Submitted 2 months ago by renzev@lemmy.world to mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/a97d1ec7-2d1a-47fa-b7d9-9a3a320457c4.png
It’s impressive how duckduckgo manages to be so much better than bing despite being a frontend for bing
Okay, totally off topic…what is it with this annoying trend of censoring a company/name with an asterisk when it’s a subject of ire? It just bugs me - and not in a way that focuses my anger to Microsoft.
With stuff like Tesla and Twitter, it can keep away the weird nerds who search those terms in hopes of white-knight-sealioning a conversation into oblivion. I think it just became part of the lexicon.
I like the classic Usenet “Micro$oft.” Producers of Microshaft Wind-blows.
Don’t forget Microshit’s renowned Orifice software suite!
$
I only ever use Michaelsoft Binbows.
It conveys “I have such a disdain for that thing that I’m asterisking its name like it was a slur or swear word”.
I’m not a big fan either, even if you can find some secondary roles for that (as keeping someone from finding it, like ilinamorato exemplified). It distracts the reader from what is being said to the author’s personal opinion about what is being said.
It’s ironic, except for when we’re talking about the Fr*nch. It’s self aware humor that you’re being ridiculous. The tone it’s supposed to convey in situations like thisis that you’re being hyperbolically obtuse.
Yeah, that Franch dipping sauce in Breaking Bad was crazy!
Honestly, it’s better than: fck, blly and sicde
Those are generally used for bypassing filters on TikTok and Instagram
But like, come on man, no matter how much you censor it I know the word and I get the message. Because that’s why you wrote it, you want me to read and understand it
speak of the devil and he shall appear
…huh. TIL.
The last time I had to download the unifying software it was more often than that.
Is softonic actually malware or an unreliable repository that may contain malware? I’ve never actually clicked in lol
I unknowingly downloaded some software from there when I was a kid, and, from what I remember, it came bundled with some sort of update manager or something. Even if it’s not outright malware, I would wager most people who are looking to download logitech’s utility don’t want some irrelevant third-party garbage on their system. So AT BEST it’s crapware / bloatware
My elderly dad fell for something similar trying to call HP support, he googled the number and the top result was some bullshit. They had him set up remote access and compromised all his data. Old man had to reset everything.
He called me saying what happened, I had him shut down and unplug. I recovered what I could but he lost a lot of data.
This shit should be illegal. Like, I’m sure it is technically but there shouldnt be unofficial sponsored results above legitimate sources.
In a perfect world, they’d be legally/financially responsible for any ads they serve up like that.
Yeah… I get that you pay for ads, but ads should never masquerade themselves as legitimate content.
The latter.
Yes it is.
It’s just a mirror for software that is or was free. Though it’s been around for years, and hasn’t been relevant or needed by most people for a long time now so it very well could contain viruses and shit these days.
How is Softonic still allowed to advertise it’s literally Malware
Just so I understand. I should not be downloading anything from there?
I clicked a link just yesterday, but something felt off so I backed out and went to the MSI page to download afterburner.
No never. Softonic repackages existing programs with a malware bundle.
Softonic has to have made a deal with the SEO devil.
Non idea how their disgusting malware is always on top.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Google doesn’t care if the ad is good or a scam, as long as they get paid, the ad could be anything
Softonic be like every app you want we have it, even the non exist ones. But once you installed our apps you already have made a pact with the devil
Does anyone know exactly what malware they are serving? I’m tempted to run it though virustotal.
It’s not malware it’s more adware. At least it used to be
Wow reading through these comments makes me a little sad. Looks like all the effort I put into that that simple search engine guide was in vain.
Well that was a spectacular read in your link, keep calling attention to it, 'cause it’s gonna be a constant drip-drip-drip of people finding out. I didn’t know, but starting today, I’m gonna experiment with SearXNG as my primary search engine, see how that goes!
Thanks
Yacy seems to be what I want but I am worried about the content that would get indexed
Thanks for making such an interesting guide! I’ll read through this and hopefully learn more about search engines and what would work the best for me.
💸 Microsoft 🤑 got 💰 paid 🫰 so… they managed to come out ahead of this whole ordeal just fine.
The rest of us can go suck a bag of dicks for all they care.
Borderline?
There’s still DuckDuckGo, or Kagi if you are rich.
Doesnt Duck use bing?
Yes, and DDG has really been degrading over the last few months in quality of results imo.
Yes.
what about concepts?
still looks better than the average Google search
Not to defend Bing in anyway, but I typed logitech unifying software and the first result is the download page on logitechs site.
I am not doubting you, but why is it so different for me? I see non of the ??? section, no ads, just a link at the top like you would expect.
What are you using or doing different?
Do you have uBlock or some similar ad blocker installed?
The screenshot is from Microsoft Edge running in Windows 10 (virtual machine) with no/little browsing history and no account connected. I’m hypothesizing here, but maybe these are the reasons:
Just tried it in Edge, with no ad block.
The first link was what I was searching for. None of that extra stuff showed up. The ad (for something unrelated) was in a column in the right.
There is no account associated, little browsing history. This machine was completely wiped 2 weeks ago.
I think the difference is, I am not in the US.
I would give startpage.com a shot i find it works even better than duckduckgo
Thanks for the tip! I use startpage already, it’s pretty good. From what I understand, it uses Google’s search index under the hood.
There’s also Brave search which (claims to be) privacy friendly and (claims to) have their own independent search index, so you could give that a try as well. I wouldn’t say it’s better that startpage or google tho
and (claims to) have their own independent search index
AFAIK their index is very small, so they use Bing to supplement it. Most search engines and voice assistants that aren’t Google use Bing in some way, since it’s the largest search index that has an official public API that anyone can use.
I’ve been using Brave search for a while as a daily driver. It’s usually pretty decent, but I fall back to google when looking for commercial stuff like local stores and products.
Damn I’d love to use it but it does not have my country as an option to select region so pretty much useless to me sadly. Stuck to DDG abd google/bing it seems.
Stract.com open search engine a guy built in his basement. It is not perfect but feels like Google used to in the late 90s, when you had real results
Thanks, I’ve never heard of this. I’ve been using Brave Search + DDG + Marginalia
Hey now, that malware has paid to be the top result! Probably using the proceeds scammed out of somebody who downloaded it.
Mainstream search engines (google and bing) are completely useless. Alternatives ftw.
I wouldn’t call bing mainstream
It’s gone really downhill ever since co-pilot
It’s hard to call it better than Google now
I wouldn’t say it’s borderline unusable tbh…
The first adware result is blocked with any ad blocker, the fact you see it means you might not have your ad blocker on, or disabled in incognito mode.
The second and third copilot bullshit sections can be toggled off from any search result page, on the sidebar settings there’s a toggle.
I do appreciate the bing rewards thing, basically every few weeks I get a gift card because you earn points by using bing
I just use Google with uBlock to get rid of adverts
And they force windows users to not use chrome
How does Microsoft’s compare to M*crosoft’s?
I mean… you went to Bing to search for a program. That’s something that a new or inexperienced user would do, and Bing tried to help. It gave a direct link to the software (a link which I just tested to be working and safe on a virtual machine), it instructed how to do it using the official website, and then as a third option, it gave a link to the website.
I know that a lot of people will automatically assume a site like Softonic is loaded with malware (and I don’t have the time to refute all of those claims) but the download they provided of the software was just a mirror of the official download and came with no added malware, spyware, or adware. Use at your own risk, but OP is pretty clearly fearmongering in an attempt to get people to give them internet points.
tbf it seems to be a common issue with search engines atm. brave also has the stupid ai response topmost, and startpage without adblock pushes in so many sponsored results that you need to scroll to get to anything else
If you know you want Logitech software, why not go directly to the Logitech site and search there?
SearXNG is also amazing. The only reason I don’t use it more is because it doesn’t have an integration into the URL bar in Firefox.
At least what you are looking for, is on the first page. With Google you get half a page of ads not relevant to your search, and two pages of SEO garbage, before you get to a relevant search.
Next time just go directly to the domain. You don’t need to rely on a search engine for all web navigation, you know.
it’s Microsoft. You don’t need to edgelord censor yourself.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 2 months ago
Oh my god that’s amazing. Instructions on how to do what you’re literally doing, dead internet theory is so correct. Instructions for robots by robots
renzev@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Unpopular opinion: dead internet is not only real, but GOOD. Once robots get good enough to autonomously sign up for websites and make convincing posts, this will force us humans to go actually outside, make friends, form deep social relationship, and build lasting, resilient communities. Meanwhile on the internet, websites that are willing to allow AI content for money will eventually die out due to lack of actual users. The only remaining websites will be run by individuals and organizations with non-profit motives, and a strict human-only policy.
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 2 months ago
The economy was always bots buying from other bots…
chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
There is no chance it goes that way, how is talking to people outside even an option for someone used to just being on the internet? Even if the content gets worse, the basic mechanisms to keep people scrolling still function, while the physical and social infrastructure necessary for in person community building is nonexistent.
makyo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m extremely wary and nervous about how disruptive LLMs can/will be but one relief is just getting an answer directly for things instead of wading through page after page of SEO optimized BS. Just really nice when you can get a quick answer and get back to the things you want to be doing.
I suppose the AI overlords will screw that up somehow too but IMO it’s at a brief moment of usefulness.
Matriks404@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Enshittified internet and software made me no longer obsessed with technology, and instead I focused on other hobbies. And it also made my socialize more.
childOfMagenta@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I’m a geek, always around computers, gaming, tinkering, etc.
Once I moved for work, to Spain, didn’t know the language. My laptop broke, like, when opening it, the plastic was fatigued and the screen just bent.
I was broke, expensive training… Couldn’t replace it before a few months.
So I went to the bar of the inn I was starting at. And just, tried to pick up some words.
Long story short, after a while I knew everyone in town, had many friends, and after work, laptop or not, I would go to the bar. I got fluent in Spanish too.
Happiest time of my life. I don’t think my mental health has ever been as good as back then.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 months ago
Boooo, this is just diet accelerationism! Let me have genuine online connections in addition to my IRL ones.
FlihpFlorp@lemm.ee 2 months ago
On robots.net too
rain_worl@lemmy.world 1 month ago
visiting their website, they have ai generated images on the front page