For those who are isolated Google’s new AI searchEspecially the fact that this is now the default option, there are no means to turn it off, there are hacks or workarounds to remove it from the page and take you back to browsing links to pages that are written by humans, and tell you what you really want to know.
This is roughly described as the “udm=14” trick, Ars Technica over the weekend Showed how it works. More or less, adding “&udm=14” to the end of your search will guarantee that you get a clean interface with only blue hyperlinks, not a bunch of nonsensical answers to common questions like how to fix a flat tire, jump a car battery, or make the perfect grilled cheese.
Unfortunately, you have to do this every time. There is no way to set this as the default option. One option is to use Proxy sites like udm14.com – which proudly describes itself as the “Desensitization Konami Code.”
Moreover, “&udm=14” takes you back to Google of about a decade ago, when it introduced so-called “knowledge panels” for certain types of queries that some consider to be obtrusive and even distracting. This “web” filter was announced by Google itself during the Google I/O event about two weeks ago.
We’ve launched a new “Web” filter that shows only text-based links, just as you can filter to show other types of results, such as images or videos. The filter appears alongside other filters at the top of the results page or as part of the “More” option, which is rolling out today… pic.twitter.com/tIUy9LNCy5
— Google Search Liaison (@searchliaison) May 14, 2024
Xpost acknowledges that not everyone is happy about this so-called fix making its way to their desktops, while they’re only asking for its launch date. Destiny 2: The Final Shape (June 4 for the record) or Elden Ring: Shadows of Erdtree (21 June)
Of course, the most convenient thing would be to make this a default setting somewhere in Google’s ever-expanding “Tools” menu, but since each new project has to be justified by the number of users, or the number of queries, or both, they’re not going to do that.
Drawbacks of using the udm=14 trick
One disadvantage of a proxy like udm14.com is that it can read all your search results and queries if it wants, which raises questions about trustworthiness. That’s up to you, although the way udm14.com bills itself suggests they have no interest in that, and they’re doing this as a public service for like-minded people fed up with Google’s feature creep. Still, it’s there.
Ars also recommends creating a new search shortcut using Google’s URL with &udm=14 already set in the URL. Instructions for doing so are in the link. Even then, “you’re still going to be using a search engine that feels like it has completely surrendered to SEO spammers,” he writes.
The fact of the matter is, if Google’s turn toward AI — and it’s a pretty big change, considering how the company dominates search and advertising — leaves you feeling cold, the better option is to use another search engine.
Featured image via Ideogram
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