DDG anymore, it's 100 pages of "Table of Contents" questions/answers by AI. It's like when recipe blogs took over the internet, but worse now, because I can't even get a reliable answer now.

I thought DDG was a skin for bing? Maybe that's a bing issue.

Could be, but I don't think so, because I use Ecosia, which is even more of a Bing skin than DDG. DDG adds some of their own flair into the mix, but Ecosia is pretty much just Bing I believe. In any case I don't feel like I'm getting much in the way of AI spam. For the few searches I do try on Google, I think it's safe to say that Ecosia/Bing is now a better search engine that Google.

Realistically I think it has more to do with the terms your searching for, and not necessarily if one search engine is worse hit by spam, AI or otherwise.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#39

Post by mrweasel »

szastamasta wrote: post #25
SG- wrote: post #12

is this based on an existing engine/framework or something new?

It’s JSC + Webkit => so it’s just Safari in disguise

Is that not like saying that Brave, Orion, Vivaldi, Edge and Opera are just Chrome in disguise? I mean I wouldn't disagree necessarily.

Re: DuckDuckGo for Mac is now open source

#40

Post by szastamasta »

mrweasel wrote: post #39
szastamasta wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s JSC + Webkit => so it’s just Safari in disguise

Is that not like saying that Brave, Orion, Vivaldi, Edge and Opera are just Chrome in disguise? I mean I wouldn't disagree necessarily.

Yeah, I mean they are all different when it comes to tools around web page itself, but compatibility & web performance will be similar to the rendering/js engine.
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