Do You Remember When Google Just Worked?

Back around the year 2010, Google just worked.

What the hell do I mean by that?

When Google started, it was a bit clunky. By 2010, whatever you searched for, it was just there. Bugs had been worked out, whether it be word, content, or image. Google, to me, was magic, they were at their peak. (Yes, I was aware they were doing shady things behind the curtains).

During the Obama Administration, certain types of speech were emphasized, while others were de-emphasized. At first, the company denied it, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to see what was going on.

By the year 2024, Google was fighting off Congressional Investigations as to which way they leaned when it came to their search engine. In the year 2025, they fight off allegations of which way their AI program leans.

Unfortunately, Beacon of Speech was on the wrong side of Google History.

Why the whining, specifically today? Every time I use the search engine now, it's like pulling teeth. Google cries that it doesn't want to pay anyone for content, but if there's no copyright for AI, why isn't the search engine just flooded with AI crap?

Let's keep it simple.

I look out my window as I type and the first thing I see is a tree.

So I google: Tree.

Tree is a fairly neutral term, so I find what I'm looking for under ALL and IMAGES almost immediately. Then I go to AI mode and once AI gives it's opinion, the citations are nearly the same. So much so, that after a few clicks I can't tell if I'm in normal mode or AI mode. Where are the AI trees?

So their AI model takes the history of trees and regurgitates the information into a watery soup? Along with their standard, slanted searches?

Why is it harder to find things on Google now than it was 10 years ago?

---

Back when I worked at Iron Mountain, we had a Manager who really disliked me. His eye twitched when he had to speak with me. When we got a new tablet system to monitor our driving habits, the new system didn't quite work correctly. I didn't do anything to the tablet, I just let it work crappy on its own.

So my manager scolded me that I needed to TRY to make the tablet work.

"Listen, you obviously don't trust the workers, or you wouldn't have ordered monitoring tablets. So I do my job, then the tablet checks my job, then I'm supposed to check the tablet's job checking my job? If you don't like the way I'm doing my job, it's YOUR job to make sure the tablet works."

Which is where we are at with Google. Every time I use it, I feel like its a push and pull struggle to find what I know I'm looking for. Google used to just work. Now I have to double check the information that I ask from it before I use it.

Collecting information. Manipulating information. Amplifying or hiding information.

Tale as old as time.

---

Released on the same day in history as Google:

Not sure how to feel about this.