If you're asking something straight forward like what to do next in a game or whatever you'll probably find a lot of actual comments. But trying to check out reviews of products on Reddit, or any retail place like Amazon, will give you tons of AI bot shills who are only trying to push for their product. So it sucks I can't even rely on reviews. This has always been the case, but it's gotten so much worst.I'm not so great at noticing botsBut most of the things I look up (like learning about sewing or whatever) tend to have answers from pre-AI anyway!
Do you google everything, or trust what people tell you?
- Thread starter ShawnFuzz
- Start date
Rykertimee
In Lucky We Trust.
No, it is not 2026. The current year is 2026.
I'm an old fart and I resent Google intruding into everything we try to do online so I do not 'google' anything. I do use Duckduckgo which seems to give me more relevant results rather than the most popular which is how Google works. The exception I make for Google is when trying to find an image match.
Even so, if I was putting Cheetos on my pb&j I wouldn't need the internet to validate that choice, regardless of which search engine I might use.
Even so, if I was putting Cheetos on my pb&j I wouldn't need the internet to validate that choice, regardless of which search engine I might use.
Ew that's nasty. My stomach has been on and off upset and this just made it churnEWW! I thought my bf was the only one who puts Cheetos on his pb&j sandwiches!
Apparently pickles/juice and peanut butter sandwiches are a thing to.
When I went to a Christmas festival there was a food truck making peanut butter and jelly burger sandwiches. I won't lie I was kind of tempted to see what it looked and tasted like. But not enough to waste my money or ruin my lunch lol.
Ginny Potter
💜 Violetta Potter 💜
I have a friend who like to put m&ms in his peanut butter and jelly sandwich
That's actually something I can understand. Not cheetos or pickles lol. At least m&m's are sweet. Even though that would be a bit too much sweetness for me.
Ugh, that sounds like when I was in high school and went to the fair. They had just come out with those Krispy Kreme donut burgers. One of my friends begged me to go with him when he went to go get one. The whole way there he was trying to talk me into trying one lol. Nooooo thanks!
Love burgers and donuts but NOT together, dude!
Briar
Senior Member
I'm constantly Googling things. If someone tells me something that seems questionable or that I want more information on, then I'll probably Google it. I just like having accurate information. I also want to make sure I don't spread misinformation to others. I do have autism, and even as a child I was always a fact seeker. That being said, I don't actually Google literally everything. It depends on how important the topic is and my level of curiosity concerning the given subject.
Research. But honestly depending on the context, if I don't care much or if it's not that significant I won't bother googling it and take that they say with a grain of salt.
I generally trust what ppl are saying is true, unless they say that AI told it to them LOL
Also I generally try to ask my friends questions if I think something I want to know about is up their alley. Sometimes they don't know, but either way it's usually good conversation. (Side note: If I ask you a question and you send me a "let me google that for you" link, it's social link reversed. friendship unrecoverable. you're on the list)
But I agree with some others that for important stuff, doing one's own research is the way to go. I've recently made an effort to visit the library and read up on topics that interest me (plus classic novels I missed out on). This is my PSA, find your local library and use it!!! They might have more stuff available than u realize!
But yeah to bring this back to the point of the thread, whenever I DO google something, I type "-ai" at the end and it prevents the AI crackpot widget thingy from appearing, hopefully saving a tree with every search
Also I generally try to ask my friends questions if I think something I want to know about is up their alley. Sometimes they don't know, but either way it's usually good conversation. (Side note: If I ask you a question and you send me a "let me google that for you" link, it's social link reversed. friendship unrecoverable. you're on the list)
But I agree with some others that for important stuff, doing one's own research is the way to go. I've recently made an effort to visit the library and read up on topics that interest me (plus classic novels I missed out on). This is my PSA, find your local library and use it!!! They might have more stuff available than u realize!
But yeah to bring this back to the point of the thread, whenever I DO google something, I type "-ai" at the end and it prevents the AI crackpot widget thingy from appearing, hopefully saving a tree with every search
spawnpoint
oh stars!
it depends, if it's something I actually care about I'll research it. i don't trust the ai answers though
rocketspruggs
♡ Introverted Artist ☆
I don't use Google anymore, due to the amount of spying it can do. (It likes to keep track of your search history...) And there's the fact that it kind of forces A.I. down your throat.
Yes, DuckDuckGo still has some A.I. features, but at least it doesn't feel forced and mandatory, at least in my opinion, unlike Google...
Yes, DuckDuckGo still has some A.I. features, but at least it doesn't feel forced and mandatory, at least in my opinion, unlike Google...
KittenNoir
🖤 Meow 🖤
Gen Z here I don't trust google with anything you always get the weirdest answers.
If I need to check something out I will go straight to the source like a social media page for a company or their website.
If I need to check something out I will go straight to the source like a social media page for a company or their website.
I am a baby boomer and my first experience with searches was Boolean in college. When the internet became mainstream it was easy to find things before say 2008. When Googling became a term things had changed. No longer could I find what I was looking for. Instead I was shown what "most" people were searching for. That's when I switched to Duck, Duck Go. By the 2020's even that failed me at times.
Its hard to know if can trust what I hear. If it sounds not right I go online.
I tend to use Wikipedia. I don't use social media. I prefer going to a site directly when possible. I also tend to visit multiple sites. I am interested in hearing both sides, or multiple sides of an issue.
A few months back I began using Claude (AI) after doing online research to figure out what AI best suited my need for professional research. I next added Perplexity. I use them both when I am trying to filter out the nonsense that "googling" gives me. Or when I want to gather facts or expand on something.
The AI embedded in Duck, Duck Go is Ok but being able to ask Claude or Perplexity follow up questions is invaluable. It takes it to the next level. I prefer Claude because it does not track or link prior questions. Also, I can tailor Claude to respond only in formalized logic at a graduate education level. Claude starts every conversation from scratch.
Perplexity on the other hand, incorporates things from past conversations into my current question. That colors the response by assuming where I live or my age group or my tax bracket, etc. Perplexity does very well with site citations so I can use my browser to go to the site myself. One drawback with Claude is the citations load in the app itself which is smaller window that I have trouble seeing sometimes.
When I am asking a question about current events, I don't want the answer to assume anything about me. I want the explanation to be solely based on the words I type into the search question. For that I use Claude.
Claude excelled at helping me shop for new refrigerator. The internet search focused on upvoted results. Claude took my specific needs and desired features and gave me only the currently selling models that met my specifications.
Perplexity on the other hand incorporated refrigerator information that was gathered in past conversations and the recommendations included more "noise" (assumptions) instead of just what my current question asked. Perplexity results also included models no longer for sale and leaned into the models made by the manufacturer of my current refrigerator.
If I were to ask Perplexity a medical question, the answer would be colored with assumptions that it was me with the condition and would include recommendations that incorporate other medical issues attributed to me based on past conversations. Claude on the other hand responds factually about the condition ignoring past medical questions I had asked and never assuming that I have the condition or symptoms I am asking about.
Its hard to know if can trust what I hear. If it sounds not right I go online.
I tend to use Wikipedia. I don't use social media. I prefer going to a site directly when possible. I also tend to visit multiple sites. I am interested in hearing both sides, or multiple sides of an issue.
A few months back I began using Claude (AI) after doing online research to figure out what AI best suited my need for professional research. I next added Perplexity. I use them both when I am trying to filter out the nonsense that "googling" gives me. Or when I want to gather facts or expand on something.
The AI embedded in Duck, Duck Go is Ok but being able to ask Claude or Perplexity follow up questions is invaluable. It takes it to the next level. I prefer Claude because it does not track or link prior questions. Also, I can tailor Claude to respond only in formalized logic at a graduate education level. Claude starts every conversation from scratch.
Perplexity on the other hand, incorporates things from past conversations into my current question. That colors the response by assuming where I live or my age group or my tax bracket, etc. Perplexity does very well with site citations so I can use my browser to go to the site myself. One drawback with Claude is the citations load in the app itself which is smaller window that I have trouble seeing sometimes.
When I am asking a question about current events, I don't want the answer to assume anything about me. I want the explanation to be solely based on the words I type into the search question. For that I use Claude.
Claude excelled at helping me shop for new refrigerator. The internet search focused on upvoted results. Claude took my specific needs and desired features and gave me only the currently selling models that met my specifications.
Perplexity on the other hand incorporated refrigerator information that was gathered in past conversations and the recommendations included more "noise" (assumptions) instead of just what my current question asked. Perplexity results also included models no longer for sale and leaned into the models made by the manufacturer of my current refrigerator.
If I were to ask Perplexity a medical question, the answer would be colored with assumptions that it was me with the condition and would include recommendations that incorporate other medical issues attributed to me based on past conversations. Claude on the other hand responds factually about the condition ignoring past medical questions I had asked and never assuming that I have the condition or symptoms I am asking about.
Last edited:
It's hard to find anything online because it's become so convoluted, but claiming Google has devolved (which it has, I can't stand how it all has become so AI oriented and being shoved down our throats) and then claiming AI models are so much better than Google is not true. It's all AI slop.
QuinnFictionkin
Yi Xi's Beloved Spouse...<3
Mix of both. Depends on what it is.
Similar threads
