Google Search Results - "most radical transformation ever" - Search Plus Your World

[golles]

Some press re: recent announcement from Google:

http://searchengineland.com/googles-...r-world-107285

http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/201...our-world.html

http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/10/goo...changes-afoot/

[Clinton]

Well spotted. It will result in an improved experience for some users, but the scary bit is how good Google is getting at co-opting everyone into a Facebook like mindset where sharing everything is a Good Thing and where you need to log in to Google to benefit from the most relevant results.

I consistently use Scroogle to get Google results without all the ads and personalisation and other junk. The other benefit is that I can annonymise my searches to curtail to at least a small extent the data and info Google has on me.

How far do you think the average Joe is going to buy into all this opening a Google account etc., to see slightly more relevant and social influenced results?

[ClaytonL]

I don't think the average joe will use it, at least in it's current form. How often are you searching for something that was shared in your social network?

I think what they eventually want to do is compete with Evernote. I think they see Evernote creating a search engine for your memory and they're thinking "why can't we do that?".

[Dave McM]

It certainly isn't endearing Google to me. At this stage I'm still fairly happy to use Google (though less happy than I was) because I don't typically get my results cluttered with too much personalisation and other nonsense. (Although I have a Google+ account, I rarely use it.) But if they carry on much further down this track, I may be following in Clinton's shoes before long.

[golles]

I don't think the average joe will use it

I agree - many google users I know don't even know if they are logged into google or not.

Some things bother me personally about this - looking as an end user rather than a 'web guy'

1) I used to use Google for quick efficient information gathering - I don't really care what my 'circles' have liked, +1'd etc - I just want good ole fashion information - I think the looking at information outside my circle of influence is actually what influences me more - on research type searches anyway - perhaps not on 'buying' type searches.

2) Privacy. I realise there will be controls but this is another further step in opening up a privacy nightmare - in my opinion.

I guess Googles data states the opposite.....(or maybe their revenue testing :-) )

[JJMcClure]

but the scary bit is how good Google is getting at co-opting everyone into a Facebook like mindset where sharing everything is a Good Thing and where you need to log in to Google to benefit from the most relevant results.

As opposed to just forcing that user behaviour and taking away any choice, a la Steve Jobs...