I was using Kagi, but I'm not sure I can justify $10/month for search results that weren't that great. DuckDuckGo is basically Bing. I do love Qwant because their results felt really good to me, but they won't let me use it without an ad blocker.
What's an alternative that gets actually good results?
I committed to using ddg for a couple years, finally quitting about a year back, and I have to agree. I found myself using bangs for nearly every search. Google is absolutely getting worse and fast, but I'm not sure there was ever a point where ddg had better results than Google. After all it's just reheated bing.
Google's slow demise is entirely expected late-stage enshittification.
What is frustrating is that search is mostly a solved problem. Crawling and indexing are solved problems. Fighting adversarial SEO is a continuous task, that Google Search is essentially refusing to perform but is clearly cheap enough for an upstart like Kagi to do reasonably well (their only added-value is the aggregation and filtering of other indexers such as google and mojeek, and let's be honest it's probably 99% google's index powering Kagi).
This shows that the lack of meaningful competition in the space is actually merely a matter of capital. There are too many webpages to scrape, process, and save and nothing short of "indexing almost as much stuff as google" is going to cut it.
In the software world we're used to seeing FOSS alternatives to most things, because software's capital costs are typically almost equal to manpower costs. However for search this doesn't work, just like it historically hasn't worked too well for some really expensive software (such as audiovisual creation tools, with the notable exceptions of Blender and to a lesser extent Krita).
There should be a well-funded non-profit building and providing a high-quality, exhaustive, transparent and open-source indexing service for the world. It definitely sounds possible, and even rather easy in the grand scheme of things. Yet current economic incentives do not favor such models. However I do wonder if there are not options to be explored, such as distributed crawlers or even a distributed index (after looking it up, YaCy seems to be doing just that though at a glance it seems, uh, old and clunky). Or maybe the EU should finally put a real focus on meaningfully funding indigenous FOSS R&D so the enshittification process of American tech giants doesn't crush us as well.
For what? DDG results are just as bad, if not worse.
Ironically I find myself using Bing more often than not, for it's Copilot AI. It has a tendency to just repeat the same incorrect information when it can't find what you want, but it's still better than anything I get from a search engine, that is, not without adding site:reddit.com to my queries, and for obvious reasons, I don't want to have to keep doing that.
Please share your secret. What magical unknown search engine are you using that is immune to AI-generated nonsense?
DuckDuckGo primarily uses Bing results, mixed with a few other smaller sources. Kagi (paid) uses AI, but in a way that benefits the user, not the advertiser. They were an early adopter of AI.
It's because these are two idiots trying to sound smart. I have used pre-2015 searches, because sometime between 2009-2016 is when SEO in general started being used. The AI generation just kicked it into high gear. Stuff before 2015 at least appears to offer information that isn't just reworded lists of advertisements.
Who exactly this is for. When I'm searching for stuff on the internet I'm searching for information I don't care if it was written by a human or not.
Perhaps it's more useful if you're looking for actual articles but I'm generally looking for manuals or documentation, both of which are perfectly fine to be written by AI as long as they work.
You've never searched something and when you clicked on something that looked relevant it turns out to be a garbage bin full of basic loosely-related and barely-formatted information not pertaining much to your search?
Though lately when I search for things it's usually something somewhat niche and google just fails to give me the specific topic and instead shows more popular/general things with somewhat similar terms unless I start adding quotes. Date isn't fixing that.
I didn't exactly write them down, but for the first one I've had it happen a few times and I'm pretty sure once I was looking something up about gardening (probably some specific thing about peppers or tomato) and something looked like a guide but it was just lots of very basic information about a lot of plants on a no-design page with a wall of text (like chopping up real pages and mashing them all together into one that will get a lot of hits).
The second thing has happened more recently with technical stuff, like if I search anything about vertex colors it isn't guaranteed to be relevant. I also searched for something else technical and one of the things popping up was some Korean TV show (drama?) with one of the keywords as its name (in a somewhat odd way).
I wanted to know recently how the ancient Greeks tracked years, but I couldn’t find shit. I got months in various parts of greece, regnal years in Rome, Egypt, and China, and AUC in Rome (from the founding of the city) and AM (anno mundi) for the Jewish calendar.
Depends on the human. Sometimes you'll find engineering manuals and they look like they've been translated from Korean into English by someone dyslexic and couldn't speak either language.
Are you for real? I also use search engines to find manuals or documentation, if I want to know how to open a jar I want to see something like, "Twist jar lid counterclockwise with firm grip for opening." Instead, with the internet as it has now become, I get:
"Opening a jar might seem like a trivial task, but mastering this skill can save you from frustration and potentially embarrassing moments. Whether it's a jar of pickles or a jar of pasta sauce, the techniques for opening them remain largely the same. In this guide, we will explore the art of jar opening, providing a comprehensive step-by-step guide that anyone can follow.
The first step in the jar opening process is to ensure that you have a firm grip on both the jar and the lid. Holding the jar securely with one hand will provide stability and prevent it from slipping. Meanwhile, using your other hand to grasp the lid firmly will give you the leverage needed to twist it open. This initial grip is crucial, as it sets the foundation for the rest of the opening process.
With a secure grip established, the next step is to begin twisting the lid counterclockwise. This motion may seem straightforward, but it requires a combination of strength and finesse. Applying too much force can result in the lid becoming stuck even tighter, while too little force will yield no progress at all. Finding the right balance is key, and it may take some trial and error to get it just right.
If the lid proves to be particularly stubborn, there are a few tricks you can try to loosen it. One common method is to tap the lid gently on a solid surface, such as a countertop or table. This action helps to break the seal between the lid and the jar, making it easier to twist off. Alternatively, you can try running the lid under hot water for a few seconds. The heat causes the metal to expand slightly, further aiding in the loosening process.
Persistence is key when it comes to opening a stubborn jar. If your initial attempts are unsuccessful, don't be afraid to try again. Sometimes, a fresh approach or a little extra force is all it takes to break the seal. However, it's important to exercise caution and avoid using excessive force, as this can result in injury or damage to the jar.
Once the lid begins to loosen, continue twisting it counterclockwise until it comes off completely. This may require multiple rotations, so be patient and persistent. As the lid loosens, you may hear a satisfying pop as the seal is broken, indicating that you're on the right track.
With the lid successfully removed, you can now enjoy the contents of the jar to your heart's content. Whether it's a delicious spread for your morning toast or a savory addition to your favorite recipe, the possibilities are endless. Just be sure to securely reseal the jar after each use to maintain freshness and prevent spills.
In conclusion, opening a jar may seem like a simple task, but it requires a combination of strength, finesse, and patience. By following the steps outlined in this essay, anyone can master the art of jar opening and conquer even the most stubborn lids. So the next time you're faced with a tightly sealed jar, remember these techniques and approach the challenge with confidence."
I cannot stress enough how much this reads exactly like every bot-written tutorial ever. They spend pages beating around the bush and filling the site with useless word-salad, and if you ever have a slightly unconventional problem, you can be positive that it will not even be mentioned in the guide.
I used it for my job when I'm troubleshooting Windows or some software. The AI websites generally just have the same script over and over where I when I was able to find the forum/blog post it was more helpful.
The year is 2235, and the warp drive has been invented. I go to search Google for the latest news on the tech but remember this old bit of advice from an old meme that was floating around almost 2 centuries ago I saw once while lurking in the Ancient Memes community. All I find are things taken from fiction. Only about 25% are factually accurate.
This has the bonus side effect of being able to ignore any news that happened since 2023 to gaslight yourself into thinking that we're not all living in a hellscape of a world
The new episode of the Better Offline podcast is the first in a three part series on the death of the web. I'm halfway through and would recommend it. It's a good show just in general.
That's what inevitably happens when you give a mega corp like Google all of that power over you, your life, and your data by simply using their products. Ultimately, they then get to decide who you are and how you act. And it's in their benefit to shape everything, including you, in their corporate image.
People don't notice how much they're getting fucked on an individual basis until the consequences of the actions of millions or billions of people adds up and comes back around in the form of something stupid and obvious like Manifest V3, SEO everywhere, WEI, or the doublespeak "privacy sandbox" comes to bite you in the ass. Enshittification everywhere and even then most people still don't care.
We're their cattle and we're choosing to walk into a slaughterhouse with our eyes wide open. In more ways than one. As fun as the game is, I really do not want to actually live in Cyberpunk.
