If you’re in North America, you likely use Google as your gateway to the Internet, typing in search words to zero in on what you’re after.
But using Google exclusively can give you a truncated view of the Internet. Yes, it’s almost certainly the best English-language search engine. It’s fast, up to date, and provides plenty of results in a logical fashion.
It’s also a little spooky. Many search results have clearly been guided by what I’ve searched for in the past, and by where I live. When I type in a restaurant name, a name that is likely used in cities around the world, I am provided with a link to the one in Victoria at the top of result listings. That’s helpful, but leaves me wondering about what happens with other searches. What is Google keeping from me?
I’ve been tinkering with other search engines to see what sort of an Internet view they provide. Quite often, it’s quite different from what Google serves up. And, sort of reassuringly, it’s often the same.
These are the search engines I’ve been trying out:
DuckDuckGo.com
Its big selling point is privacy. “The search engine that doesn’t track you,” is its catchphrase. DuckDuckGo says that Google stores your web searches and sends information about your search and your browser and computer to sites that you click on. It says it doesn’t do any of that. It also doesn’t filter search results based on what you’ve searched in the past.
WolframAlpha.com
This site offers curated results, providing information from its own data collection. It doesn’t search the web. Information pops up immediately; you don’t have to click on links. It’s good at math and science questions. But it also gives basics about celebrities.
Bing.com
Microsoft’s effort. The most-Google-like of the search engines I’ve tried.
Yandex.com
Its roots are Russian, but there’s an English version. Results tend to be less comprehensive than Google.
I’m just starting out with these Google alternatives. I’ll report later on how I fare with them.
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