On iOS a few years ago, I prefered it to FF or Safari.
However, its "tracker protection" is questionable sometimes. They will list Google or Meta as enabled on site "to prevent breakage", but do not give user an option to still disable it.
I've learned that if I absolutely have to use Google for something (which is very rare), appending a curse word with the minus symbol (i.e. "-fuck" or "-shit") completely bypasses the ai mode since its designed to not engage with curse words, and the minus tells the search engine portion to disregard this word in the search results.
It's not perfect, but it makes me feel a little better, y'know?
Do you mean using 2 adblockers? I suggest to not do it because they will be in conflict and actually block less stuff, if you want to block even more stuff i suggest to use a DNS-level tracker/adblocker
What you want is an adblocker and a javascript blocker. It's more work on your part to get certain webpages working, but well worth it for the extra security.
Yeah there was a long period of time when all you have to do is search "Imgur" and you get a ton of gonewild posts (and creepy Russian photos of femme children but we don't talk about the normalisation of softcore CSAM in some areas). Interesting algorithm they have.
Useful except when the solution to some problem is to be found in the responses of an old forum post which reads something like, "how do I fix this fucking shit?"
I don't use Google for a while now because of the ads and garbage they present ahead of real results, but I remember when you used to just get what you searched for and this is close to that. pretty cool.
If you're on Firefox, you could also set a keyword. I haven't used one in a while but IIRC you would then just type !u search terms (replacing the u with whatever you configured).
Wait, what? Why? Are you talking about the same Pinterest as that search-result-clogging, not ever leading to originals, spamming and content-obscuring piece of shit website?
Was with you til the end there. I use the personal blocklist extension, and I got it specifically for pinterest. It's grown to include others, but Pinterest was the beginning.
For me so far, convenience on mobile when looking up information on physical places and business. I get the phone number, address, and hours of operation without clicking a link.
As I'm transitioning to using Ecosia, that's what I find myself going back to Google search for most frequently. I tried switching to clicking links on Ecosia to find a phone number to call, and quickly came to the conclusion the websites are enshittified also, or at least ridiculous to navigate and find useful information. On at least one occasion already Google has had the phone number listed at the top of Search for an organization that just didn't have a phone number provided from themselves anywhere online. (Okay, maybe they had it on their Facebook page, but I'm trying to improve my user experience not soil it).
All public speed tests are nonsense in private use, unfortunately. The ISPs magically find the capacity you've been looking for, but only for that connection.
They installed an app on Android recently and it's just called Google but really it's their AI app. You can uninstall it. Who knows if it'll reinstall itself...
Doesn't matter. The thread is just locked and ignored forever by Google. There are thousands of such issues and complaints across all Google products, and that's how they deal with it.
The only other way that I personally know on how to get around the google AI is when you search something at the end of the search type (-AI) that seems to work well.
Google's core ranking algorithm and traditional results list rely heavily on AI and machine learning models, completely separate from generative summaries or AI overviews.
81 Comments
daannii@lemmy.world · 186 pts · 12d
Yeah you can't. So you are going to have to use something else. I found that duck duck go allows you to turn AI off.
I use it now. On Firefox.
I realize it's a shit post. I'm just commenting a fyi for people who might want an answer.
Zachariah@lemmy.world · 56 pts · 12d
For your private browsing tabs: https://noai.duckduckgo.com/
EntheoNaut@lemmy.ml · 34 pts · 12d
This is how it’s done.
I haven’t googled anything in years.
modus@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 12d
So what verb do we start using then? Duckling? Ask Jeeving? Yandexing?
Makeshift@sh.itjust.works · 36 pts · 12d
Honestly just "searched" is probably fine.
tomi000@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 12d
Yeah. In this day and age noone will think you went to a library to look it up.
Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it · 16 pts · 12d
Just use "search"; we don't want to make a company name the new synonym for search otherwise we are stuck with that company when it gets evil
woelkchen@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 11d
Googling. That's how you invalidate a trademark.
logi@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 11d
Thanks. I might just Hoover up your ideas and Xerox them for my Ziploc of tricks.
*I'm not American and would never use any of those words.
EntheoNaut@lemmy.ml · 10 pts · 12d
Search
AmyAye@nord.pub · 7 pts · 12d
Searching.
scytale@piefed.zip · 5 pts · 12d
I use ddg or ddg’d.
Mooserider@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 12d
I'm actively still using "google" to turn it into a common verb and make Alphabet lose the rights to the word.
daannii@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 12d
Quaking ?
a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 12d
Nah, use it on the DDG browser for extra cool.
DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 11d
I'm trying to not use Google or YouTube starting this month, at least for this month. (i.e. September 2026)
(So far so good. :)
im_fine_sandy@nord.pub · 12 pts · 12d
I've switched to kagi.
It's not free, but it's absolutely the best IMO.
When I search something I don't see an AI summary. Not sure if I disabled that or not.
jh34@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 11d
It only triggers if you end the query with a ? or you can turn that off too in the settings https://kagi.com/settings/ai
FluidBeef@quokk.au · 8 pts · 11d
I wanted to use Ecosia but they won’t let you 100% disable AI, which is fucked for a supposedly green venture for so many reasons.
Samsy@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 11d
For 8 searches we burn a tree with our AI.
Space_Cowboy92@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 11d
DuckDuckGo now has their own browser that blows FF out of the water.
Edit: Chromium, don’t bother.
jnod4@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 11d
If its chromium then don't bother, let's not forget how Google tried to take over the Internet through chromium browsers
Space_Cowboy92@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 11d
Damn :( I just looked and it is. Back to FF!
moopet@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 11d
I thought the DDG browser was Firefox with some branding and plugins?
Yaky@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 10d
On iOS a few years ago, I prefered it to FF or Safari.
However, its "tracker protection" is questionable sometimes. They will list Google or Meta as enabled on site "to prevent breakage", but do not give user an option to still disable it.
popekingjoe@lemmy.world · 128 pts · 12d
I've learned that if I absolutely have to use Google for something (which is very rare), appending a curse word with the minus symbol (i.e. "-fuck" or "-shit") completely bypasses the ai mode since its designed to not engage with curse words, and the minus tells the search engine portion to disregard this word in the search results.
It's not perfect, but it makes me feel a little better, y'know?
VeganBtw@piefed.social · 56 pts · 12d
Well that won't help me find scat porn at all then!
vrek@programming.dev · 27 pts · 12d
Bing is better for porn anyways
fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com · 23 pts · 12d
Bing is good for something?
vrek@programming.dev · 19 pts · 12d
Mostly only porn, their video search/player for porn sites is far superior to google's
cinoreus@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 11d
Nah, yandex is the best. Especially if you want to bypass or get paywalled content. It's a Russian search engine
vrek@programming.dev · 2 pts · 11d
Ok, haven't tried that. Bing is better than Google, yandex might be better I don't know
DMCMNFIBFFF@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 11d
"naked cheerleaders"
Bing
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=%22naked+cheerleaders%22&first=1
disappointing
DuckDuckGo
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%22naked+cheerleaders%22&iar=images&t=h_
disappointing
sex.com
(nsfw)
https://www.sex.com/en/pics?search=%22naked+cheerleaders%22
less disappointing
not bad
(nsfw (kinda))
https://imagex1.sx.cdn.live/images/pinporn/2020/07/28/23387530.jpg?width=620
JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 12d
A fellow man of culture.
Wanna see the whole scene? Bing both actresses names and turn on adblock, maybe double wrap that adblock.
Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it · 8 pts · 12d
Do you mean using 2 adblockers? I suggest to not do it because they will be in conflict and actually block less stuff, if you want to block even more stuff i suggest to use a DNS-level tracker/adblocker
JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 11d
Just like how 2 condoms is less effective?
Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it · 2 pts · 11d
Exactly
JcbAzPx@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 11d
What you want is an adblocker and a javascript blocker. It's more work on your part to get certain webpages working, but well worth it for the extra security.
lyralycan@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 11d
Yeah there was a long period of time when all you have to do is search "Imgur" and you get a ton of gonewild posts (and creepy Russian photos of femme children but we don't talk about the normalisation of softcore CSAM in some areas). Interesting algorithm they have.
Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 11d
Zibbity zoop! Gimme dat poop!
rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 11d
Useful except when the solution to some problem is to be found in the responses of an old forum post which reads something like, "how do I fix this fucking shit?"
AmyAye@nord.pub · 8 pts · 12d
"When was the fucking war of 1812?"
rumba@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 11d
result: pornhub.com 2007, with actress...
IpsumLauren@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 12d
Fredselfish@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 12d
Apparently it doesn't I cuss all I want it responds.
YoiksAndAway@lemmy.zip · 30 pts · 12d
https://udm14.com/ I automatically type "14" in the address bar now and choose it from the dropdown menu.
trevdog@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 12d
I don't use Google for a while now because of the ads and garbage they present ahead of real results, but I remember when you used to just get what you searched for and this is close to that. pretty cool.
naught101@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 12d
Reminder https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/
phar@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 12d
Why not just make it so you search in that as the default instead of typing 14?
YoiksAndAway@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 12d
I probably should. I have a searXng instance as default, but their results are never as good as udm14, so I got used to just going there.
toynbee@piefed.social · 4 pts · 12d
If you're on Firefox, you could also set a keyword. I haven't used one in a while but IIRC you would then just type
!u search terms(replacing the u with whatever you configured).dan@upvote.au · 7 pts · 12d
You can also get to this through the Google search UI, too. It's the "Web" tab.
Homo_Erectus@lemmy.zip · 29 pts · 12d
More like "you can't"
DoctorWhoDMC@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 11d
Not only has AI made traditional Googling more difficult, but it's also just clogging up the search results no matter what search engine you choose...
Also, I miss Pinterest.
drath@lemmy.drath.ru · 19 pts · 11d
Wait, what? Why? Are you talking about the same Pinterest as that search-result-clogging, not ever leading to originals, spamming and content-obscuring piece of shit website?
DoctorWhoDMC@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 11d
At least the images clogging your search results were real images, not simulacrum…
SoulKaribou@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 11d
Here you go:
https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 11d
Was with you til the end there. I use the personal blocklist extension, and I got it specifically for pinterest. It's grown to include others, but Pinterest was the beginning.
gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 19 pts · 12d
Switch search engine
StrassMav@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 18 pts · 11d
The real question is why use Google for 99% of searches? There are very few searches where Google is "necessary,"(debatable still).
mika_mika@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 11d
For me so far, convenience on mobile when looking up information on physical places and business. I get the phone number, address, and hours of operation without clicking a link.
As I'm transitioning to using Ecosia, that's what I find myself going back to Google search for most frequently. I tried switching to clicking links on Ecosia to find a phone number to call, and quickly came to the conclusion the websites are enshittified also, or at least ridiculous to navigate and find useful information. On at least one occasion already Google has had the phone number listed at the top of Search for an organization that just didn't have a phone number provided from themselves anywhere online. (Okay, maybe they had it on their Facebook page, but I'm trying to improve my user experience not soil it).
ouRKaoS@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 9d
Enshittification feedback loop.
Websites don't have to provide relevant information quickly anymore, because Google is doing that for them.
story@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 11d
i still use Google for speed testing bc it works better than ookla
is there a good alternative that I'll feel good about using?
zqps@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 11d
All public speed tests are nonsense in private use, unfortunately. The ISPs magically find the capacity you've been looking for, but only for that connection.
techt@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 11d
I use cloudflare's, haven't heard any reason yet why that's worse than any owned by an ISP
thisbenzingring@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 12d
They installed an app on Android recently and it's just called Google but really it's their AI app. You can uninstall it. Who knows if it'll reinstall itself...
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 11d
Is there a link to this page, so we can all use the "I have the same question" button?
minkymunkey_7_7@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 11d
Doesn't matter. The thread is just locked and ignored forever by Google. There are thousands of such issues and complaints across all Google products, and that's how they deal with it.
forkDestroyer@infosec.pub · 11 pts · 11d
But I want to see number go up!!!
snoons@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 12d
not_IO@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 7 pts · 11d
just put &udm=14 at the end of the url pr make your default search engine :
https://www.google.com/search?q=%25s&udm=14
DakRalter@thelemmy.club · 3 pts · 10d
And then change the url to duckduckgo.com.
lawks@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 11d
udm=webnow. Also,yourall(?) examples get the%smangled by URL format correction, so should be:but change the
%25sto%s.MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 11d
This userscript works for me.
Areldyb@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 12d
https://tenbluelinks.org/
WanderWisley@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 11d
The only other way that I personally know on how to get around the google AI is when you search something at the end of the search type (-AI) that seems to work well.
toastadar@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 12d
The search modifier NOT seems to still work (for now), if you can't use anything else
https://www.google.com/search?q=test+-womp
https://www.googleguide.com/minus_operator.html
HeHoXa@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 11d
Google's core ranking algorithm and traditional results list rely heavily on AI and machine learning models, completely separate from generative summaries or AI overviews.