Google search changes not for the better

The BBC reports that Google is planning to bring in even more changes to their search engine:

Google unveils ’smarter search’

Web giant Google has unveiled new products that it says will push search in a new direction.

Google is using so-called semantic web technology to leverage the underlying data on websites to enhance results.

“The race in search is far from over and innovation and continued improvement is absolutely pivotal,” said Google’s Marissa Mayer.

Google said it could not afford to rest on its laurels in the quest to build the perfect search engine.

Google has over 63% of the US market compared with rival Yahoo, on 20%.

What I don’t understand is why the BBC site quotes US usage figures, when in the UK Google has over 80% marketshare.

To be honest, the whole piece just reads as a press release with no attempt to make critical comment, and it’s surprising any journalist put their name to a piece which is effectively one big advert.

The problem I have is that Google is becoming less easy to use. In Firefox the suggestions sometimes freeze up so I can’t search, and the suggestions also prevent my search record being used. For example, if I were searching for a piece on Mammoths in the Ice Age, and found an especially good site, I can find what query led me there through my search history. Not anymore on the homepage.

In both instances, I have to just do a random general search to get me into the results box, where these annoyances don’t happen.

Also, the forcing of users to use the voting of results takes Google from being a search engine with a mathematical basis, and pushes too much on human user input. The internet is full of dumb trash, so does Google really want to dumb down its results to cater for the lowest common denominator, by denigrating the user experience?

So rather than the BBC bringing up

Permalink: Google search changes not for the better