Backlash Against Google+ Useful Criticism but Beware of Assumptions

Backlash Against Google Plus Is Useful Criticism but Beware of Assumptions questions some key principles employed by pundits debunking Google Plus.

Here is an excellent example of backlash against Google/Google+ from InfoWorld. This post shows how to 1) how to disconnect Google+ from Google search results and 2) configure your browser to default to non-Google search engines. Useful, but assumes 2 things that will be untrue for some people: a) Google+ results “pollute” search results in all cases; b) Yahoo/Bing give better search results. Although all of the above could be true in some cases, the devil is in the details. It is surprising that the post didn’t mention a much better alternative: info.com, whose algorithm sorts results from all three search engines.

Executive’s Guide recommends being aware of the ground shifting under search. Don’t get caught up in religious wars, and try different things. As we have argued in these pages here, Google+ results will enhance certain kinds of searches and will return inferior results in others. As infoworld says, users can “filter out” Google+ search results on a case-by-case basis, so the watchword is to try different things. Also, get acquainted with info.com, it could add serious value in some use cases/situations. If you really want “quality” in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish, Google+ has made it more complicated. C’est la vie, quoi! ;^(