Google and recent changes...

[bubba]

Ok, Google is really starting to hack me off.

Over the last couple months there have several changes with Google. the two big ones that annoy me the most for personal use is in Google Shopping and with iGoogle. I won't even start on the work side of things.

Now on the shopping side they have changed it so search results for users in the United States is influenced by how much retailers and advertisers pay. Basically its going "pay to play" like with their advertising. This completely kicks in October. Not to mention that Google has also stepped it up a notch and started the process of removing firearm related stuffs from the Shopping searches completely.

Now if you search ".223 ammo" you get nothing, but if you search "Zombie Maxx" you still get some stuff. Same for reloading supplies. Search in a vague way some stuff still shows. Search for specific type of bullet you get nothing. This is only in the Shopping channel, the regular web search still shows results, but you have to sift it out of results yourself and find pricing. I have switched to Bing for price shopping. For now they don't filter the results.

For a company that gave China **** for filtering stuff, now they are doing it. They have said is all for "family safety and core values" but you can still get sex toys.

The second I run across this morning. I been on vacation last couple days,I log in this morning to see that Google is dropping iGoogle start page. Now I like the iGoogle page. Gives me a clean, simple, glance at the news when I fire up my web browser with out going to every site. Google feels its crap now, and sending it to pasture to push Chrome widgets, Google+, and home screen apps for Android.


anyone else like this or am I just getting cranky in my old age??

[KnightRid]

I vote cranky LOL

Honestly, I never even looked at igoogle (seriously? give me some ipanckaes and ieggs please), never liked Chrome and never used google shopping. Wow, I must really hate google, especially since I think the Nexus 7 is stupidly 7 inches and not 10. Although any tablet under 10" is crap in my book

Firearms kill, sex toys give pleasure to all ages, like the circus.

Now some of us put www.LegitReviews.com as our home page but you stay with igoogle, its ok ROFLMAO

[Apoptosis]

The customization service, known as iGoogle, will be turned off in November 1st, 2013. The mobile version of iGoogle will be discontinued at the end of this month.

You won't be losing iGoogle for more than a year, so no biggie.

"The need for iGoogle has eroded over time," Matt Eichner, Google's general manager of global enterprise search, wrote in a Tuesday blog post.

I agree. iGoogle was needed when it came out 8 years ago as it served for a great place to be able to sign up for google, share invites for gmail and get weather and stock info. In 2004-2005 smartphones were still rather rare and people used the service to get basic information. I agree with Matt Eichner that the service is rather pointless now. You can do all that on a smartphone. Google wants to drive innovation and that is no longer doing it. I am shocked they are giving users 16 months to adjust or export their data.


As for Google Shopping. I see no changes on the PC side and after some searching found this - http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminite ... n-brigade/

If Google wants to be anti-guns then so be it. We have freedom of speech and freedom of expression in America. Google is a business run by people and they can do what they want. I hate when people cry foul over stuff like that. This isn't the government telling companies what to do at all. I know you are a gun enthusiast, but stop using Google if you don't like what they are doing and go over to bing - http://www.bing.com/shopping/

They have all the .223 ammo you'll need - http://www.bing.com/shopping/search?q=2 ... &FORM=HURE

[bubba]

I just find it funny they say its for family values and what not, but I also seen that they have moved/moving the shopping to the AdSense model, rules and all. So wandering when that kicks in full swing if all the "adult" stuff goes away. Mainly getting annoyed at more and more people/companies are say what is and isn't good for me.

Been using other shopping searches since all this started, none of them are a comprehensive as Google's shopping was. Which sucks when you are helping run a business and trying to find the best price on some things.

as for the iGoogle, I really like it in the day time. Have a dual 24" monitor setup on my desk easier than squinting at my phone. I like that I fire up my browser and see at a quick glance over dozen news sites that loads quick. Got a enough crap running on my phone.


Now I will go back to being old and cranky.

[Apoptosis]

It's America... Isn't that the point of our country? Where a private company can choose what they do or don't want to sell or carry?

cranky old bastard!

[bubba]

It's America... Isn't that the point of our country? Where a private company can choose what they do or don't want to sell or carry?

Just wonder why all of a sudden its an issue when it wasn't before. Removing guns from the issue, I understand why they are changing the business model of the shopping tool, they want more money, but its going to bend over shops that can't afford to pay the fees to get listed.

cranky old bastard!

Yes, yes I am. Everyday I watch the news I get crankier......

[Apoptosis]

Remember when LR banned Google due to a picture that was too provocative? The site was banned on safe searches, site search was disabled and the google adsense account we used was disabled. All because a picture that had no nudity. Don't get me started on censorship.

What I am trying to say here is that this isn't all of a sudden. This is something google has been doing for many years on the advertising side. Now they are just implementing it on the shopping side. At the end of the day they lose revenue and visitors because of it, but obviously it is important enough for them to still do it.