Google Search Is Now Much Like eBay

[jingram058]

It wasn't too long ago that you could do a simple search on Google (without resorting to quotation marks) for something like, 1936 All-Star Game (on topic with this pre-war forum), and actually get results relevant to that search. Now, you get a few, and a whole lot of crap totally unrelated. eBay search has become algorithmically frustrating in much the same way. I think stuff that gets posted such that it shows up in searches comes down to $$$ so that it gets priority or "sponsored". Total f-ing BS, in my humble opinion.

[doug.goodman]

yep

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by jingram058

It wasn't too long ago that you could do a simple search on Google (without resorting to quotation marks) for something like, 1936 All-Star Game (on topic with this pre-war forum), and actually get results relevant to that search. Now, you get a few, and a whole lot of crap totally unrelated. eBay search has become algorithmically frustrating in much the same way. I think stuff that gets posted such that it shows up in searches comes down to $$$ so that it gets priority or "sponsored". Total f-ing BS, in my humble opinion.

I was interested, so I did a search for 1936 All-Star Game on Google. Here were the top 8 results:

1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Wikipedia

1936 All-Star Game Box Score, July 7
Baseball-Reference.com

1936 MLB All-Star Game Roster - Major League Baseball
ESPN

1936 All-Star Game
Baseball Almanac

1936 All-Star Game Box Score
Baseball Almanac

East–West All-Star Game
Wikipedia

1936 MLB Season History - Major League Baseball
ESPN

1936 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME ...
SCP Auctions

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Eric72

I was interested, so I did a search for 1936 All-Star Game on Google. Here were the top 8 results:

1936 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Wikipedia

1936 All-Star Game Box Score, July 7
Baseball-Reference.com

1936 MLB All-Star Game Roster - Major League Baseball
ESPN

1936 All-Star Game
Baseball Almanac

1936 All-Star Game Box Score
Baseball Almanac

East–West All-Star Game
Wikipedia

1936 MLB Season History - Major League Baseball
ESPN

1936 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME ...
SCP Auctions

Sure, you will get the top results, but keep scrolling, or better yet, look at images. You'll see some, yes, but as you scroll down you will find everything but the 1936 All-Star Game.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Sure, you will get the top results, but keep scrolling, or better yet, look at images. You'll see some, yes, but as you scroll down you will find everything but the 1936 All-Star Game.

Sorry, I guess searching Google yields different results for me than what you’re seeing. I searched 1936 All-Star Game and then chose Images. I scrolled through about a hundred images. Everything seemed on topic until about halfway through. There was a 1986 All-Star emblem. A bit further down, I started to see some football programs. So, no longer a baseball image. Still, it didn’t veer too far off course.

As for that other search engine…yeah, it definitely shows me items I’m not looking to buy.

[Snapolit1]

I think it’s cool that you type the name of one auction house and three other auction houses show up first.

Yes someone’s paying for top billing and it happens with all kind of businesses. But sort of annoying.

[Leon]

When I Google Net54baseball and a subject I still seem to get pretty good results. Maybe Google just likes me as I am such a nice guy.
.

Here is an interesting tinype.. We don't see too many tintypes of women in baseball..Uncle Sam is kind of cool too.

[NonSportDaniel]

Why not use Duck Duck Go as your browser? No adds and no sponsored results. Google shows you what Google wants you to see. Duck Duck Go doesn't do that.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by NonSportDaniel

Why not use Duck Duck Go as your browser? No adds and no sponsored results. Google shows you what Google wants you to see. Duck Duck Go doesn't do that.

You are quite right sir!

[Kaneen]

Originally Posted by NonSportDaniel

Why not use Duck Duck Go as your browser? No adds and no sponsored results. Google shows you what Google wants you to see. Duck Duck Go doesn't do that.

Will my somewhat artificially intelligent mind be blown if I do a Google search for "Duck Duck Go?" 🤔

[Kco]

As someone who works in the e-commerce and technology space with a good dose of paid search, Google will show you what is relevant to you within context, but will show the closest results that it's ad engine deems most likely to convert. Google works for the merchants, not the user trying to do basic searchs. Their number one goal is to convert searches to sales for their advertisers. If you search something obscure it will try to find what its AI deems the closest and show those results instead.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Kco

As someone who works in the e-commerce and technology space with a good dose of paid search, Google will show you what is relevant to you within context, but will show the closest results that it's ad engine deems most likely to convert. Google works for the merchants, not the user trying to do basic searchs. Their number one goal is to convert searches to sales for their advertisers. If you search something obscure it will try to find what its AI deems the closest and show those results instead.

Thank you, sir.

[JollyElm]

Here's the standard algorithm used:

YesNoFlowchartAlgorithm.jpg

[Leon]

Nice, Darren.

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Here's the standard algorithm used:

Attachment 621519