From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

So Firefox makes comparison easy. I have Bing as one of my options in
the right-hand search field -- which, correct me if I'm wrong, is called
Find in the Customize Toolbar window*** -- so I can use the same search
words in Bing.
And in my Firefox home page, i have 4 rows of 8 icons for my 30 or so favorite webpages, and I have ChatGPT set for one of them, so it takes
only one extra step to try ChatGPT.

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT
asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.


***It's hard to get to the Customize Toolbar window, because my crrent
toolbar seems to have no empty space. You have to find the spece
between two items and right click and choose Customize, and all kinds of opportnities open up.

**IIUC even before AI made it to the top of the search resulte, the 2
line summaries of individual hits where created by AI. That is, it read
the selected page after word searching found it, and excertped what AI
thought was the essence of it.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

[..snip..]

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT
asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.

Nothing to do with Firefox. Follow up to raA alt.internet.search-engines
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

On 11/30/2025 12:09 PM, micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

So Firefox makes comparison easy. I have Bing as one of my options in
the right-hand search field -- which, correct me if I'm wrong, is called
Find in the Customize Toolbar window*** -- so I can use the same search
words in Bing.
And in my Firefox home page, i have 4 rows of 8 icons for my 30 or so favorite webpages, and I have ChatGPT set for one of them, so it takes
only one extra step to try ChatGPT.

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT
asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.

***It's hard to get to the Customize Toolbar window, because my crrent toolbar seems to have no empty space. You have to find the spece
between two items and right click and choose Customize, and all kinds of opportnities open up.

**IIUC even before AI made it to the top of the search resulte, the 2
line summaries of individual hits where created by AI. That is, it read
the selected page after word searching found it, and excertped what AI thought was the essence of it.

Do not be surprised. Even before AI, different search engines used
different algorithms on differently structured databases created from
differing Web crawlers.
--

David E. Ross
<http:www.rossde.com>

Some Republican officials have denounced the assassination
of Charlie Kirk as a conspiracy by liberal Democrats. Why
then is the attempted kidnapping of the Democrat governor
of Michigan, the shooting of a Democrat state senator of
Minnesota, and the assassination of the Democrat speaker
of the Minnesota state assembly not denounced as a
conservative Republican conspiracy?

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

On 30 Nov 2025 in alt.comp.software.firefox, David E. Ross wrote:

Do not be surprised. Even before AI, different search engines used
different algorithms on differently structured databases created from differing Web crawlers.

For that matter, on the same search engine you could get differing
results depending on which data center you connected to. Used to be you
could force this by using a different country TLD - say, for example,
using google.de vs using google.com. I haven't tried it in a while;
syncing between data centers has probably gotten better.
--
Joe Makowiec
http://makowiec.org/
Email: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe
Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

In alt.internet.search-engines, on Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:33:18 +0100,
Frank Miller <miller@posteo.ee> wrote:

micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

[..snip..]

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT
asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.

Nothing to do with Firefox. Follow up to ? alt.internet.search-engines

I didn't know there was such a ng, but I subscribed and it's only had
306 posts in the last 11 years, and almost all are spam. One normal post complains about this 5 years ago. So the next best thing would be here.
But half or more of this was not about search engines. It wa about how
easy it is with FF to use more than one, without changing any settings.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

On 11/30/25 6:29 PM, micky wrote:

In alt.internet.search-engines, on Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:33:18 +0100,
Frank Miller <miller@posteo.ee> wrote:

micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

[..snip..]

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT
asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.

Nothing to do with Firefox. Follow up to ? alt.internet.search-engines

I didn't know there was such a ng, but I subscribed and it's only had
306 posts in the last 11 years, and almost all are spam. One normal post complains about this 5 years ago. So the next best thing would be here.
But half or more of this was not about search engines. It wa about how
easy it is with FF to use more than one, without changing any settings.

I use eternal-september as my USENET server.
It only displays only "recent" activity -- I see neither your nor
Frank's posts.
I don't know how often it checks for recent activity.

Does anyone know of an *active* USENET group or mailing list where
problems with finding a suitable "search engine" is considered on-topic?

TIA




--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

On 30.11.2025 21:09, micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

yay! advanced!!11

"how many r's in strawberry"

There are threethree "r"s in the word "strawberry".

AI fools goto hell..

you also use a calculator that gives a correct
result 7 of 10 times.

ciao...

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.software.firefox

In alt.comp.software.firefox, on Mon, 1 Dec 2025 04:54:20 -0600, Richard
Owlett <rowlett@access.net> wrote:

On 11/30/25 6:29 PM, micky wrote:

In alt.internet.search-engines, on Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:33:18 +0100,
Frank Miller <miller@posteo.ee> wrote:

micky wrote:

Although I see some advantages with google using AI, my impression is
that sometimes it misses the point, compared to mere word searching,
which iiuc was what preceded so-called AI**.

[..snip..]

In my current search, Google and Bing gave similar results, but ChatGPT >>>> asked a bunch of questions!! My current search is not typical. The
search words are not adequate. But the principle is confirmed.

Nothing to do with Firefox. Follow up to ? alt.internet.search-engines

I didn't know there was such a ng, but I subscribed and it's only had
306 posts in the last 11 years, and almost all are spam. One normal post
complains about this 5 years ago. So the next best thing would be here.
But half or more of this was not about search engines. It wa about how
easy it is with FF to use more than one, without changing any settings.

I use eternal-september as my USENET server.

I used to use eternal-september. AFAICT, I was kicked off become some
one Usenet told lies about me. I coudln't even sign up with other name
and email because, I suppose, it knows which computer or which IP I'm
using.

It only displays only "recent" activity -- I see neither your nor

I don't think that was a p[roblem when I was there, 3 or 4 years ago. It
worked fine. Below you want to switch search engines, not usenet
servers, right?

Frank's posts.
I don't know how often it checks for recent activity.

Does anyone know of an *active* USENET group or mailing list where
problems with finding a suitable "search engine" is considered on-topic?

I don't understand the territoriality or whatever of those who are so
insistent that posts be on topic. If the posts were spam, or political,
that's one thing, but if they are computer related and it's a computer
related ng, I just don't get it. Add to that fact that readership has declines a lot, and no ng gets so many posts one person can't read them
all. When that was true, off topic posts might have been a problem, I
suppose, but not nwo.

What do you use now? What's wrong with it?

TIA

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2