# What the heck have they done to Google????? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661 "2011-11-12T01:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/1 "2011-11-12T01:49:09Z")
Google is acting crazy. :smack: I enter a search term in Web. See the news stories. Then, Click the News tab and search under News. Except for the past two days, Google is wiping out my search entry. :smack: WTF? Even worse, Click Web again and the blank Google screen comes up. News articles appear both places. You have to search both Web & News or you’ll miss something. This is especially true for Pop or Celebrity news. I always start Searches with Web because it’s farthest to the left on my screen. Then move right to News. WTF is Google doing? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/2 "2011-11-12T01:57:44Z")
Just tried Google under IE 8. Does the same crazy stuff. It’s broke under Firefox and IE. ---
**Author:** ![Ochiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ad7895/32.png) [@Ochiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ochiee)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/3 "2011-11-12T02:32:17Z")
I was wondering the same thing - but thought it was me. I have iGoogle as my homepage and sometimes, after entering something in the search field, it’ll take me to the generic Google page (with the search field blank). ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/4 "2011-11-12T02:40:05Z")
Doesn’t seem to be happening to me in Firefox 8.0. I’m not positive that I am doing the same thing as you, though. Go to [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) Type in a search (I typed in google changes news) hit enter Web search results turn up (About 208,000,000 results (0.18 seconds) ) Click on News News search results turn up (About 3,400 results (0.20 seconds) ) Click on Everything It goes back to the same web results as before. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/5 "2011-11-12T03:05:27Z")
I enter Giffords under [Google.com](http://Google.com) the default screen. This is the web search and I get many Giffords hits going from left to right click images - the search show images for giffords click videos - lots of giffords videos click news – my search is wiped out!!! Gone!!! All I get is Top Storys Click Web my search is still gone and I’m on the default screen I having to select and copy (ctrl-c) then paste my search term back into news. This sucks!!! I’m just about ready to say fuck it and switch to Bing. Google can go to… This is so frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/6 "2011-11-12T03:10:25Z")
I’ve been having the same problem, but it only happens if I click on news at the top. If I do the one on the left, it keeps my search terms. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/7 "2011-11-12T03:20:35Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I’ve been having the same problem, but it only happens if I click on news at the top. If I do the one on the left, it keeps my search terms. This is the same result I’m seeing. Apparently Google intends that you click the links on the sidebar menu, not the top banner, to preserve search terms. Not sure if this is new behavior, as I’ve never used the top banner in that way before. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/8 "2011-11-12T03:24:33Z")
Never noticed the buttons on the left. I always use the ones at the top. You’re correct. The button on the left side does work. Why did they ruin the ones at the top? ☹ I also **hate** :mad: the auto screen search feature they started a few months ago. Search Giffords - you see Gabrielle in some of the hits start to type Gabrielle into the search box. The whole stinking screen changes. :mad: It’s auto searching on a G. Then a Ga Then Gab The entire reason for the first search was to see how to spell Gabrielle. By wiping it off the screen I’m screwed. Once again I have to ctrl-c to copy and then paste. I just hate Google these days. They are ruining it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/9 "2011-11-12T03:38:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I also **hate** :mad: the auto screen search feature they started a few months ago. > > Search Giffords - you see Gabrielle in some of the hits > > start to type Gabrielle into the search box. The whole stinking screen changes. :mad: It’s auto searching on a G. Then a Ga Then Gab At the risk of sounding like a Google apologist, you can turn this behavior off. Click the gear icon in the upper right, scroll down to “Google Instant” and select “Do not use Google Instant.” This won’t prevent the search box from suggesting terms as you type, but it will prevent the search results from changing your whole stinking screen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/10 "2011-11-12T03:41:56Z")
😃 😃 thank you so much Ed. That is a 1000 times better with instant search off. I don’t mind the search box, auto suggest at all. That’s a nice feature. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/11 "2011-11-12T03:49:34Z")
Hey, you’re welcome. And I can sympathize - I don’t like Google Instant either. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/12 "2011-11-12T04:02:33Z")
Seems like a good thread to ask: Is there any way to make it so Google shows the links to the cached pages when you have javascript off? It used to, but now they are invisible for some reason. I prefer to have flash/java/javascript/etc off as much as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/13 "2011-11-12T04:16:23Z")
Looks like it is javascript-dependent, **Carmady** ; they recently moved the links to the cached pages to the preview that opens up on the right side of the page when you hover your mouse over the \>\> indicator that appears to the right of each search result. I just tried to get it with javascript turned off, and it didn’t load the preview at all. ---
**Author:** ![Ochiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ad7895/32.png) [@Ochiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ochiee)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/14 "2011-11-12T07:17:47Z")
‘Google Instant’…I wasn’t familiar with it but, as you suggested, was probably why I was having this issue. Thank you Just Ed! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/15 "2011-11-12T08:25:39Z")
**Just Ed**? I’m on IE9 and don’t see the Google Instant choice when I click on the gear icon, but I am having the same problem mentioned in the thread. Thanks Q Never mind, I found it. Thank you, sir! ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/16 "2011-11-12T08:29:44Z")
For all the reasons mentioned above in addition to loss of the + functionality and moving the “advanced search” to the bottom of the page (or maybe just eliminating it from the top), coupled with the location specific results, I am rapidly losing my faith in Google results. I feel that a greater and greater extent of my search results are content that Google is pushing to me, rather than results of my search terms. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/17 "2011-11-12T08:37:55Z")
Well, BING is much worse, IMO! Got that on my phone and I ALWAYS put google in the search box and go from there. They’ll get it straightened out eventually. I’m thinking they’re “technology drunk” and are racing ahead faster than they need to. Again, just my 2 cents. Q ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/18 "2011-11-12T15:08:06Z")
I’ve made the following my Google bookmark: > **[Google](https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. This turns off all the instant/completion behavior. I wonder if someone has created a “classic” Google page out there that turns off the crap and gives the old look and feel, at least for the home page. (E.g., hiding the advanced search link under the “tool” icon.) Hate that whole black bar. It’s the opposite of what Google is supposed to be. Form is winning over function at Google. And it’s bad form, not even good form. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/19 "2011-11-12T16:43:08Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I’ve made the following my Google bookmark: > > [Google](http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0) > > This turns off all the instant/completion behavior. > > I wonder if someone has created a “classic” Google page out there that turns off the crap and gives the old look and feel, at least for the home page. (E.g., hiding the advanced search link under the “tool” icon.) Hate that whole black bar. It’s the opposite of what Google is supposed to be. Form is winning over function at Google. And it’s bad form, not even good form. Wow! Someone who agrees with me about that black bar! It doesn’t in any way go with Google’s aesthetic. They try to defend it by showing the layout changes over the years, but one thing you will notice is that the color scheme never included black. It seems like such a niggly detail, but it bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661/20 "2011-11-12T17:14:57Z")
I like the black bar, but only because I have a black theme for my browser and it matches with that. Possibly it should be customisable so it will look right for everybody. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-have-they-done-to-google/602661.md?page=2)