• Tibert@jlai.lu
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    33
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    This is worse than what the title says. It doesn’t after the search results. It changes the search terms you inputed.

    It completely deletes what you put, to replace it (without anyone noticing it) with similar search words, but to get money from a brand or make you buy from that brand.

    And when you buy or click on links, Google makes money because advertising and partnership.

    Say you search for “children’s clothing.” Google converts it, without your knowledge, to a search for “NIKOLAI-brand kidswear,” making a behind-the-scenes substitution of your actual query with a different query that just happens to generate more money for the company

    First, the generated results to the latter query are more likely to be shopping-oriented, triggering your subsequent behavior much like the candy display at a grocery store’s checkout

    Second, that latter query will automatically generate the keyword ads placed on the search engine results page by stores like TJ Maxx, which pay Google every time you click on them. In short, it’s a guaranteed way to line Google’s pockets.

  • simulacra_simulacrum@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    1 year ago

    I never noticed this before, but trying a few random searches does generate links to purchase tangential items. Freaky yet unsurprising from Google.

  • gr522x@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 year ago

    Using an advertising company for anything and expecting objective results is a bit ridiculous. Use DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, MetaGer, anything but Google.

        • N3Cr0@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          It offers better results to me than Google does. Especially the image search.

          IMHO the only controversial thing is that duckduckgo also lists reddit posts - which I’d actually like to avoid.

          • Tibert@jlai.lu
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            7
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            I’m not talking about duckduckgo. Don’t use duckduck.com. Use duckduckgo.com

            And for reddit posts, as much as I want Lemmy to succeed, I cannot ignore reddit.

            Sometimes an answer I’m looking for is there hidded between useless comments (if it hasn’t been deleted or overwritten by the user).

        • Docus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          7
          ·
          1 year ago
          1. Why?

          2. Google sure as hell does not lead to the desired result, so don’t use that?

  • Steve@communick.news
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Use Kagi

    The only way to be sure your search is working for you and not advertisers, is to be the one that pays for it.

    Even DuckDuckGo is still based on ad’s.