[Liru]

> This is in contrast to google where searches return things that don't even contain your keywords.

This has become so frustrating as of late, especially when you search for something like "c++ map" and it decides to completely ignore the "c++" part of your search, leaving you with pages of actual maps. Slightly exaggerated example since I can't remember any concrete ones off the top of my head, but the actual situation happens way too often.

[nikofeyn]

google's "must include" feature is one of their worst features ever. it nearly always removes the most unique, defining search term. it has been showing up with increasing frequency. i can't remember a time where it was actually useful or wanted. and if i didn't want the word in the search query, i wouldn't have put it in there in the first place!

[ConceptJunkie]

I have the same problem.

I think this is a function of trying to make searches more effective for unsophisticated users at the expense of users who know how to be more precise.

Similar to Apple and GNOME, it ends up penalizing the expert users to cater to non-expert users.

This is why you need to have the regular interface for people who shouldn't be expected to be experts, but have a separate interface for people who know what they are doing, because supporting both types of users is often mutually exclusive.

[acranox]

I also learned recently that if you search for a quoted string in gmail and there are no matches it will just show a few partial matches, instead of just telling you there were no hits. The google behavior you describe got so annoying for me, along with the inability to copy the link in the results, I switched to DDG. It still provides results that don’t include one of my search terms all the time. It’s really annoying behavior.

[ChristianGeek]

I just did a Google search on “c++ map” and didn’t see the behavior you describe.

[krono]

What if I told you Google search results are partially based on behaviour data, meaning the results you get for a search potentially differ from mine

It doesn't happen to me so it doesn't exist does not apply in this case

[Zelmor]

Use duck duck go, my lad.

[krono]

Thanks for reminding me! Just set it up as the default search provider in my browser.

Google search doesn't really work for power users anymore and I don't see that changing for the better anytime soon.

[andrepd]

Alternatively, if you can't do without the google search algorithm, use startpage. Doesn't track and bubble you, anonymises the queries.

[dhimes]

Indeed. Every single result in the first "page" was about c++ maps.

[mortehu]

Google fixed this specific case and a few others last year: https://blog.google/products/search/improvements-searching-s...

[Liru]

"Slightly exaggerated example since I can't remember any concrete ones off the top of my head"

[TomMarius]

I can confirm what they say is true, but probably not with this specific sentence. It's also really not useful while searching for phone numbers (which it changes completely without a second thought).