• brbposting@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    7 months ago

    So that “here’s irrelevant results” tactic must keep people engaged more than “tough luck, found nothing”. My takeaway based on that assumption is that people must suck at using search, unless we think we don’t want those irrelevant results but really they jog our memories or something 51% of the time…

    • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      Hadn’t considered that search engines would ruin themselves to feed Engagemagog, but in hindsight it’s hardly surprising.

      That’d also explain when you show up on a front page or focus on a search bar, evanescent outline of a thought trying to take form through your fingertips, and the stupid goddamn website goes Football scores?! Celebrity babies?! Dearborn Michigan?! Large Hadron Collider?! Houseboats?!?!

      • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        7 months ago

        Hey, eerbody else is searching The Kardashians* today so maybe you should too!

        *to be replaced with non-aged cultural reference

        • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          Those last three were real examples when I checked Google just now. They’re not relevant to anything or anywhere in my life. I don’t even get it. I can’t imagine how they’re some hot new thing, today specifically. If they were just trying to shotgun people’s hyperfixations, there’d be more about transportation infrastructure and gacha games.

          • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            7 months ago

            Interesting, the first two of the final three terms are in the news right now:

            Houseboat is somewhat surprising. They have made some San Francisco Bay news in the past week: