Too big to care

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the decline in the quality of Google's search engine and the emergence of a new search engine, Kagi, that provides better search results. It explores how Google has become a monopoly in the search engine market and how it has prioritized profits over providing a quality product. The article also touches on the concept of "enshittification" and the implications of tech companies becoming "too big to care" about their users.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Google's Declining Search Quality

1. What are the key issues with Google's search quality that the article discusses?

• Google's search results have become a "cesspool of botshit, spam, scams, and nonsense", with important resources no longer appearing in the top search results.
• Google has become more focused on profitability through payola (paying to be the default search engine) rather than improving the quality of its search product.
• Google has become "too big to care" about providing a quality search experience, as it is cheaper for them to maintain their dominant market position through payola than to invest in improving their search algorithm.

2. How does the article compare the current state of Google search to the initial user experience when Google first launched?

• When Google first launched, it was "like magic" compared to the previous search engines like Altavista and Yahoo, providing access to the best content on the internet.
• However, over time, Google's search quality has progressively worsened, in contrast to the initial "stunning" experience users had when first using Google.

[02] Kagi Search Engine

1. What are the key features and advantages of the Kagi search engine described in the article?

• Kagi provides search results that are significantly better than Google's, allowing the author to easily find important resources that no longer appear in Google's top results.
• Kagi has advanced search features and "lenses" that surface specific types of content, elevating the search experience beyond just "magic" to "sorcerous".
• Kagi combines results from various search indexes, including Google, in a way that provides better overall search quality than Google alone.

2. What is the business model and pricing structure of Kagi?

• Kagi charges a subscription fee of $10/month (or $14 for a couple, $20 for a family) after the first 100 free queries.
• The author immediately signed up for the family plan, as he found Kagi's search quality to be so much better than Google's that he was willing to pay for the service.

[03] Implications of Google's Enshittification

1. What is the concept of "enshittification" that the article discusses in relation to Google?

• "Enshittification" refers to Google shifting value away from end users (searchers) and business customers (advertisers, publishers, merchants) and towards itself, prioritizing profits over providing a quality product.
• Google has become "too big to care" about delivering good search results, as it is more profitable for them to maintain their dominant market position through payola than to invest in improving their search algorithm.

2. How does the article suggest that Google's enshittification is a deliberate choice, rather than an unintended consequence?

• The article notes that Kagi's search results, which combine results from various sources including Google, are significantly better than Google's own search results.
• This implies that Google's poor search quality is a conscious decision, as they have chosen to prioritize profits over providing the best possible search experience for users.
• Google spends vast sums on payola to ensure it remains the default search engine, rather than investing in improving its search algorithm, because the former is more profitable for the company.