Windows 7: Google Takes The "+" Out Of Search

Brink · 24 Oct 2011

Quote:

When you control over 60% of the search market, you can more or less do whatever you want. Google has decided to forcibly change the way our brains understand the act of search by ditching the “+” operator. Google searches will now ignore that symbol in web searches, but there is an alternative, clumsy as it is.

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Maximum PC | Google Takes The "+" Out Of Search

Imperfect1 · 25 Oct 2011

I am sorry that Google has made this choice. It's one more example of trying to 'fix' something that isn't broken -- which is all too frequent with Microsoft, and apparently now with Google as well. And the explanation given for the reason for this choice does not make sense. Putting double-quotes around several words is not exactly the same as having two or more words joined with the + sign.

One would hope that the primary aim of these software giants would be to make the users' job easier, not harder. Sadly, that's not the case.

Windows i7 920 · 26 Oct 2011

Oh, is this why my searching for "C++" has been turning up better results lately?

If I wanted to search for specific stuff, I just use advanced search. It's much easier, IMO.

Quote: Originally Posted by Imperfect1

I am sorry that Google has made this choice. It's one more example of trying to 'fix' something that isn't broken -- which is all too frequent with Microsoft, and apparently now with Google as well. And the explanation given for the reason for this choice does not make sense. Putting double-quotes around several words is not exactly the same as having two or more words joined with the + sign.

One would hope that the primary aim of these software giants would be to make the users' job easier, not harder. Sadly, that's not the case.

I find it makes more sense personally. It reminds me of strings in C++, and similar languages.

Saintor · 26 Oct 2011

I almost never used the + but did use the quotation marked for multi-words research. Try "windows seven forums".

MilesAhead · 26 Oct 2011

So are they also going to kill the '-' operator? Yin without Yang disturbs the balance.

Barman58 · 26 Oct 2011

I assume you can still use the Boolean "AND" operator which was always the way to ensure two terms were included in a Google search

I was a great user of the + operator added to the start of a single term but can see the logic of the change, [for whatever reason it's changed

] to include a specific phrase you use quotes even when the phrase is one word long - not too difficult to conceptualize

I will be sorry to lose the - operator though "NOT" should still replace it

MilesAhead · 26 Oct 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Barman58

I assume you can still use the Boolean "AND" operator which was always the way to ensure two terms were included in a Google search

I was a great user of the + operator added to the start of a single term but can see the logic of the change, [for whatever reason it's changed

] to include a specific phrase you use quotes even when the phrase is one word long - not too difficult to conceptualize

I will be sorry to lose the - operator though "NOT" should still replace it

Don't know if they'll go that far. I was just joking.

But searching for C++ solutions did kind of drive me nuts at times. Typing "C Plus Plus" or "C++" aiiyy!! Looks like the AI dude(John McCarthy) died a bit too soon. He could have surpassed Steve Jobs and Brian Kernighan in my estimation if he invented a convenient way to avoid the shift key. It really disrupts my typing rhythm.

HammerHead · 26 Oct 2011

Barman would "not subor" get it?

Barman58 · 26 Oct 2011

I'm too Bl***y old to remember that far back - or should that be for ... next

Windows 7: Google Takes The "+" Out Of Search

Google Takes The "+" Out Of Search problems?