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Dead Search

 The author describes the state of Google search these days very well. The results are more arbitrary than ever and of dubious reliability. They had search solved for the longest time (or so it seemed) but that seems to have come undone now. I have switched over to Perplexity almost entirely in-lieu of Google. It is a lot more efficient and I enjoy the follow-up questions because they help me complete my search better.

I’m not the only one who has been struggling with Google recently. Many users are saying its principal product, its search engine, isn’t working as well as it should. They claim the ingenious vehicle that has enabled us to navigate the internet’s infinite scroll of information is beginning to rust and decay. That’s not to mention the company’s endless court battles with rival companies and world governments, or the rise of ChatGPT, which many tout as a search engine killer; even Bill Gates said last year that once a company perfects the AI assistant or “personal agent”, “you will never go to a search site again”.

For now Perplexity is the best version of a "personal agent" I have. I don't think I will sign up for something more intrusive and over-zealous, trying to help me by taking whole digital life into context. A personal agent needs to maintain some healthy distance from what I consider personal to be useful. In the meanwhile, if Google mixes up data about people routinely, it is probably a good for everyone's privacy because it would be possible to disavow things you do not want to be associated way. This is the kind of enshittification that is somewhat useful.

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