I have serious issues about DDG search results when it comes to accuracy.

For example, when I want to search for the documentation for the Ecto library in Elixir, I search for "elixir ecto" on Google:

https://www.google.com/search?q=elixir+ecto

Top result is what I want. Second result is the Github page. Third result is the wiki on Github.

Perfect.

This is what I get for the same search result on DDG:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ecto+elixir

Totally irrelevant results. Why isn't DDG able to deduce what I'm actually searching for?

Even when I search explicitly for "elixir ecto docs" I still don't get the results I want:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ecto+elixir+docs&ia=web

So yeah, DDG is basically unusable for me, at least for these types of use cases. I get the privacy benefits but IMO if a search engine is failing at its core job then everything else is pointless.

Yeah I mostly try to use DDG but I find that if my query has any implicit grammar (eg phrased as a question, or contains verbs) and not just independent search terms, then Google will get it and DDG won't find it at all.

Lots of !g and I don't try to use it on mobile yet.

I'm confused. When I run your DDG query, the first result is the github page, and the second result is the docs. So same top two as Google, but flipped. I find that acceptable. Maybe one of us is in some A/B bucket?

This is what I see: https://imgur.com/gallery/wMoC0IF

Both on computer and iPhone.

Here is what i get clicking on your second query. https://i.imgur.com/2ZfvuDh.png

I expanded the boxes in the top right, but it seems clear it gives the "correct" results for me.

I wonder why the results are so different.

Very interesting. I see almost what bgaluszka sees, but the first two results flipped. I know they basically blend a couple search engine's results together, so they must experiment with different combinations.

https://imgur.com/a/Lak3LZx for me.

This is the reason I've somewhat recently switched to Searx - I've not had to run any !g searches, as I did when I was using DDG, but my privacy remains intact.

"elixir ecto" on a public Searx instance: https://www.searx.me/?q=elixir%20ecto

Exact same reason here, I kept getting irrelevant searches on DDG while getting better hits on Google or even Bing. So !g and !b kept occuring...

Searx is much more liberating, I can do searches multiple searches in one - and also do code search on github, gitlab etc.

This is where !g comes in handy. In my experience how you search ddg is a bit different from how you search google and it may require some time to get used to but for me what ddg offers is far more interesting than what google does e.g. consistent results, privacy, ability to forward my search request to other search engines.

There's also !s, which will search using startpage -- all of the google results and none of the google creepiness.

Consistency? Another commenter (greysonp) says he got different results with my query.

How is that “consistent”?

I see the same thing as the other two posters so I'm very curious as to why you get what you get.

I tried the query several times and got a few slightly different results, at one point getting something similar (but not identical) to enraged_camel's results. Most of the time it shows me what everyone else is reporting, but "consistent" might not be a good description here.

That is interesting, although I seem to be getting the same result as him (I've replied to your other comment).

> In my experience Firefox + DDG is a viable alternative to Chrome + Google Search.

Yup, Firefox is better than Chrome (especially with tree style tabs on the side) and DDG isn't really as good as Google so, when you average things out, these are comparable combinations.

I don't think they do.

I'd rather use a bad browser and find what I need on Google, than use a good browser and get sub-par search results.

I used to think that.

However on a search engine like DDG I now search without worrying of being tracked.

For example I’m researching obesity and diabetes. Do I want Google to know that? Do I want them to infer my potential illnesses from my searches? Hell no and I don’t care how good their search results are.

In my experience DDG is poor when the query is vague. But adding a word or two to make the query more specific helps DDG give results that are as good or better. You eventually get used to it.

Also fun fact but I deleted my entire history from my Google account, going back 15 years or so. Immediately afterwards Google’ search started giving me visibly worse search results.

So Google is being smart by doing your profile based on your history. That seems great at first but when you realize they’ve got more than a decade of data on you and that they know every problem you’ve had (like in my case, they know that my son was born prematurely for example, or that I used to smoke and many other personal issues I can’t share), it should freak you out.

People not worrying about this are either very young and thus don’t have baggage or haven’t thought this through.

The results aren't all that sub-par. For technical questions specifically, they're actually (anecdotally) much better. And the favicons besides the results are a godsend. The only thing I use Google for these days is when looking for something like a company in my area. Because of all its knowledge, Google knows I probably want the "Radio City" in my country, not the one from Toronto or whatever. But those cases are rare predictable, so I prefix it with !gsi without even thinking about it.

I have a very serious question about privacy that I dont want to be judged for.

Should I switch if I do nothing wrong? I stopped downloading illegal videos and my porn is tame.

What bad things can google do to me if I'm a user that doesnt care about privacy for myself?

I think there are a ton of very well-spoken arguments for why everyone, yes even those who "do nothing wrong," should care about privacy, and I would encourage you to look at those. Mostly because the people who publicly speak about this are much more eloquent than I, and have thought much more on the topic.

That said, I think it boils down to this: we all want privacy, but digital privacy is a hard problem because we are not "wired" to understand it. Humans are not good at interacting with systems with perfect memory, huge computational power, and extremely insightful statistical modeling capabilities.

This affects us differently than interacting with a person. Now, a machine can categorize you automatically based on political beliefs, religious beliefs, friend networks, conversational style, etc. This can be used to target you for (arguably unethical) influence via surgically targeted propaganda, or to retroactively mark you as a dissident in a tyrannical regime based on a comment you made off-hand years before the regime took power.

Left unchecked, these invasive tracking systems could be used for a myriad of unethical purposes. And even if you "do nothing wrong," it's important to remember that in most legal systems, it's very difficult to lead a normal life and never break any laws. Add to that the very, very long records these systems are capable of keeping on you, and I think it's clear why many people, myself included, wish to minimize our presence on platforms such as Google.

I think, especially with regards to your opening paragraph, that some references would’ve been great here. Anything in particular you could point to?

I think it’s worth while, even just to prevent our privacy from continuing to erode.

Also, who knows what changes in the future? Maybe something you do online today seems harmless but gets you in trouble in 20+ years.

Some people do have things they want to keep private. If only those people care about privacy, then they eventually stick out like a sore thumb and that’s not fair. It’s not always bad or malicious. Diseases, traumatic experiences, conditions, things you should be able to get help with or information on without Google or some other company profiling you.

> Should I switch if I do nothing wrong?

Who decides if you do nothing wrong? Think about that seriously - who decides what is right and wrong?

Also - if those 'powers that be' decide you have done nothing wrong now, what about in perpetuity? What if in 5 or 20 years who or what you are itself is simply deemed wrong?

These arguments aren't fictional. Being gay and Jewish are just two unchangeable traits that have seen persecution in living memory. Let alone countless others.

Perhaps the Rohingya would be a very recent example.

Be cautious that your own sense of 'right and wrong' in the here and now doesn't cloud the reality that you are beholden to those with actual power to agree with your behaviours and traits - and that those powers can (and will) change over time.

Would you feel comfortable posting your last 100 searches here? What about on a list next to your front door?

Even though you are "not doing anything wrong", perhaps you did a search on that funny looking rash you noticed the other day, or that trivial programming question you needed to look up the answer to.

For me, it is about keeping control of my information. And the best way to control it, is for it not to be collected.

Privacy is not secrecy.

You might want to search for a new job without it influencing searches that may be visible to a current employer.

You may want to search for health topics without it becoming associated at life insurers on the ad network.

You may want your teens to be able to search bullying and sexuality without Facebook or Google tagging those to their profiles, in perpetuity, or worse advertising and retargeting the topics to them.

> Should I switch if I do nothing wrong? I stopped downloading illegal videos and my porn is tame.

Do you still close the bathroom door, even if you are not doing anything wrong in there?

That's privacy.

For me it's mostly that the ads are getting too good. Like, I look at raincoats on some site, then that site's raincoat ads follow me around for the next two weeks. I'm trying to be frugal and not buy more stuff that I don't need, but the ads actually get to me after a while. Adblock helps, but sometimes I have to turn it off for my work (web development).

Should I care about free speech if I have nothing controversial to say?

I find this to be the most compelling argument, because it cleanly positions privacy advocacy as a charitable rather than selfish act.

I believe that individual privacy as a social norm is a prerequisite to free speech, that free speech is a prerequisite to democracy, and that democracy is a prerequisite to fairness in the world.

Advocating for your own privacy is worthwhile if only to provide herd immunity for others less privileged than you, and to send a message about how you wish others would act; to demonstrate popular demand, and to lead by example.

Google has no business keeping a record of each and every one of your searches, tied to your account, but they do it anyway, and they are increasing the tracking by combining the gmail and browser login.

You may start searching for divorce lawyers at some point, and your spouse might stumble upon that.

These search histories could also be obtained with a subpoena, for reasons totally unrelated to you.

Chrome can no longer be safely used to login to google sites. Just because you don't care about privacy now doesn't mean that you won't later.

Do you lock your doors at night? Use curtains or shades on your windows?

Even if you do nothing wrong, would allow streaming cameras and hot mics in your house? How about leaving the door open to allow anyone on Earth to freely enter/exit your property?

Would you want an advertiser to recommend your porn to your love interests? Coworkers? "Popular in your social circle: bukkake MILFs!" We're not quite there yet, but we're close.

If I could guarantee you that I wouldn't send anything, would you agree to give me, a stranger, your email password?

They're still collecting that data regardless. I would rather use DDG for that purpose alone.

I have a very similar experience. Switched to using Nightly with DDG, and I'm in IT so I search quite frequently. The browser is super fast, and container tabs are amazing. I'm able to find nearly everything I need, and only use Google as a last resort.

I like being able to contribute to a good project (by using Nightly I believe you submit some telemetry, a small contribution).

Regarding that add-on, I've become a huge fan of this:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account...

The concept is: create additional Named containers, and assign domains to always load in X named container