Friday 6 May 2011

One Reason I Don't Like Google Anymore

. . . and the list keeps increasing.

I've been noticing that my Google search results are tailored. It is different when I'm logged into Google, and when I'm not logged in, it is different when I'm working on my home PC or my office computer. It is also different depending if I'm using the standard Google.com (which automatically switches into Hangeul because I'm now in Korea) or the South African Google.co.za.

And this frustrates me. It frustrates me because it is telling me that I'm not getting an objective search. I'm getting subjective algorithm based search results depending on what Google thinks I want to see. And I don't want that!

When I go to a library to search through the library's digital database, I don't want it to show me my preferences, I want to see all the relevant information -- even the things I don't like. Information searches are not about the things we like or not like -- that's entertainment. I don't use Google for entertainment. I use it to search for information. What makes the Internet great is that information is open and free. We can find different views, even views contrary to our beliefs, preferences, and so on, and herein lies the greatness of the Internet. It allows us to grow, to expand our understanding of a topic, to strengthen our own views, or even change our mind about a subject. But this is changing . . .

Google! I don't want you as a gatekeeper, I want a search engine. And, according to the following video, Google is not the only one. Are there any objective search engines still available? If so please, let me know. I'll gladly swap it for this monstrosity that Google has become.

4 comments:

Franco said...

Hey Sanko,

Google started the user based search about two years ago, where they map just about everything you do on the internet.

Google's main purpose is to make money and keep its shareholders happy... So how do they do it? By keeping their customers happy. How do they keep their customers happy? By giving them results they already are interested in because of previous visits to related topics on the web.

Google displays the most popular results first, not the best. They would rather display old information first that you liked, rather than displaying new information that you "may not" like.

They have access to more than 25% of the web's servers because of Google Analytics code that is installed on most web sites. So if you are logged in your Google account they know just about everything you do on the web. You will even see the Adsense advertisments shown are related to topics that you often Google or websites you often visit.

Although it is very sad, it makes the most sense in terms of business and keeping customers happy.

You won't miss something if you don't know it exists.

BluegrassBaobab said...

Welcome to our controlled world...George Orwell's world.

Skryfblok said...

Definitely Orwellian.

Skryfblok said...

Franco, your comment was hidden in the spam folder until now when I accidentally saw it there. I guess Google doesn't like anybody revealing their secrets! ;-)