[Elizabeth]

For some reason today i searched my own full name on Google. Even just a few years ago I would get direct results. My info, my job connection. Now I can look at ten pages, and not one even slightly close reference. All sorts of historical first and name (typical English common name),  first or last, and endless garbage with what I cannot even fathom a connection. Almost random crap!
Reminds me of Amazon search. Usually endless junk. I have to go to Google and type in, and THERE I will get the exact Amazon page.. Odd isn't it?
Anyway. over the past few years, Google has gradually become worse and worse at actually finding anything. I would say eight to ten years ago it was at the peak of yeah this is like really good results. And now, it is heading to compete uselessness, unless one is BUYING something and you have the exact correct name. In those cases Google still works really well.
What's up? anyone know?

FOr Wikipedia, I remember being able to search for say an artist, R Freeman Worthley. Ten years agao his name and history would be on Wiki. Now, zero info. I had wondered why, and recently discovered Wiki removed all material without a number of citations. So if The artist did not have say eight citations, he got removed. Wow. stupid. So because they did not have enough info proof, they allow zero. So now, there is ZERO info on that guy. anywhere I can find. (I am interested in R Freeman Worthley because I own a serigraph by him I found at a Salvation Army store, filthy dirty, I bought it for $7 FOR THE FRAME, and after cleaning it off. love it. As for Mr R Freeman Worthley, he was an artist in California, also head of some school there and he did a ton of serigraph works. Some of which are for sale on art sites.

So what is the story on the slow decline on the quality of search engines? And all the others are no better either.

[Tyson]

For some reason today i searched my own full name on Google. Even just a few years ago I would get direct results. My info, my job connection. Now I can look at ten pages, and not one even slightly close reference. All sorts of historical first and name (typical English common name),  first or last, and endless garbage with what I cannot even fathom a connection. Almost random crap!
Reminds me of Amazon search. Usually endless junk. I have to go to Google and type in, and THERE I will get the exact Amazon page.. Odd isn't it?
Anyway. over the past few years, Google has gradually become worse and worse at actually finding anything. I would say eight to ten years ago it was at the peak of yeah this is like really good results. And now, it is heading to compete uselessness, unless one is BUYING something and you have the exact correct name. In those cases Google still works really well.
What's up? anyone know?

FOr Wikipedia, I remember being able to search for say an artist, R Freeman Worthley. Ten years agao his name and history would be on Wiki. Now, zero info. I had wondered why, and recently discovered Wiki removed all material without a number of citations. So if The artist did not have say eight citations, he got removed. Wow. stupid. So because they did not have enough info proof, they allow zero. So now, there is ZERO info on that guy. anywhere I can find. (I am interested in R Freeman Worthley because I own a serigraph by him I found at a Salvation Army store, filthy dirty, I bought it for $7 FOR THE FRAME, and after cleaning it off. love it. As for Mr R Freeman Worthley, he was an artist in California, also head of some school there and he did a ton of serigraph works. Some of which are for sale on art sites.

So what is the story on the slow decline on the quality of search engines? And all the others are no better either.

In the information age, companies make money by controlling information.  That's capitalism. 

[FullRangeMan]

They will no give useful information for free they want sell your personal data to anyone that can pay corp, gov, agencies etc It happen the same with its Translator now its a poor generic translator, no more show synonyms etc

[Phil A]

I agree - I've sent emails and opted out of a bunch of things (both about my personal info and just signing up for things).  At this point, most of it is gone.  I have no idea how some sites even came up with information that has nothing to do with me.  Some of it in recent times, at least in the US, I'm sure is due to changes in the FCC's stance (there have been a bunch of articles about the agency and its chairman by many tech sites - e.g. Wired magazine) on different policies.  Besides the increase in internet crappy information, there has been an explosion of spoofing phone calls. It's just the way it is.

[sts9fan]

So the metric is how well a search engine finds your information?  Are you famous (serious question).
There is a bit more data then ten years ago.  What are you actively doing to keep your name relevant?

Also, you know you could add to wikipedia instead of complaining that something is not there.  That is how it works. One person filling out a story about a topic without credible citations is not what wikipedia is about.   
Finally, check out the "way back machine"

[Elizabeth]

I am TOTALLY the most famous person (within two feet of my present location. Extend that to twenty feet I may miss the cut.) 

[charmerci]

Also there is a movement to keep private individual's information off the internet for their protection.

[mcgsxr]

If I Google me, all I get is my LinkedIN profile.  Same over the years, as I don't have much of an online presence under my real name, I'm mcgsxr on all sites I belong to.

The rest of the results are some DJ who happens to share my real name!

[WGH]

I have no idea how some sites even came up with information that has nothing to do with me.

Many popular web sites (AudioCircle is an exception) track you with ads and third party cookies. Your phone sends your GPS location to who knows where, with the GPS coordinates I could easily find your address, enter your address into the public property tax records database and get your name, then for not much money I can then get your phone numbers, relatives, public arrest records, etc. Google maps may have a photo of your car in your driveway, with your license plate number and along with your name I can get even more info. And all this is done by automatically by AI, even if some of the info wrong, it is close enough for targeted ads and phone calls.

Lightbeam is a Firefox add-on that enables you to see the first and third party sites you interact with on the Web. Using interactive visualizations, Lightbeam shows you the relationships between these third parties and the sites you visit. Visiting just two popular new sites: Fox News and NY Times results in 109 companies tracking me, visiting more sites increases the links exponentially.



If you are concerned about privacy you can switch to DuckDuckGo or Tor Browser but at this point it would be locking the barn door 10 years after all the horses have been rustled.

[FullRangeMan]

Many popular web sites (AudioCircle is an exception) track you with ads and third party cookies. Your phone sends your GPS location to who knows where, with the GPS coordinates I could easily find your address, enter your address into the public property tax records database and get your name, then for not much money I can then get your phone numbers, relatives, public arrest records, etc. Google maps may have a photo of your car in your driveway, with your license plate number and along with your name I can get even more info. And all this is done by automatically by AI, even if some of the info wrong, it is close enough for targeted ads and phone calls.

Lightbeam is a Firefox add-on that enables you to see the first and third party sites you interact with on the Web. Using interactive visualizations, Lightbeam shows you the relationships between these third parties and the sites you visit. Visiting just two popular new sites: Fox News and NY Times results in 109 companies tracking me, visiting more sites increases the links exponentially.
If you are concerned about privacy you can switch to DuckDuckGo or Tor Browser but at this point it would be locking the barn door 10 years after all the horses have been rustled.

Google is the worst site to privacy, its Gmail insist in get your phone nº, they already get your IP, alternate email and even your PC processor nº which identify your PC on the web.

Even when one made a simple Google search they get the IP and trace it with the Google maps and inform you at the bottom of the page and ask you if ''you'' want use precise location, if you click it they will get your zip and street.

When you inform your phone # at Gmail they will checkout your complete name/address at the phone company and get you.

[WGH]

When you inform your phone # at Gmail they will checkout your complete name/address at the phone company and get you.

I decided to skip the middleman and get a Google Pixel 3 phone with Google Fi as my carrier, they are both wonderful. My average cost with the Flexible for 1 plan is $26/month with no contract.

When I Google my name I get 4 full pages of results and then it dwindles down to one or two per page, but then I have had a website for 19 years. You have to work at it if you want to be famous (in your own mind).

[FullRangeMan]

Do you could google your site everyday to stay it fresh in the google cache memory.