If like me, you use Google as your search engine of choice, you’ve surely noticed that they have introduced a new “feature” to “help” people with their searches.
The search field autocomplete.
The idea behind this is that Google knows in advance what you’re searching for as you enter in your search phrase. So it goes ahead and makes suggestions and tries to complete it for you.
9 times out of 10, at least in my case, it gets it wrong and just slows the search process down.
Even more annoying is a further “feature” that’s been introduced. The autocomplete effectively generates a whole series of searches, in some cases it sets off a new search with each letter you type in. This causes Google to start chasing its own tail and finally send you one of those “captcha” tests for you to complete to prove you are a human user and not a piece of robot software.
“You appear to be sending automated requests from your computer. Please complete the captcha”.
Google used to be a fast search engine. It’s been slowed down as a result of this autocomplete feature (or should I say bug). Not to mention the captcha nonsense that you get sent to waste your time completing.
I think this “feature” is itself a typical feature of how large companies can become arrogant and think they know best, rather than listening to their public. They start to “over improve” their products and services with helpful “features” that aren’t and only end up shooting themselves in the foot.
But there is a way to turn off this “autocomplete” function in Google search.
Type in http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en
This option should bring up a Google search field which doesn’t snare you with autocompletes and captcha requests.
Relief!
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Written by kevin
Topics: Kev's Diary