this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
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Technology

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[–] ffmike@beehaw.org 21 points 2 years ago (2 children)

In addition to making it easier to find authentic perspectives, we're also improving how we rank results in Search overall, with a greater focus on content with unique expertise and experience. Last year, we launched the helpful content system to show more content made for people, and less content made to attract clicks. In the coming months, we’ll roll out an update to this system that more deeply understands content created from a personal or expert point of view, allowing us to rank more of this useful information on Search.

That seems like just a step in the inevitable AI arms race.

[–] Boe6@beehaw.org 21 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Yeah but if this is what it takes to get a recipe search result that isnt 50 ads and a 5 page essay before the actual content, I ain't going to complain.

[–] ffmike@beehaw.org 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

This is why I use DuckDuckGo instead of Google, and Firefox with a few selected extensions that ensure I almost never see an ad. I would be shocked if Google enabled any long-term ad-free experience.

[–] wet_lettuce@beehaw.org 3 points 2 years ago

As crappy as googles results seem to have gotten over the last year, anytime I try to set my browser default search to anything else, I end up irritated and going back to Google for 50% of my searches(maybe even more ). Bing is fairly decent, but if the goal is privacy...

The alternative search engines just always lack the context--ehich presumably google has from me by pilfering my information for the last 2 decades.

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

They’re talking about the ads on the site, not on Google.

Basically saying if this helps them find sites that focus on content and not extracting profit, they won’t have an issue with it.

[–] ffmike@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago

Yep, I get it. Effectively block ads and javascript and it doesn't much matter what a site wants to do. I skip the few that have actually effective paywalls (as opposed to just putting a div over content on the page - as far as I'm concerned, if it's downloaded to my computer, I am allowed to read it). Of course, the sites that load up on ads tend to be pretty low-quality content anyhow.

[–] discodoubloon@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Shit ChatGPT is a better recipe writer than 99% of people.

[–] ozoned@beehaw.org 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They gonna include my perspective that Google has helped foment discord in society and has helped strip away any type of privacy we had online while attempting to turn us into mindless addicted drones that just click and buy so they can make another cent?

[–] z3n0x@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

Narrator: they won’t

[–] blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk 10 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] haxe11@beehaw.org 9 points 2 years ago

Google has a bad reputation for killing its own products, to be sure. This is a part of Search, though, so I think less likely to die. If the results are terrible, and users don't click on them, I bet you are right!

[–] itmightbethew@beehaw.org 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I hear that digital storefronts are catering to search engines more than people. I can imagine people wanting to ootimize their answers the same way for all kinds of reasons. Unless google is very careful (lol) bots will end up spewing malicious answers across the first page of google search.

[–] Catsrules@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Also many "prospectives" are just going to be from "influencers" who got the product for free or have some kind of sponsorship with them.

[–] haxe11@beehaw.org 5 points 2 years ago

I've read several people complain over the last year or so that Google's results have been getting worse and they add site:reddit.com or similar to improve the results. I use a search engine called Kagi that includes a "lens" to see forum results only which is neat. I wonder if this is Google's attempted answer.

[–] mondoman712@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

So I can read reddit comments without going on reddit? Great