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Find your family story.

Will a duck cook Google's goose?

5/26/2012

15 Comments

 
Picture
Are you ready to play Duck, Duck, Go?

Sometimes we get into the habit of doing things one way that we overlook other things.

With the advent of Google Plus, Google is working really hard to integrate Google Plus into every aspect of our Google lives. [They really, really want us to use it.]

They even have included Google Plus into our search results. For example, when we search for something and if someone in one of my Google circles has mentioned it somewhere else, then Google adds them to the top of the search results list. [Of course, if you're in the know, you can toggle this feature off or simply log out of Google.]

However, Google is pulling up relevant sites, or what Google thinks are relevant sites, to our searches. In other words, Google gives us search results based on our previous searches. Additionally, it's pulling up all those ads into search results from paying advertisers. So the end result is a very manipulated search result.

This is awesome if you want the opinion of a "friend" on Google Plus.

This is fantastic if you're needing to purchase something. [Although, that's debatable if you're in the research stage of your purchase.]

This isn't, however, effective when searching for dead people.

Sometimes you just want pure results. And while Google has more sites indexed for our information-greedy selves, there are other search engines out there that can give us a more pure search result, or at least one that isn't so manipulated. Manhandled. Sculpted.

And in our quest finding every single ancestor as is possible, we don't want to leave any stone unturned.

If we can find the stone that we need to look under, that is.

So while I'd never advocate abandoning bigger search engines, I do think we'd be remiss to not look in other search engines.

One smaller search engine that seems to be gaining traction is DuckDuckGo. This search engine is all about privacy. Here, cookies are still tasty treats, not spies. On its very plain home page, you enter in your search terms and click on the magnifying glass. You can even search other search engines' indices by clicking on the little arrow and selecting from a drop down menu. [How do you like them ducks?]

What is returned is a search result list that hasn't been tinkered with alternative [and in our case opposing] agendas.No suggestions from "friends" in Google Plus. No "I-think-I-know-what-you're-looking-for-better-than-you-do" attitude.

'Cause Mr. Know-it-all, I don't need a plumber from Philly named Ralph Schmidt to fix my toilet who has been recommended by 3 "friends" on Google Plus.

My toilet is fine.

I'm looking for some information on my [very dead] great uncle named Ralph Schmidt who once lived in Philly and was a plumber.

See? Google can't read my mind. It's just assuming I'm using its search engine in the same way everyone else is, and at the same time it's trying to make a buck.

And I have no problem with any of that. Google has expanded its services. It has bills to pay. I get that.

Until it comes to searching for dead people.

So. Google for genealogy? Yeah. You betcha. And a side of DuckDuckGo, please. [Or whatever search engine that's gonna help me find my dead people.]

Are you currently remembering to use alternative search engines while searching online? If so, which ones? Don't be stingy. Let us know in comments below.

~Caroline

If you liked this post, you might like this one from a past Genea-Tech newsletter: Another Search Engine Plug-In Add-on or perhaps this previous post on search engines: Google Isn't Your Only Search Engine.


15 Comments
CindyDragon57
5/26/2012 04:58:56 am

My 80 y/o Dad turned me on to this awhile ago. I have found it very useful.

Reply
4YourFamilyStory
5/28/2012 12:27:04 am

Cindy,

That's great, Cindy! Have you found anything you haven't found anywhere else?

Thanks for stopping by & commenting. I really appreciate it. :)

Happy Researching!
~C

Reply
Cindy Bonham Miller
5/28/2012 04:55:35 am

Yes, I found info on an Aunt that I was not sure was still living. I also found some info on my brickwall Grandfather, George E Smith. It was enough to get me to go back and use them again. I am interested in your blog on indexing for search engines.

Great info!

Regina
5/26/2012 08:42:17 am

Have been using DuckDuckGo as my main search engine for months now and like it a bunch.

Reply
4YourFamilyStory
5/28/2012 12:29:11 am

That's great Regina! I'll be doing a follow-up post soon on other alternative search engines. Can never have too many tools, right? LOL.

Thanks for reading, Regina. I really appreciate it. :)

Happy Researching!
~C

Reply
Chuck Livermore link
5/27/2012 06:02:06 pm

Hey, Caroline. Have you tried Mocavo.com? It has become my favorite for genealogy searches. It is especially suited for genealogists. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Reply
4YourFamilyStory
5/28/2012 12:38:12 am

Hi Chuck! I do use Mocavo.com. I find the free version a bit limiting. However, I'm in the process of reviewing their site as they sent me a complimentary 1-year subscription to their premium service. So far, I've found their site does bring back a lot of relevant results, especially blog posts. I'll save the rest of my comments for my review post, but I do like it. :)

What's nice about alternative search engines is that they're completely free, and each one uses a different algorithm to conduct searches, including Mocavo.com. Therefore, it behooves researchers to use all of them while researching even though it is a tedious task.

Thank you so much, Chuck, for stopping by, reading, & commenting. I really appreciate it! :)

Happy Researching!
~C

Reply
Lisa Nap link
5/27/2012 08:31:50 pm

I just gave the duck a run for it's money and was a bit disappointed that searching for my great grandmothers name did not turn out any results from my own website. But then I discovered neither does Bing. I think a lot of us have been relying too much on Google...
Interesting!

Reply
4YourFamilyStory
5/28/2012 12:49:30 am

Lisa, each search engine is different in the way they index websites (blogs). If you'd like to see yours show up in results, you can submit it for indexing to the search engine.

Personally, for researching, I feel both good & bad when my blog posts don't show up. Because I have so many blog posts from my Family Stories blog, I tend to hog the search results in Google search results, and that is terrific for 'cousin hunting' or 'cousin bait'.

However, when I'm researching, I don't want to see my blog posts. That's not new information for me. I want information I've never seen before.

That being said, you definitely want to have your blogs indexed on all search engines because you never know where a potential cousin might be looking for your common ancestor.

I will be doing a blog post on my companion site BloggingGenealogy.com on how to submit a site to alternative search engines for indexing.

Thanks for reading & commenting ~ very much appreciated! :)

Happy Researching!
~C

Reply
Fi link
5/28/2012 01:56:27 pm

I'm always interested in new search engines,and agree with your observations on the limits of google. I took DuckDuckGo for a spin, searched for a cousin, adjusted the region setting to Australia, and did find some new results. Thanks for mentioning it, I can add it to my toolbox of tricks.

Reply
4YourFamilyStory
5/28/2012 03:37:36 pm

That's great, Fi! I'm glad you were able to find something. Never hurts to have another tool in the toolbox.

Thanks for reading & commenting. I appreciate it. :)

~C

Reply
Stephen Rettie link
5/31/2012 10:24:07 am

Hi Caroline,

I took DuckDuckGo for a spin (or should that be a waddle?). I wasn't that impressed. A search for "Middleton Rettie" still brought up a result for that Scottish estate agent of the same surname - and, bizarrely, a Christian fellowship organisation in Nottingham, England!?

Initially, I thought the average genealogist would be better served using a meta-search engine like DogPile (man, how do these guys come up with these stupid names!). Then I thought of using a Google Custom Search - tailored to only index genealogy sites. I'm guessing this is the approach Mocavo is using.

However, a quick Google Search (!) for "Google Custom Search AND genealogy" and I found that Randy Majors already came up with an early prototype of this last year.

While Randy has added some (rather hideous) advertising to his Search page, I think something like this is a template for what online genealogists want.

Check it out: http://randymajors.com/p/ancestorsearch.html

Reply
Caroline M. Pointer
8/31/2012 07:06:33 am

Thanks, Stephen, for all the info. I've not used Randy Major's custom Google Search for genealogy prototype, but I have used the following one from Barry & Associates, Inc.:

http://www.genealogy-search-help.com/

There's an even earlier one I believe I used, like, 5 years ago, but I can't seem to find the link for it.

Thanks for reading and contributing, Stephen. I appreciate it. =)

~C

Reply
Caroline Pointer
6/11/2013 10:11:21 am

After taking a look at Randy Majors' site AncestorSearch, Stephen, I'm not impressed. It gives me the same results as if I were signed in to Google. This is NOT helpful given the direction Google is taking with Search and customizing it to what it thinks we are looking for in our daily lives (as I explained up above).

When searching the Internet, genealogists want results that are NOT tailored to us and our personal habits, but what we are searching for in regards to our family history research. To do that while using Google, one must sign out of Google. Better search results are found in this way.

That being said, when one uses a different or alternative search engine, they get different results that are not manipulated as Google's are based on the social layer, Google+. So, why wouldn't a researcher try other alternative search engines?!?

But most certainly, AncestorSearch is not helpful at all because it uses the Google Account you are signed in to and uses Google+ and all your search history across all of its products to try and give you the search results it THINKS you are wanting. NO genealogist and especially professional ones want that. Plus? If you are searching in the same area as where you are living, then results will be affected by Google Local and reviews made by those in your social circles and communities.

Mocavo? Has changed. A year ago it was good for bringing up things I hadn't found before. Now? Not so much. My guess is that it's not handling the algorithm tweaks that Google is making very well.

So, no, I wouldn't recommend AncestorSearch site at all. Sign out of Google and put the search terms in different order and search it yourself. Then test other search engines. Why use that site when it gives the same results as Google itself with you signed in? Perhaps looking at his ads are better? I dunno. *shrugs*

~C

Wayne
5/8/2014 12:05:24 am

Hi Caroline: Interesting subject search engines I have been Go Get It DuckDuck since i don't know when and is my main preference in searching everything Genealogy and another that I use at the same time is Genintime it comes up with some sites that the other has not picked up and as a last resort I hit randymajors then the normal google search to be given page after page of the run of the mill.But Google is good for picking up the Free ebook reading, that in itself is a bonus as I have found quite a few in regards the family histories and stories of xxxx and Google alert.
Mocavo: well I am a little disappointed really as I signed up as a free user but never subscribed, but I do get the get alerts that I placed in there,once I could access them but, now with this so called free to all, one has to sign up for gold membership to get access,which is fair enough, but from what they send and what I need doesn't warrant me to subscribe.
I believe in cross referencing and that is why I use the Genco's free search to give me a little fuel to go on.
I really enjoy your Coffee break emails

Reply



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