OK, I just tried it on Google, and they do seem to have cleaned that up quite a bit.

I used to get results for all sorts of cable companies that aren't within a hundred miles. In fact, I used to be able to type in "high speed Internet in Bumfuck Egypt, Illinois" and get search results for web pages supposedly offering Internet there but that must have been generated dynamically based on whatever you were searching for.

I would still have to try the search from a pristine computer, otherwise Google is deciding what results to show me based on their data tracking on me.

Every time I open some weird link from you guys on this list, websites and search engines for the next week decide that's what I'm interested in. So I'm surprised Google doesn't show me movies about whatever Jaime had for lunch yesterday.


-----Original Message----- From: Josh Reynolds
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 9:50 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] SAD day

Right now if I go to Bing, for example, and type in "what ISPs are in
my $zipcode"...

It's not using the location data correctly, for one. The first few
pages are nothing but spam and clickbait. There isn't a single, actual
provider one that page.

Using Yahoo I get the same thing, but there's even more ads.

Using google, there are actual real results of providers that actually
provide service in this area, as well as a handful of fairly
trustworth review sites.

Tell me, which one is more useful?

On Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 9:38 AM, Ken Hohhof <[email protected]> wrote:
It doesn’t bother you that a search for high speed Internet in your town is
useless because Google lets lead generators game their system so that the
first several pages of results are ISPs that don’t even have service there?

Money and monopoly power has corrupted Google’s search business (and
associated services like Maps).  They are obviously not strapped for cash,
they should spend a few bucks fixing their search engine. Until they do, we should look for and use better search engines. So don’t use Google to find
a locksmith.  Better choices like Yelp and Angies List come to mind, plus
probably some I’m not thinking of at the moment.


From: Josh Reynolds
Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2016 9:05 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] SAD day


You just described every large scale data source ever.

Congratulations

On Feb 2, 2016 8:41 AM, "Ken Hohhof" <[email protected]> wrote:

Locked out of your house?  Don’t use Google to find a locksmith.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/business/fake-online-locksmiths-may-be-out-to-pick-your-pocket-too.html

Read the whole article to find out just how badly Google search and map
results are corrupted.  This locksmith must be legit, I can see their
building on Google Maps.  Oh, not really there, created by Photoshop and
“crowdsourcing”.  And driven by a “lead generator” to make it look local.
And advertising $19 but paying twice that to Google for the AdWords click.
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM.


From: George Skorup
Sent: Monday, February 01, 2016 11:44 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] SAD day

Nobody says "Let me Bing/Yahoo that". So yeah, Google is how you search
the interwebs. But I agree on the other point. I do not trust any company
that has (or can have) such huge control over information. Be it Google,
Microsoft, Apple, etc... or the government.

On 2/1/2016 11:36 PM, Travis Johnson wrote:

I would use Yahoo or Bing or any other search engine. Nothing would change
if Google went away tomorrow.

Blackberries and Android wouldn't even exist if Apple hadn't created the
first iPhone. Same with tablets... look how many people tried tablets before
Apple, and they all failed.

I purchased a Macbook for my daughter headed to college 5 years ago. She
used that laptop literally every day, for over 5 years. She graduated with two Bachelor's degrees... using that same laptop. Every paper, thousands of
emails, etc... and she has never had a single issue... no viruses, no
hardware issues, no software issues. Never a single issue. No OS reload, no malware scanners, nothing. It just works. Just like all the rest of Apple's
products... they just work.

Travis


On 2/1/2016 10:28 PM, Josh Luthman wrote:

The world's most popular site and you don't think the world would change?
Really???

Apple is gone.  People buy Blackberries and Android.  Tablets probably
won't exist. Mp3 players would probably have come to fruition without them.
What else do they have?

Josh Luthman
Office: 937-552-2340
Direct: 937-552-2343
1100 Wayne St
Suite 1337
Troy, OH 45373

On Feb 2, 2016 12:22 AM, "Travis Johnson" <[email protected]> wrote:

At least Apple makes products... products that literally changed the
computing world, the phone world, the retail world, created apps, and the
music world. Google created a search engine (actually copying Yahoo,
Webcrawler, Altavista and several others at the time). They aren't a
"product". They don't "sell" anything. They are a webpage, just like
Facebook.

Imagine your life without Google or Facebook. NOTHING CHANGES.

Yes, they built a better mousetrap using their intelligence and hard
work... but they aren't "inventors". They didn't create anything new or
groundbreaking.

Travis

On 2/1/2016 10:09 PM, Colin Stanners wrote:

I'd much rather Google / Alphabet Inc. be in that position than Apple
with their overpriced yet restricted / non-upgradable / crappy consumer
electronics.

Google is making themselves the curator of access to the world's
information and communications. When you consider the value of those, it's
not just the most valuable company in matters of money. The founders had
incredible foresight in addition to their intelligence and hard work.

On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 10:55 PM, Travis Johnson <[email protected]> wrote:


http://www.ibtimes.com/alphabet-inc-goog-surpasses-apple-inc-aapl-become-worlds-most-valuable-public-company-2289113

"The world isn't run by weapons anymore, or energy, or money. It's run
by little ones and zeroes, little bits of data. It's all just electrons."
~ Cosmo (Sneakers 1992)

Literally, a one page website for a company that is less than 19 years
old is now the most valuable company in the world. :(

Travis









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