Ad-free search doesn't by itself produce a unique product. It's just a product that doesn't have noise, noise that people with attention spans and focus don't experience at all.

Local models are not quite there yet. For now, use the evil bad tools to prepare for the good free tools when they do get there. It's a self-correcting form of technical debt that we will never have to pay down.

“To prepare for the good free tools”

Why do I have to prepare? Once the good free tools are available, it should just work no?

It should not be shocking that we do things better the more we do them. The designs take time to emerge. Experience makes better ideas develop.

As an Emacs user, I anticipate further programming to refine how the glove fits the hand. The solutions we will want as individuals have a lot of dispersion, so I cannot rely on others for everything.

There are plenty of times where I download what others have written and use it as it is, within the bounds of some switches and knobs. Do you want to have such a hands off approach with your primary interface to a computer?

I pay for search and have convinced several of my collaborators to do so as well

I think the dev population mostly uses free search, just based on the fact no one has told me to “Kagi it” yet.

When I need a facial tissue I ask for a Kleenex even if the box says Puffs. Because who says "pass me the Puffs"?

I say “tissue” and “web search” so you’re talking to the wrong guy with that. Even though growing up everyone around me has said Kleenex and Google.

I've been curious of that phenomenon, why not juat ask "pass me a tissue?"

Good old American brand loyalty.

Cuz all the adults around me called it a Kleenex when I was growing up and I've internalized the word for that kind of tissue is Kleenex

They have adblock