Couldn't agree more.

No matches _is_ a result. I don't go use a search engine because I must click on a link, any link. I go there to find _relevant_ information. If there isn't any, tell me & I can get on with my day.

But users are, on average, demonstrably ... not as savvy as search engineers as to the optimal way to operate their search engines.

well perhaps somewhat understandable, why should i be happy with an inferior interface because of it? This falls very squarely in the category of "not my problem, but you just made it my problem anyways"

I see this as part of a big trend towards software and software designers that think they know what you want better than you do, and its an endless source of frustration for me, and im sure many others.

Even so, we are all forced to use it at that level.

There usually is a very clear indication right at the top of the page, informing you that the search yielded no results and that it is showing results for a different search.

Here's a good example of "Hey Google WTF?"

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8...