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this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2023
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Honestly the biggest issue is all the garbage websites using SEO to try to be at the top of the results without having actual meaningful content.
It seems like whenever I search for a problem, a bunch of websites come up with pages dedicated to that exact issue, but all of fixes are generic and don't actually help. And that whole website will be filled with pages like that, pages that claim to have solutions for specific problems but lack any content of substance. Add in paywalls to access sites, that lawsuit to have google remove the "view image button" from image results, and websites like Pinterest that require an account before you can view anything. People were relying on content from websites like reddit to get actual real answers to searches, and now reddit is looking at getting itself removed from google search as well.
I don't think it's that Google is specifically getting worse, but rather that the internet is becoming an increasingly unhelpful place where everyone is competing to sell you answers and drive clicks.
@Fubarberry what you're describing is happening too.
But Google will no longer even show me results for certain things I know are there. It serves me shitty corporate bs with "no further results found" and I have to go to them manually or ddg.
That's why I switched.
This was the main thing that made me switch to another engine, too. It's very obvious that Google hides certain results in addition to sponsoring others, and I don't want a profit-driven corporation deciding what I can and can't see (or anyone, if I can help it). On a larger scale, it's terrifying how much power over our culture via access to information this gives Google. I'm just glad there are still better options for me to choose from.
@Lith
It really is. For example, Google algorithm targeting is the reason why the Do yOuR oWn ReSeaRch crowd seem to think that the weird anti science conspiracy theories are actually the main conclusions researchers would come to.