So on my search engine search (!
DDG: free, non-targeted (context-based) ads, bing based, poor results (arguably one can get used to).
Kagi: paid, feature-rich, much better search results.
DDG also has poorer performance, accessibility, and you guessed it, tech stack. VC-backed (a16z etc).
Kagi is more performant, accessible, self- & user-funded. Heavily invested into AI enhanced search. ♻️ unaddressed?
DDG does have a HTML version which drops the landing page size from 2.3mb to 27kb.
While I enjoy my brief trial on Kagi I wonder about the AI part and the idea of paying for search and how that scale to non-tech people, which is top of mind for me because I was just looking for a password manager for my dad and failed.
As many have talked about–is right to privacy reserved for people with means to pay for Apple devices?
I see 3 options for myself-
1. pay for Kagi
2. block JS on DDG and tolerate the results
3. incognito/VPN on Google
On the AI stuff, while I do get some benefit here and there from ChatGPT, as @phillmv said on another subject altogether:
> Move fast and break things!, is easy when nobody cares that it’s broken.
Unreliable tools are only to be used only when mission not critical.
You don’t glue gun a crib for your baby, but sure glue gun a fun gadget that pushes a button for a weekend project.
Mu-An