Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

bitbytebit.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

301–310 of 740 posts

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#301

Post by zahlman »

kragen wrote: post #233
MarsIronPI wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought Google always had ads, but at first they were clearly marked and always relevant? Edit: I stand corrected. Ads were added later, but when first introduced they were clearly marked. I got my history wrong.

No, they had no ads for several years. AdWords were introduced in 02000, at which point Google had existed (initially as google.stanford.edu) for four years, since 01996, which was 40% of the amount of time the Web had even existed. I started using Google in probably 01998, when people on Slashdot got excited about how much better their search quality was than AltaVista, but it probably wasn't until 01999 that I swit…

Why the leading zeros on year numbers?

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#302

Post by leakycap »

xp84 wrote: post #171
leakycap wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Mac App Store is such a wasteland. I don't know why Apple doesn't provide it a budget and some real human curation. The average person searching for Microsoft Word, which is on the App Store, gets screens of templates and junky overpriced apps.

I don't know if curation is really the problem. Nearly every other platform has a search that when you search for "Mr Beast" on YouTube or "Elon Musk" on X they know you mean the popular one and not some 2-bit dork's fan page or parody that happens to have those words in the title/keywords. I think they just (A) have no idea what they're doing when it comes to search and (B) the scamware that fills all their App Stor…

> I don't know if curation is really the problem.

A lack of oversight is what I see as the problem, and the solution would require a significant human element.

Expecting a retailer to know/inspect the product they collect margins on shouldn't be a big ask.

The retailer has to know what they're selling, but Apple seems to turn a blind eye to shady listings because of the way Mac App Store results are shown and the lack of useful filtering available to the user.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#304

Post by kragen »

zahlman wrote: post #301
kragen wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they had no ads for several years. AdWords were introduced in 02000, at which point Google had existed (initially as google.stanford.edu) for four years, since 01996, which was 40% of the amount of time the Web had even existed. I started using Google in probably 01998, when people on Slashdot got excited about how much better their search quality was than AltaVista, but it probably wasn't until 01999 that I swit…

Why the leading zeros on year numbers?

Just for fun.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#305

Post by drusepth »

barbazoo wrote: post #26
drusepth wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Piggybacking on to provide a screenshot since I also see no sponsored content and Midjourney is my #1 result, well above the fold. [1] https://i.imgur.com/Oxo4FJl.png

This is exactly what I see with adblock turned on. When turned off, the first two results are ads.

I don't use any adblockers. The results are also the same for me whether I'm logged in or not.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#306

Post by stack_framer »

vunderba wrote: post #243
tokioyoyo wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most web-usage is happening on mobile, and ad-blockers are less common there. So, younger generation is pretty much living through the ads constantly.

Yup. For reference, on Android your best bet is to install Firefox + uBlock Origin. On iOS, I believe Kagi's Orion has built-in content blockers but you can also install uBlock Origin [1]. [1] https://help.kagi.com/orion/browser-extensions/ublock-origin...

Brave is excellent on Android. I watch YouTube all the time with literally zero ads ever.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#307

Post by tejohnso »

I couldn't remember ever seeing anything this bad. So I tried this in my browser and the real midjourney was the first result. Then I remembered I'm using Brave as my default browser, and most people aren't. In all the years I've been using it I've never once regretted it, and every once in a while I get a little reminder like this about how bad ads are on the web. I don't know why it isn't a more popular browser choice.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#308

Post by defrost »

zahlman wrote: post #301
kragen wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they had no ads for several years. AdWords were introduced in 02000, at which point Google had existed (initially as google.stanford.edu) for four years, since 01996, which was 40% of the amount of time the Web had even existed. I started using Google in probably 01998, when people on Slashdot got excited about how much better their search quality was than AltaVista, but it probably wasn't until 01999 that I swit…

Why the leading zeros on year numbers?

So that you ask yourself "Why the leading zeros on year numbers?"

If you like Brian Eno it engaged his curiosity also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_07003:_Bell_Studies_fo...

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#309

Post by Marsymars »

jsheard wrote: post #12

They do the same thing on the Play Store, for example I just searched for Firefox and the first result is a sponsored spot for Opera. Does Apple do that on the App Store? A funnier example: searching for Amazon gives Temu as the first result. Searching for Temu gives Shein as the first result. Searching for Shein gives Shein as the first result! ...but only because they outbid everyone else for the ad spot on their o…

I’ve stopped using either the play/app store to search for apps. I search kagi and then click-through to the appropriate app store.

Re: Everything that's wrong with Google Search in one image

#310

Post by tonmoy »

andrewmutz wrote: post #132
justapassenger wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a very common story in industry. You start nimble, and disrupt bloated platforms. Then, as you grow, pressure grows and you also bloat. Then new company comes that brings nimble product and disrupt you. Search, TV->internet video, newspapers->internet - all of them go through those cycles.

You forgot the main source of pressure: you sell off equity in your company in exchange for cash. The buyers are buying the promise of future profits. At first, you still hold the vast majority of the voting rights, but over time you sell more and more and expectations rise and rise. Eventually you are an organization whose purpose is to return cash to shareholders in the near term. Hence a page full of ads, and no r…

Is that the reason Steam is still loved by users? (not sure how long that’ll last tho)
Post reply on HN