is Google still a search engine, or merely a channel for adverts?

[Curt]

For the last two weeks it has been impossible for my Google Chrome Internet browser to give me trustworthy search results. Today's example: I made a simple search for Britpop. Google said there were 25 billion answers, but only showed me 2 pages. Of these approx 50 results, more than 20 were adverts for something unrelated, like a minor Danish Hotel. I also made a picture search and was even more shocked than usual, how useless and worthless the search results were.

 

For a fortnight I have been patient. My initial thought was that we must give the various Chrome extension anti-advert authors time to... wait... Who? Time to what? Chrome is owned by Google... so, who am I expecting to solve this problem? Honestly, Google can not be expected to solve this problem, because to them there is no problem! Especially not if the users just accept the new worthlessness. Maybe I am part of a test group? Have YOU been given silly search results from Google lately? Oh, stupid phrasing. New try: Have YOUR Google search results lately been even more unrelated and full of adverts, than they used to? 

[KynloStephen66515]

I just searched for "Britpop" on Google (via Chrome) and every single result was relevant and I see no ads or anything unrelated, and I went to page 5.

An Image search for the same thing brought up pics of Britpop bands and artists as well as posters and news reports about it.

Further to that...I turned off AdBlock Pro, refreshed, and still see exactly 0 "Sponsored" or unrelated results.

(With and without AdBlock it shows "About 8,500,000 results")

Perhaps you should check to see if you haven't been hijacked by a rogue Chrome plugin or something?

[KynloStephen66515]

I also just tried several test searches for random things...and not one of them came up with anything unexpected.  The odd advert here and there for something I wouldn't click (which goes away if I turn on my AdBlock), but again, nothing unexpected.

[Curt]

Thank you, Stephen66515; I am relieved to hear it's not the entire world, that has been taken over!

... check to see if you haven't been hijacked by a rogue Chrome plugin...

-Stephen66515 (April 18, 2019, 04:16 AM)

I have several times been wondering how to do just that, because my Chrome.exe is using too much CPU for too long, when launched. But in Task Manager all the extensions are also named chrome.exe, so how do I know who is who? And how do I test any of them for anything - other than one by one by one. Oh, that takes Patience! Now, where did she go?

[KynloStephen66515]

Thank you, Stephen66515; I am relieved to hear it's not the entire world, that has been taken over!

... check to see if you haven't been hijacked by a rogue Chrome plugin...

-Stephen66515 (April 18, 2019, 04:16 AM)

I have several times been wondering how to do just that, because my Chrome.exe is using too much CPU for too long, when launched. But in Task Manager all the extensions are also named chrome.exe, so how do I know who is who?

-Curt (April 18, 2019, 04:28 AM)

Your best bet is to disable all of your current plugins, and try the search again (after clearing your cache/cookies etc), then turning them back on 1 by 1 and trying to find the culprit.

[KynloStephen66515]

Oh, also, Shift+ESC (in chrome), brings up the Chrome-specific task manager (which shows usage of tabs and extensions).

[x16wda]

Oh, also, Shift+ESC (in chrome), brings up the Chrome-specific task manager (which shows usage of tabs and extensions).

-Stephen66515 (April 18, 2019, 04:40 AM)

Cool - did not know that!!! Maraming salamat!

[NetRunner]

Have YOUR Google search results lately been even more unrelated and full of adverts, than they used to? 

-Curt (April 18, 2019, 04:09 AM)

Is it Google's fault? Google has to deal with all kinds of black hat behavior. You can't have anything nice because people will try to game it and break it for everybody else.

[Curt]

Oh, also, Shift+ESC (in chrome), brings up the Chrome-specific task manager (which shows usage of tabs and extensions).

-Stephen66515 (April 18, 2019, 04:40 AM)

^ thank you! At least this sorted out the excessive CPU usage (Chrome Webshop's "Download Manager" was not good for my setup).