Every Google result now looks like an ad • Hacker News Board

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#971

Post by joelthelion » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 12:56 PM UTC

laichzeit0 wrote: post #965

joelthelion wrote: post #932

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to be that guy, but have you considered moving to another search engine? For example, DuckDuckGo is very decent once you adapt to it. And for the few cases where you absolutely need Google to read your mind, just add "!g" to your query and you're automatically there.

The thing which I use Google most for is typing some random place’s name in and it gives me that little card which shows how busy it typically is, what time it’s open, directions, contact number, etc. DDG just gives me a search result and 90% of the time that’s not what I want. I’m looking for information, not a list of URLs.

You can go straight to Google Maps for that. Or use the "!gm" bang in ddg :)

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#972

Post by mam2 » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 12:59 PM UTC

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #107

mam2 wrote: post #54

They also kinda build the web though

Wait wait wait, everyone! I really want /u/mam2 to expand on this. Why do you feel they built the web?

If you prefer they contributed more than any other compagny.

Alos, it may not be true anymore these days, but google was one of the most efficient and yet least "commercial" (i.e. ads were not that bad) back in the days..

the funniest is that the people who disagree with me saying google built the web are the one criticizing google for "destroying the web" when they are only destroying their website. the conginitive dissonance is off the chart.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#973

Post by SmellyGeekBoy » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 1:00 PM UTC

puranjay wrote: post #729

ddingus wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google = the new Yelp

That's what happens when MBAs and not engineers run your tech company

To be fair this exact behaviour has been happening since pretty much day 1, Google no longer being run by engineers is a very recent development.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#974

Post by onefuncman » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 1:21 PM UTC

hirako2000 wrote: post #926

tripzilch wrote: post #860

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Internet feels more hostile than it used to. It's not Internet, it's software. You can really feel it when switching from Android to LineageOS, or from Windows to Linux. It's the difference between software where "you are the product" and software that has been created to serve the user , to be the best tool it can be. I'm not talking about UX in the sense that open source software can sometimes feel clunky and unf…

Amen. You haven't tried snapchat btw. It keeps getting worse. I'm sure many of us in here are feeling like dinosaurs, unable to fit in.

I installed an SSH client on my phone and my life instantly got better.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#975

Post by shirak_untel » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 1:46 PM UTC

Google proves more often that it transitioned from being user-centric to being money-centric. It'd do anything to make more money.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#976

Post by jocro » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 2:00 PM UTC

Guest0918231 wrote: post #252

It's funny, because if you run AdSense on your website, Google has very strict guidelines about not misleading users and making a clear distinction between advertisements and your content. However, when Google shows ads on their site, they don't need to follow those rules, they blend them in as closely as possible. Also, what's the deal with showing an advertisement for the same result that's number one? See the belo…

Fully agreed - and the necessity for the client here can't be overstated: was doing some research into nearby apartment buildings and searching the exact name of the building I was looking for returned an ad with their neighboring competitor as the top result, above the site of the building I was looking for.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#977

Post by tripzilch » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 2:06 PM UTC

bananabreakfast wrote: post #944

tripzilch wrote: post #860

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Internet feels more hostile than it used to. It's not Internet, it's software. You can really feel it when switching from Android to LineageOS, or from Windows to Linux. It's the difference between software where "you are the product" and software that has been created to serve the user , to be the best tool it can be. I'm not talking about UX in the sense that open source software can sometimes feel clunky and unf…

I think you're definitely misunderstanding what Instagram is. I'm not saying it isn't user hostile and full of ads, because it definitely is, but you're complaining about all the wrong things. All of those things you're complaining about are conscious design choices and have been from the very beginning. Instagram is not some generic photo sharing software that tries to be open and modular and integrate with everythi…

And Twitter was a service to share SMS text messages of max 140 characters.

I understand that what you describe is what Instagram was, but given what they have both become, they actually have little functional difference.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#978

Post by tripzilch » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 2:08 PM UTC

hirako2000 wrote: post #926

tripzilch wrote: post #860

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Internet feels more hostile than it used to. It's not Internet, it's software. You can really feel it when switching from Android to LineageOS, or from Windows to Linux. It's the difference between software where "you are the product" and software that has been created to serve the user , to be the best tool it can be. I'm not talking about UX in the sense that open source software can sometimes feel clunky and unf…

Amen. You haven't tried snapchat btw. It keeps getting worse. I'm sure many of us in here are feeling like dinosaurs, unable to fit in.

I did try snapchat but I couldn't stand it, I only had one contact (and "Team Snapchat"! yay) and ultimately got rid of it.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#979

Post by tripzilch » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 2:08 PM UTC

onefuncman wrote: post #974

hirako2000 wrote: post #926

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amen. You haven't tried snapchat btw. It keeps getting worse. I'm sure many of us in here are feeling like dinosaurs, unable to fit in.

I installed an SSH client on my phone and my life instantly got better.

In fairness, this applies equally to all things one can install SSH clients on.

Re: Every Google result now looks like an ad

#980

Post by dangerface » Thu, Jan 23, 2020, 2:25 PM UTC

cytzol wrote: post #26

I've been in this A/B test for a couple of months now, so I've had time to adjust, and I still hate it. I've just become so used to seeing the complete URL in green. The complete URL! If you hover over the results, you'll see that they like to take bits like numeric components or the query string out. This is part of Google's attempt to de-prioritise the URL. Their destructive AMP service confusingly shows you Google…

> I've been in this A/B test for a couple of months now, so I've had time to adjust, and I still hate it.

I have been trying to switch from google to duckduckgo for years but its only the past few months that I have been successful and I have google to thank for that.