Live data from Hacker News

The internet is an SEO landfill

docs.sendwithses.com

301–310 of 438 posts

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#301

This is a direct effect of using search engines to navigate the web. If we'd stuck to following links curated by actual people (link-rings and other nice inventions) then we'd have never had this problem in the first place. Unfortunately the garbage is here to stay and the good content is totally drowned in a sea of trash.

Google exists because the web was built without backlinks, according to Jaron Lanier

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#302

I append "reddit" to any query not meant for a productive task. Except now the internet is mostly reddit for me, which kinda bums me out. Especially given the new js-heavy design. In 2019, if I want reliable search about something I know nothing about I must first search on google, then try again with "reddit" appended, then change www.reddit.com to old.reddit.com, then parse through what are often questionable answe…

> then change www.reddit.com to old.reddit.com You can opt-out of the redesign in your settings so www.reddit.com and old.reddit.com both show the old reddit, and you can use new.reddit.com to view new-only pages.

I'm logged out by default and only log in to comment, which is rare. I don't like leaving my username up for display if a friend/family member has to borrow my laptop for something. I've engaged in a couple of communities that are a little more counter-cultural than my peers.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#303

Google any recipe, and there are at least 5 paragraphs (usually a lot more) of copy that no one will ever read, and isn't even meant for human consumption. Google "How to learn x", and you'll usually get copy written by people who know nothing about the subject, and maybe browsed Amazon for 30 minutes as research. Real, useful results that used to be the norm for Google are becoming more and more rare as time goes by…

This starts happening the instant a medium becomes a potential source of revenue. Look at most average TV: endless repetitive nonsense plots, drama, and other filler to serve as a medium for ads.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was really late to the reddit party and only made an account a few years ago. Thought it would be a great technical resource... Every time I had a more advanced question the place seemed to fall flat. You'd go to a very specific sub thinking there should be some informative people but you come to find it's full of people in the same boat as you. They wind up guessing or throwing out whatever to get karma simply bei…

There's some discord channels that host good stuff, with communities that like diving into harder problems 'behind closed doors' so to speak.

I've found discord even worse in terms of cliques and meme spamming. And the closed off walled-garden nature doesn't sit well with me.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#305

Google any recipe, and there are at least 5 paragraphs (usually a lot more) of copy that no one will ever read, and isn't even meant for human consumption. Google "How to learn x", and you'll usually get copy written by people who know nothing about the subject, and maybe browsed Amazon for 30 minutes as research. Real, useful results that used to be the norm for Google are becoming more and more rare as time goes by…

What I don't understand is why Google doesn't hell ban these pages. It seems trivial, at least as a human, to detect them. You don't even need to do this for all of them. Just banning a few hundred will deter everyone else.

What I don't understand is why Google doesn't hell ban these pages

Because Google doesn't have a financial incentive to show you quick, quality answers to you questions.

Google makes more money from you flailing around and fruitlessly searching over and over than giving you the right answer the first time.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was really late to the reddit party and only made an account a few years ago. Thought it would be a great technical resource... Every time I had a more advanced question the place seemed to fall flat. You'd go to a very specific sub thinking there should be some informative people but you come to find it's full of people in the same boat as you. They wind up guessing or throwing out whatever to get karma simply bei…

There's some discord channels that host good stuff, with communities that like diving into harder problems 'behind closed doors' so to speak.

I do visit some niche Discord channels which are well guarded and the help is certainly there. Though, as another poster mentioned and I have said before is Discord allows too much distracting visual fluff. IRC keeps the conversation focused thanks to the lack of said visual fluff. It's also extremely cross platform and isn't hostile to community made clients.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#308

I append "reddit" to any query not meant for a productive task. Except now the internet is mostly reddit for me, which kinda bums me out. Especially given the new js-heavy design. In 2019, if I want reliable search about something I know nothing about I must first search on google, then try again with "reddit" appended, then change www.reddit.com to old.reddit.com, then parse through what are often questionable answe…

Am I the only one who thinks Reddit really sucks? It's a cesspool of kiddie memes, shock, ill informed opinion and political posturing. Besides, if I wanted to search Reddit I'd go to Reddit. It being front page for _everything_ I search for now is so annoying.

I like it.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#309
post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy who posted the story of splicing a 500kW cable wasn't looking for money. He wanted to amuse people and thanks to him we got amused endlessly. The costs of putting things online are $5 per month at Digital Ocean.

> the story of splicing a 500kW cable Do you have a link to this? I've tried googling "splicing a 500kW cable" (and variants) and haven't found much relevant.

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2002/11/engineering-pornography/ is the version I've found.

Re: The internet is an SEO landfill

#310

Google any recipe, and there are at least 5 paragraphs (usually a lot more) of copy that no one will ever read, and isn't even meant for human consumption. Google "How to learn x", and you'll usually get copy written by people who know nothing about the subject, and maybe browsed Amazon for 30 minutes as research. Real, useful results that used to be the norm for Google are becoming more and more rare as time goes by…

Is this the internet we are warned wouldn't exist without pervasive ads and spying?
Post reply on HN