[w323898]

The point of the article was that, even when there is no reason to do so because location and identity are identical, Google STILL gives differently ranked results. Please read more carefully.

And I've been using DDG for a bit now and have found it perfectly useable.

[alopecoid]

Sorry, but I think you are missing the point (please see my follow-up post). The point is, search results are not static even for the same inputs (search string, location, etc), even in privacy mode.

That's great that you use DDG and find it useful! If Google was a true monopoly, as the current media blitz would have you believe, then you would not have been able to so easily switch to DDG (or Bing, or...).

[LMYahooTFY]

Criteria for monopolies aren't static and unchanging. The switching cost for energy or telephony services is not what it was in 1950.

I can't say with confidence how far along Google is toward the threshold of "Monopoly" and have yet to hear an analysis that I would consider definitive in any way.

[hedora]

The point the rest of us are making is that even when you opt out, which google supposedly supports, it still bubbles the results based on your profile.

This is shady, at best. It probably contributes to the US’ current political instability (different propaganda / news in red states), and is also probably an unauthorized use of personal information in places like Europe that have laws about such things.