I know it’s been getting worse over time, but I could still find what I needed after some digging.

Recently it’s been like 10 minutes of adjusting search terms, still getting completely useless or irrelevant results, and me just giving up afterwards. Other search engines seem just as bad.

    • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
      0·
      2 months ago

      Incognito is on your client side browser in that the browser doesn’t retain any trace of the current session once you close the tab. The search engine still knows what you whacked off to.

    • inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 months ago

      True Incognito mode is a myth, it only stops keeping a history in the tab of that browser. Everytime you use a browser to go to any site ever, the browser logs you went there. So does your ISP and the site your connecting to. No matter which mode or browser you use, if you go to Google, then Google knows you went there and logs your searches.

      The closest you can come to browsing the web anonymously would be with a mix of dedicated privacy OS like Tails and either a VPN or Tor as a middile man, but that assumes those proxys are not corrupted. Free VPNs make money by selling your “secret browsing” habits.

      The internet is nothing more than wires, if you connect your wire to someone elses, every intermediatary knows.

      • Blizzard@lemmy.zipEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        You can use uBlock Origin and other privacy add-ons to block tracking and a VPN to hide your IP address but if you’re logged in to a search engine’s account then everything you search is tied to you no matter what you do.

            • themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works
              0·
              2 months ago

              A vpn is not a proxy and cannot do anything to protect you beyond changing your exit point. You are not anonymous using a vpn, especially not with any vpn that has servers in a five eyes country.

    • Steve@communick.newsEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      You can’t have? Or you can’t be sure?
      Because you certainly can have. Just because you pay, doesn’t mean they will log your searches. In fact Kagi claim they don’t. And since their only income comes from paying users. If anyone ever found out they’re lying about that, they’d quickly loose a big chink of subscribers and income. As well as get sued for fraud. So it’s rather unlikely they do.

      Unlike every other search provider, Kagi is the only one with a business model that ensures it’s users are the customer, not the product. When actually using it every day, that’s quite obvious in the results. Even when you search for a company directly, it’s Wikipedia entry is usually the first result. The the company site is the second.

        • Steve@communick.newsEnglish
          0·
          2 months ago

          Not being sure was part of my point. We can’t be sure. But all their incentives are aligned in the right way. That’s the best we can hope for. And better than any alternative right now.

          • LucidNightmare@lemm.ee
            0·
            2 months ago

            I understand the sunk cost fallacy, but I truly think you should read that entire page, friend… That’s all I’ll say though! :)

            • Tinks@lemmy.world
              0·
              2 months ago

              How many times are you going to post that link? We have seen it, and at this point you’re just spamming.

              We get it, you don’t like Kagi. Stop spamming the thread.

              • LucidNightmare@lemm.ee
                0·
                2 months ago

                Well, considering I was about to start using the service, I’d say that I was just trying to help others out. I’m appalled at the shit Vlad has said, and so should others.

                So, again, sorry for trying to point out that the CEO of Kagi does NOT care about privacy, GDPR, or transparency!

                You can ignore the fucking link if you don’t like it, and keep being blissfully ignorant all you want! :)

                • sudneo@lemm.ee
                  0·
                  2 months ago

                  So, again, sorry for trying to point out that the CEO of Kagi does NOT care about privacy, GDPR, or transparency!

                  Privacy != anonymity. They satisfy the most important aspects of the GDRP, like data and scope minimization, clear explanation of what data they collect and why, a fantastic privacy policy. They don’t let you download a file with your email address in it, woah.

                  • LucidNightmare@lemm.ee
                    0·
                    2 months ago

                    Cherry picking the one thing doesn’t make your argument any more sound, homie…

                    Feel free to keep sticking up for Vlad daddy. I’m sure he’ll reward you with a few more extra searches this month. :)

    • ironsoap@lemmy.oneEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      True, but worth reading their about page and privacy page. Not saying it’ll stay this way, but the way they are running is something that makes more sense then being sold as a product to Google. And you aren’t getting much of an incognito these days with all the fingerprinting they are doing.

      I will admit kagi search isn’t the highest performer, but it’s viable. DDG, Start page, etc. Might give you more privacy, or not (hard to tell with DDG these days), but it might be worth trying a different model for a while.

      I miss the days when the internet was truly free, but in lieu of that we have to have something better. Kagi is a start.