I've heard Australians say this about their northern territories.

It sounds like you're implying you wouldn't have had to install it without this news breaking. Is that the case? I'm curious about this topic if you care to elaborate. What is a bolt press machine? How has this news affected you?

As often as I hear others with the opposite opinion, my experience is very similar to yours. If I want to find the answer to a question fast, I just use Google. If I'm just browsing a new topic, I try DDG first and much of the time end up using Google anyway.

As someone who's only recently heard of SearXNG, why searx and not SearXNG?

Exactly. I watch a lot of YouTubers who don't really like having to make clickbait, but it's the algorithm that promotes it, so they need to conform to what works.