Why I abandoned Google search after 27 years — and what I'm using instead
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
I had taken note of all of this hubbub. Then two recent incidents catalyzed my decision to switch. They were online financial transactions that went awry in part due to my own carelessness. But it was a carelessness bred by a once dependable search engine that has lately become nearly unrecognizable to anyone who remembers the days of 10 blue links and the motto 'don't be evil.'
Advertisement
The first happened a couple of weeks ago when I was planning a trip to London.
The UK now requires travelers from America to obtain an electronic travel authorization, or ETA. I wasn't sure of the exact name of the ETA, so I just searched 'travel to UK.'
Advertisement
The results were all about obtaining an ETA and I picked a link that looked like the official UK government site. It was not; the official site was lower, below an AI summary, some sponsored links, and other junk on the results page. Luckily for me, I did get a legitimate travel pass — but the site I picked overcharged me by about $70.
In the second case, last week, I needed to book a hotel for a Passover trip to my brother's in Connecticut. I knew there was a cool hotel we had stayed at before near his house but I couldn't remember the name. I asked Google for hotels in the town where my brother lives. Sure enough, one of the top results appeared on first glance to be the official site of the hotel I wanted to book. It was not. Once again, somewhat nefarious search engine optimization techniques allowed a hotel aggregation site to jump ahead in the results.
And this time my error was even more costly, to the tune of several hundred dollars in extra charges for two hotel rooms.
Google has worked hard to eliminate truly fraudulent web sites from ending up in its results, and for that I am grateful. It is undeniable that, in both instances, I should have been a more careful consumer. But decades of relying on Google had taught me that I didn't have to be.
After I learned my lesson, I did some research in search of better search. People I trust on the Internet, including the
Advertisement
I gave it a few test runs. A search for '
Run as a public benefit corporation and charging a subscription fee instead of relying on advertising, Kagi's incentives hopefully will remain pure. If not, I'll be searching for a new search site once again.
Aaron Pressman can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Japan's Princess Kako addresses Brazil's Congress, meets with Lula in presidential palace
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Japan's Princess Kako of Akishino, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, was welcomed on Wednesday by Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a private ceremony on the latest leg of her 11-day tour of the South American nation. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko also addressed Congress and thanked Brazilians for hosting Japanese immigrants for more than a century. Her trip, which started on June 5, marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. 'The efforts of the Japanese who came, and the Brazilians who went to Japan, are deepening our bilateral relationship of friendship,' Kako told Brazilian lawmakers. 'I hope that the relationship between the two countries is a long lasting one.' Congress speaker Hugo Motta told the princess he hopes Brazil's ethanol 'can help Japan reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.' Brazil has the largest population of people of Japanese descent in the world, estimated at about 2.7 million. About half of those live in Sao Paulo state, official figures show, where the princess last week received the state's highest honor from Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas. Emperor Naruhito has no male children, which makes his brother Akishino, Princess Kako's father, the first successor in line. Japan's tradition does not allow women to take the throne. Princess Kako will arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, where she will visit the Christ the Redeemer statue and a museum of Japanese immigration. The last part of her trip will take place in the city of Foz do Iguacu, where the world famous Iguacu falls are located. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CNET
7 hours ago
- CNET
T-Mobile Is Offering Free T-Satellite for Everyone, Not Just T-Mobile Users
You might've heard of SpaceX or StarLink, a satellite internet service. What if we told you that you could try out these services for free? T-Mobile has partnered with SpaceX to create T-Satellite. This service uses satellites to gain connectivity in areas where there isn't terrestrial wireless coverage. The beta program of this is free for everyone, even if you aren't a T-Mobile customer. This free opportunity is only until July, so act fast if you want to try it out. You can experience what it's like to turn your phone into a satellite phone. Whether you're in a remote area or off the grid, you can still stay in constant with friends and family through a satellite connection. T-Mobile is the first and only wireless provider to have a mobile and satellite network. And it connects automatically, as soon as you lose signal. So far, T-Mobile and StarLink have launched over 600 satellites in space and are planning on launching more. T-Satellite uses direct to cell technology so you can get connection just about anywhere you can see the sky. When you're on a satellite connection, you can send texts, make calls, browse the web and even post on social media. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Right now, everyone has the chance to give the service a try, until July. After that, it will be available to select T-Mobile customers, depending on what plan you have. It will be included with Experience Beyond and Go5G Next plans. But if you have the Experiance More plan, you can still get free access til the end of the year. And everyone else, including customers of user mobile networks, can sign up for T-Satellite for just $10 per month. Why this deal matters It's not everyday you get to try out a new service for free, especially one like this. If you are interested in checking it out, you only have until July to do so, which isn't much time. After that only select T-Mobile users will have access while other people will have to pay $10 a month to use the service. But even that won't start until 2026. Time is ticking, fast.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman Goes Viral for Epic Airport Meltdown After Being Told Her Luggage Is Too Heavy
A woman has gone viral after having a meltdown at an airport in Italy on June 8 after being told her luggage weighed over the limit In footage shared on social media, the woman was captured laying on the floor and stomping her feet The passenger was reportedly taken off her flight and booked another ticket after she had calmed down, according to woman's meltdown at an airport in Italy has been making waves on the Internet. According to the woman had a tantrum at Milan Malpensa Airport on June 8 after being told her carry-on luggage was over the weight limit. The outlet reported that the Chinese tourist was given the option of either paying more or disposing of some of her belongings inside the suitcase, which led to her screaming and yelling while lying on the floor. PEOPLE has contacted Milan Malpensa Airport for comment. In footage shared online, the woman was captured stomping her feet and kicking her legs as she lay on the airport's floor. Staff and other travelers were also seen looking at the scene. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to local press reported that the woman's meltdown continued even after authorities tried to intervene. She was eventually taken off her flight and reportedly booked a new ticket once she had regained her composure, per the outlet. As the footage circulated online, social media users branded the incident "childish.' 'Toddler!" wrote one, while a second shares, "Making a scene hoping the airport staff will give in under pressure." A third added, "How is that going to help?" Back in March, PEOPLE reported how a passenger traveling from Savannah to Miami began to have a meltdown shortly after takeoff. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, 31-year-old Delange Augustin began displaying unruly behavior 'less than one minute after takeoff.' His sister, Medjina Augustin, told authorities that they were trying to "flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature.' Medjina allegedly claimed her brother told her to 'close her eyes and pray because Satan's disciple(s) had followed them onto the plane and the legion did not want the Augustins to make it to Haiti," per the documents. Read the original article on People
