What is up with Google? It used to be a good search engine. Now they are some big corporate conglomo search engine. When I first started using a computer Ask Jeeves was the search engine I used. It was pretty good at first. After a while though a search would always point you in the direction of someone selling something, even if the search was about something that has nothing to do with retailing. Google seems to be following the same route. I'm not always looking to buy something, some times I just need information. Maybe Google does throw in some "informative" sites but I don't have the patience to wade through a bunch of e-commerce sites to find the information I'm looking for. This site even has to suffer from the Google intrusion. Normally I would think it was a good thing that a site like this would ally with a company like Google but in this case it's way to intrusive. Who knows, in a few months F150 Online may only occupy a third of the screen and the rest will be Google ads.

I'm getting pretty sick of Google. Is any one else? Can anyone reccomend an alternative search engine, that is more about directing you to the infrmation you need rather than to things you could buy?

 

http://www.dogpile.com/ there all the same

 

http://www.altavista.com/

 

google is still my fav

 

FWIW, advertising (top banner and Google) has taken up the exact same percentage amount of space "above the fold" on this site for more than a year.

Our latest "refresh" made the Google ads a bit more integrated and placed them farther up on the screen, but as far as percentage of the visible content area absolutely nothing has changed, so I don't understand what you are complaining about or what are deeming "intrusive."

The reality --- large sites (relatively speaking) like F150online need a source of revenue to survive. Today, Google provides a very good, though perhaps not 100% consistent, source for us. It's not intrusive and, perhaps most importantly, a large percentage of the ads they deliver appear to be well targeted to the content of the page.

 

now that you mention it i have never evan noticed a google add on this site,

 

Bartender, i'll have whatever he's having!

 

I don't know what you're talking about. Google has to make money just like F150online. If it adds a few links that are clearly marked as selling points then what is the problem?

When I search for "Radio Controlled Monkeys" I get exactly what I'm looking for, Radio Controlled Monkeys.

Learn to use the web before you gripe.

 

haha ok i see it now... never paid much attention to it before, probley because i have a widescreen monitor and the actual forum is the size it would normally be if it was a 4:3 ratio. i dont know just some thought who cares everyones got to make theres.

 

My complaint is mostly with the content that Google offers up with a search. If I were to type in "Radio Controlled Monkeys", I would see sites that will sell me one. If I type in how a radio controlled monkey works, or what powers a radio controlled monkey, I would see sites that will sell me a radio controlled monkey. In the couple sentences of my post where I mentioned Google as it relates to this site, the thing that was most in my mind is this new redirect to a link. It used to open in a new window, by it's self. Now it replaces the current window and has the Google bar at the bottom of the screen. I can remove the Google bar but for thoes of us who are still using dial up that is another action to slow the process down. Perhaps when I finally stop being a cheap b@stard and get cable, I will be happier.

This is my favorite site on the internet. I completely understand the need for revenue. I'm not being critical of the connection F150 Online has with Google. My gripe is with search engines that cater to their advertisers and as a result may not offer the information the searcher is looking for. I think it was better before money was the major motivator.

Oh, and lifegaurdjoe, I've learned everything I know about using the web from you.

Thanks for the responses. I'll give a couple others a try. Unfortunately I think zacky is right, they are all the same.