It’s impressive how duckduckgo manages to be so much better than bing despite being a frontend for bing

  • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.techEnglish
    179·
    9 days ago

    Oh my god that’s amazing. Instructions on how to do what you’re literally doing, dead internet theory is so correct. Instructions for robots by robots

    • renzev@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      70·
      9 days ago

      Unpopular opinion: dead internet is not only real, but GOOD. Once robots get good enough to autonomously sign up for websites and make convincing posts, this will force us humans to go actually outside, make friends, form deep social relationship, and build lasting, resilient communities. Meanwhile on the internet, websites that are willing to allow AI content for money will eventually die out due to lack of actual users. The only remaining websites will be run by individuals and organizations with non-profit motives, and a strict human-only policy with verification based on word-of-mouth / invite system.

      • Matriks404@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        9 days ago

        Enshittified internet and software made me no longer obsessed with technology, and instead I focused on other hobbies. And it also made my socialize more.

      • makyo@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        9 days ago

        I’m extremely wary and nervous about how disruptive LLMs can/will be but one relief is just getting an answer directly for things instead of wading through page after page of SEO optimized BS. Just really nice when you can get a quick answer and get back to the things you want to be doing.

        I suppose the AI overlords will screw that up somehow too but IMO it’s at a brief moment of usefulness.

      • childOfMagenta@lemm.eeEnglish
        4·
        8 days ago

        I’m a geek, always around computers, gaming, tinkering, etc.

        Once I moved for work, to Spain, didn’t know the language. My laptop broke, like, when opening it, the plastic was fatigued and the screen just bent.

        I was broke, expensive training… Couldn’t replace it before a few months.

        So I went to the bar of the inn I was starting at. And just, tried to pick up some words.

        Long story short, after a while I knew everyone in town, had many friends, and after work, laptop or not, I would go to the bar. I got fluent in Spanish too.

        Happiest time of my life. I don’t think my mental health has ever been as good as back then.

  • Katana314@lemmy.worldEnglish
    74·
    9 days ago

    Okay, totally off topic…what is it with this annoying trend of censoring a company/name with an asterisk when it’s a subject of ire? It just bugs me - and not in a way that focuses my anger to Microsoft.

    • ilinamorato@lemmy.worldEnglish
      30·
      9 days ago

      With stuff like Tesla and Twitter, it can keep away the weird nerds who search those terms in hopes of white-knight-sealioning a conversation into oblivion. I think it just became part of the lexicon.

    • Lvxferre@mander.xyzEnglish
      13·
      9 days ago

      It conveys “I have such a disdain for that thing that I’m asterisking its name like it was a slur or swear word”.

      I’m not a big fan either, even if you can find some secondary roles for that (as keeping someone from finding it, like ilinamorato exemplified). It distracts the reader from what is being said to the author’s personal opinion about what is being said.

    • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      9 days ago

      It’s ironic, except for when we’re talking about the Fr*nch. It’s self aware humor that you’re being ridiculous. The tone it’s supposed to convey in situations like thisis that you’re being hyperbolically obtuse.

      • yogurtwrong@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        8 days ago

        Those are generally used for bypassing filters on TikTok and Instagram

        But like, come on man, no matter how much you censor it I know the word and I get the message. Because that’s why you wrote it, you want me to read and understand it

    • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      6 days ago

      People are going to see this, so here’s the answer.

      Logitech’s web UI is crap. See that tiny, unlabled triangle on the list on the left?

      Click it and pick your OS version.

      Then you get the download.

      • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        6 days ago

        …huh. TIL.

        The last time I had to download the unifying software it was more obvious than that.

  • devilish666@lemmy.worldEnglish
    27·
    9 days ago

    Softonic be like every app you want we have it, even the non exist ones. But once you installed our apps you already have made a pact with the devil

  • Smokeydope@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    8 days ago

    Wow reading through these comments makes me a little sad. Most people still don’t know jack about search engines or how they differ under the hood, or eve just how to add them into your browser search bar. Looks like all the effort I put into that that simple search engine guide was in vain.

    • niktemadur@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      8 days ago

      Well that was a spectacular read in your link, keep calling attention to it, 'cause it’s gonna be a constant drip-drip-drip of people finding out. I didn’t know, but starting today, I’m gonna experiment with SearXNG as my primary search engine, see how that goes!

    • soapyplasm@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      8 days ago

      Thanks for making such an interesting guide! I’ll read through this and hopefully learn more about search engines and what would work the best for me.

  • arglebargle@lemm.eeEnglish
    22·
    9 days ago

    Not to defend Bing in anyway, but I typed logitech unifying software and the first result is the download page on logitechs site.

    I am not doubting you, but why is it so different for me? I see non of the ??? section, no ads, just a link at the top like you would expect.

    What are you using or doing different?

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      19·
      9 days ago

      Do you have uBlock or some similar ad blocker installed?

      EDIT: I went and looked myself. I do have an ad-blocker installed. I don’t see the ad. But I do see more noise than OP (desktop, Firefox):

      • There’s a set of steps at the top left telling me to download and install the software, which is what OP was complaining about.

      • At the top right, there’s a large, blue button with a link that guesses incorrectly that I want to know about Logitech Unifying Receiver Pairing, and just sends me to another Bing search.

      • Beneath that, there are a list of several questions that Microsoft incorrectly thinks I might be wanting to task and their answers.

      • Then there are two “Explore more” links linking me to pages describing how to pair with the software. One appears to link to “logi.com” with apparently is a Logitech business support page that links to the software, albeit only the Mac version, which I’d guess isn’t what OP wanted.

      • Back on the left, I have what appears to be an AI spam question-answer site at thewindowsclub.com and another page on “how to unify” at robots.net.

      • Beneath that, I have a link to the Logitech download section. So it’s in my top results and on my laptop, visible on the first screen of results, though beneath some not-really-desirable stuff.

    • renzev@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      9·
      9 days ago

      The screenshot is from Microsoft Edge running in Windows 10 (virtual machine) with no/little browsing history and no account connected. I’m hypothesizing here, but maybe these are the reasons:

      • You don’t see the ??? section because you’re not on Edge. Bing AI only works on edge (it checks your user agent)
      • You don’t see the ad because you have an adblocker
      • arglebargle@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        8 days ago

        Just tried it in Edge, with no ad block.

        The first link was what I was searching for. None of that extra stuff showed up. The ad (for something unrelated) was in a column in the right.

        There is no account associated, little browsing history. This machine was completely wiped 2 weeks ago.

        I think the difference is, I am not in the US.

    • renzev@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      11·
      9 days ago

      Thanks for the tip! I use startpage already, it’s pretty good. From what I understand, it uses Google’s search index under the hood.

      There’s also Brave search which (claims to be) privacy friendly and (claims to) have their own independent search index, so you could give that a try as well. I wouldn’t say it’s better that startpage or google tho

      • sturlabragason@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        9 days ago

        I’ve been using Brave search for a while as a daily driver. It’s usually pretty decent, but I fall back to google when looking for commercial stuff like local stores and products.

    • WIZARD POPE💫@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      9 days ago

      Damn I’d love to use it but it does not have my country as an option to select region so pretty much useless to me sadly. Stuck to DDG abd google/bing it seems.

    • lseif@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      4·
      9 days ago

      sadly it seems that most other search engines (like ddg) can be quite lacklustre in their image results

      • BakerBagel@midwest.socialEnglish
        8·
        9 days ago

        DDG image search feels a lot loke Google image search 20 years ago. Absolutely wild stuff that isn’t even related, or just straight up porn in the reaults.

  • Blackmist@feddit.ukEnglish
    14·
    9 days ago

    Hey now, that malware has paid to be the top result! Probably using the proceeds scammed out of somebody who downloaded it.

  • net00@lemm.eeEnglish
    12·
    9 days ago

    I wouldn’t say it’s borderline unusable tbh…

    The first adware result is blocked with any ad blocker, the fact you see it means you might not have your ad blocker on, or disabled in incognito mode.

    The second and third copilot bullshit sections can be toggled off from any search result page, on the sidebar settings there’s a toggle.

    I do appreciate the bing rewards thing, basically every few weeks I get a gift card because you earn points by using bing

    • PagPag@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      9 days ago

      Everything you’ve proposed as an easy fix would not apply to the vast majority of end users; the target audience.

        • net00@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          9 days ago

          it’s not fake, bing rewards has been a thing for many years. It’s literally just using bing to search things, each search gives you points, and then you redeem giftcards (amazon, uber, etc)

          I guess most here don’t particularly care, but the points mechanic it’s nice

          • PagPag@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            I don’t think anyone was suggesting otherwise.

            “THIS JUST IN!, credit cards offer reward points to soften the effects of data mining on individuals. It highlights the advantages of using custom lubricant on the broomsticks they are fucking you in the ass with.”

            Some say it feels nice.