Google is.... Well..... Being Google again

Just saw something so I had to verify, and it's 100% legit. Also not sure where to post, so it's going here.

As the title suggests, Google is being it's wonderful googly self and censoring all of it's searches again..... Because for whatever reason, we need our hands held through our daily lives.

Currently, Google is censoring all of it's shopping results for any sort of words related to firearms. It was worse the other day, when they were censoring everything with the word "gun" in it, including Laguna Beach and "Top Gun".

Now, they just removed specific names of weapons. For example (and you can do this yourself), would you like to buy a "Velvet Revolver" album? Go ahead and type that band name into Google shopping, and zero results will pull up, same with searching for any sort of "Sex Pistols" merchandise.

Thank you, keepers of the internet, for watching over our shoulders and acting as our parents.

www.washingtonexaminer.com...

a reply to: dothedew

Those terms work just fine with Google Search itself.

Maybe it's just the shopping part of Google?

Use any other search engine. Problem solved.

It is fun to complain about stuff though.

a reply to: dothedew

Wow, just tried looking for Velvet Revolver vinyls, CDs, etc. in Google Shopping and got 0 results. Good find!

I typed in purchase AR-15,
first headline I got was Good guy with gun saves knife victim

Good guy with gun

a reply to: dothedew

There has never been a better time for a young tech entrepreneur to create a search engine that will compete with google.

Seriously, the market is already there, it just needs to be tapped.

Anyone want to make a billion dollars?

Waiting for Google to change their algorithm to remove gun searches entirely from its platform. Now that would be true censorship...

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
a reply to: dothedew

There has never been a better time for a young tech entrepreneur to create a search engine that will compete with google.

Seriously, the market is already there, it just needs to be tapped.

Anyone want to make a billion dollars?

There are dozens of alternative search engines.

So far none have majorly eaten into Google's market share.

guns and roses works still...

originally posted by: ScepticScot

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
a reply to: dothedew

There has never been a better time for a young tech entrepreneur to create a search engine that will compete with google.

Seriously, the market is already there, it just needs to be tapped.

Anyone want to make a billion dollars?

There are dozens of alternative search engines.

So far none have majorly eaten into Google's market share.

Every long journey starts with a small step.

You make it sound that some alternative search engines have tried but failed. With a sigh and a shoulder shrug.

I see it as growing a solid new base. Plenty of people have changed to DuckDuckGo [I have for over a year now] and the base is growing slowly.
It will reach the tipping point one day but it is a long journey. It won't happen over night.

Giving up however is a 100% guarantee for a fail.

gurgle is their own comprany. tehy can do what they whant.

Just that they own almost everything should be ignored. let them censor everything, we can always use..... something else. nothing to see here. just mass censorship. as long as they're their own company..

they don't like it, you wont see it. but they're their own company.. who buy out everything else..

the book burning has begun.

Try this, it has always worked for me.

www.ixquick.eu...

originally posted by: Jefferton
Use any other search engine. Problem solved.

It is fun to complain about stuff though.

Ummm...precisely...which is why I use DuckDuckGo...it's more better-er...

Purely my own opinion...of course...

Edit to add:...I see Hecate already mentioned it...




YouSir

a reply to: eriktheawful

It is just the Shopping section that is being censored..... Because we all know we could easily go on Google shopping before hand and order a laser sighted AR-15 with your paypal aco#....

They were also censoring shopping links that would show up in the general search results as well, but I haven't checked to see if that's been changed yet.

Why anyone would still use Google when they admit to storing your personal IP and search history for over 2 years...and admitted to giving government officials and LEO's access to said information...

Blows my mind.

There are many anonymous search engines out there.

a reply to: havok

ask the people complaining about Google all the time, because that's a great question.

a reply to: dothedew

It doesn't matter if those items do or don't work, use another search, the algos that Google use just don't do the job right, a very ordinary search brings up just plain stupid irrelevance at times...often.

I dare say they are being over cautious too, after the row there was in the aftermath of the LV shootings...and that wasn't even about guns, it was about fake videos.

IX-Quick was a good engine, I'm not so sure now since Google have some input there now.

a reply to: dothedew

This is too funny. So, using your example, I thought I'd search for 38 Special. An older 80s band I think. I guess I shouldn't get any of their old albums as results and no guns.

So I go herer -> www.google.com...

And search for 38 special,

www.google.com... .0...1ac.1.64.products-cc..0.10.290....0.t4KB5AND1do

Wow, just look at the top hits...


Charter Arms On Duty 2in 38 Special Stainless 5rd - On Duty 2in 38 Special Stainless 5
$369.99 from Brownells.com
This Allows Single-action And Double-action Operations While Minimizing The Risk Of Snagging The Hammer On Your Clothing

Maxfire Revolver Speedloader 38 Special, 357 Magnum 7-Shot Pack of 2 SKU - 435795
$14.99 from MidwayUSA
93% positive (162,575)
15 product reviews

but I did get one album anthology.

.38 Special Guitar Anthology (Songbook) (ebook)
$13.79 from Google Play
(Guitar Recorded Versions). Transcriptions of 15 arena-rock favorites from the popular Southern rock band featuring guitarist ...
Music · Non-fiction · 184 page

Maybe, just maybe, none of the merchants that are paying to list products on www.google.com/shopping are actually listing a "velvet revolver" album.

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
a reply to: dothedew

There has never been a better time for a young tech entrepreneur to create a search engine that will compete with google.

Seriously, the market is already there, it just needs to be tapped.

Anyone want to make a billion dollars?

Do me a favor when you find that guy, and have him build a t.v. data stream filter so I can filter out all the nonsense on the news by entering some keywords.

Another billion dollar product for you.

Yep- could be your own personal google results (yes, that's a thing) but if I type '357' into google, I get... .357 magnums, hit number one- followed by a bunch of pictures of .357 magnum revolvers.

not sure where you "saw" this, and I'm not sure how you "verified" it, but its 100% BS from where I stand.

Granted, yes, google is big on censorship- but it took literal seconds to verify your claim isnt quite true... I can even go to the shopping tab and see plenty of 357's.


Lets make this interesting... the AR platform is what, .223? lets check.
google: what bullet does ar 15 shoot
first hit: Items 1 - 12 of 85 - The best ammo for an AR15 depends on the type of chamber the rifle has. Some AR15s are chambered for 223 Remington, and should only be used shoot 223 Remington ammo. Other AR15s have 5.56 mm NATO chambers, and they can safely shoot 223 Remington as well as 5.56 NATO

without even clicking the link... Of course, I already sort of knew the answer.
google: 556 ar15
first hit: a link to buy a .223 ar15.
At least the second hit was a link for the 5.56 version...