actually awesome and fast search engine (depending on which instance you use) with no trashy AI and ADs results also great for privacy, if you don’t know which instance to use go to https://searx.space/ and choose an instance closest to you

      • alehc@slrpnk.net
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        23 days ago

        That’s a fair point. The whole point of needing an account and paying for the service is that personal data plays no role in their business model. This requieres trust from their users but I’m willing to do so as fuck google (obv) and ddg and other alternatives I’ve tried give noticeable worse results…

    • youmaynotknow@lemmy.ml
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      24 days ago

      5 dollars for 300 searches per month? Dafuk? And to top it up, need an actual account with email. Gets acquired in a couple of years, and all the data they gather on you gets sold. You’d be better off staying with Google.

      • weker01@sh.itjust.works
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        23 days ago

        Ok I need to put my tinfoil hat on for a moment but I think there is some viral marketing going on for it on Lemmy. The frequency I see it recommended or mentioned and the unorganic way it is brought up gives me advert vibes.

        • retro@infosec.pub
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          23 days ago

          It’s just a really good product. I search for something and get the results I’m looking for. You don’t have to like it, but I like the product enough that I would take the time to recommend that others give it a go too.

          • weker01@sh.itjust.works
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            23 days ago

            It could be a good product. I neither hate it nor like it.

            I personally know someone in advertisement and viral marketing is more widespread than I think people realize. That is why I would like people to be sceptical about stuff that gets recommended with this kind of frequency (and IMHO with text in a tone that I’ve read in actual viral marketing campaigns) especially if the product is commercial.

            This method of advertising is used because it works and as you can see by the backlash here merely suggesting that it could be an ad and asking people to be sceptical/cautious is taken as breaking a social taboo.

        • alehc@slrpnk.net
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          23 days ago

          Lol as if that tiny company could afford that kind of stuff. Also what do you mean unorganic as the thread in question is talking about search engines? Ironically, I commented the kagi suggestion cause I barely never see it mentioned in these threads and I genuinely find it super cool and I’d like more people to try it… guess you can’t give suggestions anymore?

          • weker01@sh.itjust.works
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            23 days ago

            My intention is not to personally attack you just to get that out of the way. That is why I prefaced my statement with the tinfoil hat part.

            I don’t know if the company can afford that. I did not look into it enough but I know that viral marketing is not a very expensive marketing strategy and I hate it.

            I can speak only on my experience here on Lemmy where I hear it mentioned with a rather high frequency and in ways that suggest to me that it could be an advert.

            I will not apologize for being sceptical when it comes to commercial product recommendations and I suggest everybody do the same as viral marketing is extremely widespread in the modern net.

            • alehc@slrpnk.net
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              23 days ago

              Yeal I get it, I find it hard to rely on online recommendations too. But still, I find it funny that I personally haven’t seen any kagi comment and you have seen enough already to grow skeptical. Because of that, and because I have enjoyed using it, I wanted to share it. Could have gone deeper on the reasons I like it but it would sound more forced/advertisy imo (e.g. “For only xyz per month you get 100% private reliable results with xyz features. I have used it for xyz months and it has never failed” etc).

              Still kinda annoying to get implied to be a bot/paid rando when sharing something cool but that’s the web

              Edit: I took a second looks to other comments and I can see that kagi is indeed mentioned quite a bit so nvm that. I’m glad to hear more people are starting to use it now :)

      • alehc@slrpnk.net
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        23 days ago

        The family plan (w/ unlimited searches) is better value. Also the whole point of charging upfront is that personal data plays no role on its business model. Ofc there’s still the risk of it being acquired but the userbase (even if small atm) is still growing and (allegedly) is now profitable.