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Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

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Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#341

Post by userbinator »

heavyset_go wrote: post #53
DeathArrow wrote: post #38

Google used to be good at one point in time. Now its search results aren't very relevant, it returns what it thinks it should interest you, not what you've actually searched for. It doesn't matter if you do a verbatim search, it will still try to be smart and use alternative terms.

This can be aggravating when you're looking up an error message or exception that follows the same format as other errors.

Error codes are even worse. If I'm looking for 1234, I do NOT want results for 1235 or 1233.

In trying to be smart, it becomes worse than retarded. I guess it could be called the "uncanny valley" of AI.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#342

Post by pseudo0 »

_fnhr wrote: post #257
notreallyserio wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you looking for the article on scienceblog or here on HN? Those are the first two results I get from Google when using the quoted string.

Google, when used with double quotes and exact title, finds aggregator sites, but I was simulating looking for the original: https://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2020/07/08/politics-i... Here is one more, search: Ten Elements of the False COVID Narrative Google: nowhere Brave: first result And it's not like Google just didn't index the site, it works for topics that are "less controversial", search: Universal Clock…

Weird, the first example appears nowhere in my first three pages of my Google results, but the Ten Elements one is result #1.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#343

Post by NoGravitas »

jeroenhd wrote: post #195

You know what, I welcome a new search provider, even if it's by a cryptocurrency company. I'd rather see Qwant succeed, but their search is having trouble competing with even duckduckgo. What I don't see is where Brave gets its image search results from. After Microsoft blatantly started serving the CCP by blocking queries for "tank man", which as far as I know they've never actually apologised for, just explained it…

I'd honestly rather have a search provider run by the CPC than by a cryptocurrency company, though naturally I'd prefer neither.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#344

Post by NoGravitas »

skinkestek wrote: post #176

I'm actually tempted to start using Brave. I'm still holding out with Firefox despite Mozilla trying very hard to get rid of us (to the point where the thought has struck me more than once if the current CEO of Mozilla is in the pocket of Google). If at some point the last competing mainstream browser engine is gone I'll probably go for Brave and I might start testing it this week.

Brave is just Chromium with a cryptocurrency scam bolted on to it. I'm unhappy with Firefox's ad-related changes recently, but Brave is definitely not an option. If it came to it, I'd use a WebKit browser — objectively worse, but not clearly compromised.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#345

Post by yonaguska »

that_guy_iain wrote: post #332
LMYahooTFY wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read this as "Google is perfectly capable of determining the truth". Moving from an era of media oligopoly into the internet age was very hopeful IMO, and now it's bottlenecked by even fewer companies.

> I read this as "Google is perfectly capable of determining the truth". Well, OP was the one that defined the info they were looking for as misinformation as far as I can tell. And then I stated I could find offical sources for politcs and COVID. These are not Google's opinions but simply a fact. WHO, RKI, CDC, etc are all offical sources of information for COVID, etc. This is not them define what is true or false b…

Nope, I'm not looking for misinformation. I said that Google's attempts at combatting misinformation often hinders my searches. Oftentimes, I'll be looking for a pre-print or something from a scientific journal that is tangentially related to Covid, but Google will basically spam the official CDC, WHO, and news articles urging people to get vaccinated.

For any political news, sometimes I'll be looking to verify a story I remember reading from a few days or weeks past, or I'm looking to do my own fact check of a claim...and I'll find that several mainstream news sources will have republished the same story(not the one I'm looking for), unrelated to whatever claim I'm checking- similar only in sharing a keyword or person of interest- and Google rewards this behavior by pushing the trusted organizations to the top of my searches. It's like forum sliding, except it's search. Then using ddg or brave, the story that I'm looking for will often be the first result.

It's a very insidious antipattern, because it's hard to even know if your perception is being actively screwed with.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#346

Post by BowBun »

mrtksn wrote: post #223
BowBun wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems somewhat natural, at least to me. Imagine you're talking to your friend, and you say the exact same thing you tell Google: "North Korea DHL". They're not going to have any idea what you're talking about (they can guess) - do you want to ship something there? Are you making a comment/observation? A business opportunity? Your friend would probably ask clarifying questions to narrow down what you're talking a…

It's possible that my habits don't represent how the general population uses the search. I've read that many people are asking questions, not simply searching for keyword and as a result Google tries to optimize for that. But then again, when I ask questions it's also hit and miss for me. I also no longer get good navigation suggestion from Google Maps, maybe my constant frustration with Google lately is pushing me t…

I think you're right with both points - most technology isn't designed for tech-savvy people like you and me, AND technology that tries to predict human intent is doomed to fail.

When you want build a 'smart' system in the absence of true AI (which does not exist), the only real solution is to build a product for the majority, or support configuration for everyone. The latter seems pretty tough for a search engine. That being said, the advanced search features are just that, an attempt to give the 5% the control they need to do what they want. Whether it works or not is another story.

It doesn't really excuse that the product fails you as a user, but at least it's a reasonable explanation (IMO). As I wrote this, I started thinking about plumbers/electricians going to a hardware store or interacting with electric/plumbing products designed for the general population. I'm sure they feel similar frustrations!

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#347

Post by NoGravitas »

_han wrote: post #267
moystard wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The latter is still valid for Ethereum until the update to ETH v2 and Proof of Stake is live. We are not there yet.

When is this expected to go live? I thought we'd be there by now.

It's been "coming soon" for years. It's basically just a greenwashing tactic that never has to be delivered on.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#348

Post by NoGravitas »

blinding-streak wrote: post #317
skinkestek wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hostility towards users asking questions as seen in the tabstrip API bug. (A really simple thing that I fix on a weekly basis in 4 minutes every time I restart Firefox but somehow next to impossible for Mozilla. Although I should admit they are making it harder and harder for me as well.) Pushing Pocket (which is nice and could have become a nice source of income from users like me who wants to support the browser) i…

Also spending years and millions of dollars on Firefox OS, a totally futile gesture.

I dunno. I've been really tempted to get a KaiOS phone lately (trying to get away from smartphone, but can't go full dumb-phone yet). I'd probably have sprung for it if I could find a Nokia 8110 4G, in black, that worked with US carriers other than AT&T.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#349

Post by twobitshifter »

rglullis wrote: post #274
twobitshifter wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think we’ve seen how Google can kneecap it’s open source products with Android, taking more and more portions into closed source. Why won’t they take the same step with chromium if Microsoft edge and Brave become too popular?

In your example, Chrome is to Android as Chromium is to AOSP. They can not close the Chromium parts, much like they can not close the AOSP parts. Having MS Edge and Brave becoming too popular would be akin to getting LineageOS, /e/OS to mainstream, and it is exactly my point: no matter how much that would be against Google's interests, there is nothing they can do about it.

Lineage and e are both at a disadvantage because of a lack of Google play integration which makes banking apps among others not function. People can hack around this but the OS will never end up mainstream as a result.

To do the same to chromium, all Google would need to do is make YouTube rely on some proprietary DRM that’s not in Chromium and everyone will end up switching back to chrome. Brave isn’t large enough that Google cares to swat them away, but since they control the underlying project they have ways to neuter chromium.

Re: Brave Search replaces Google as default search engine in the Brave browser

#350

Post by skymt »

bradleyankrom wrote: post #300
amelius wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I really wish a search engine would empower me to provide a URL ban list that gets applied server-side instead of filtering on the front end (if anything). The irony is that Google wants all our information "to improve our user experience", except they don't want our ban lists.

I can’t remember if it was a former feature of Google search or a Chrome extension, but that capability used to be available in Chrome. w3schools was on that list, among other republishers and whatnot. Loved it. Maybe someone else can augment my hazy recollection.

You're probably thinking of "Personal Blocklist", an official Chrome extension developed by Google. It's no longer available.

https://www.ghacks.net/2010/03/18/blacklist-google-search-re...

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