Search Engine War: Google vs. Bing vs. Yahoo vs. Dogpile

When I got my very first computer and was introduced to the wonderful world of search engines, I wasn’t aware of all the options out there.  The first time I was introduced to them was when I created my very first email account on MSN. Sure I always saw it there when I logged in to check my e-mail, but it never occurred to me to actually use the thing. After I got more accustomed to the web, I realized that Yahoo provided a friendlier user-interface and switched my account over to them. That was when I typed my very first question into a search bar and waited for my results. I was amazed at all of the words that popped up on my screen and began furiously going through each one to see what it contained. Obviously I don’t’ remember what question I asked, but I do remember seeing all of the links that were presented to me and even then at a very early age I noticed they had absolutely nothing to do with my original question. My search engine use diminished quite a bit after that, simply because I didn’t have time to go through all of the links to find what I was looking for. I could just as easily read a newspaper or flip through an encyclopedia with what I was given from my search results. I was introduced to Google when I was in middle school and was told to use it to research a project. I looked at it with so much skepticism that I put off my search as long as possible, because I knew what frustration lay ahead. So when I actually got the answers I needed I was pretty surprised at how easy I found it. I began using Google at home and school every time I was curious about something and I was disappointed very infrequently. As technology has evolved and new search engines have been created or old one’s “updated” I try to keep my bias to a minimum and see if they really are a better option. Dogpile is one search engine that got my interest a few years back, bragging that it combines results from Google, Yahoo!, Bing and Ask Jeeves…Well with logic like that, who wouldn’t put their faith in them for the information they need? Unfortunately I have to admit that I did, for a very brief time just to realize that it wasn’t filtering what I input more specifically-it was just taking the first few results from each SE and mushing them all together like an ill prepared casserole. I went back to Google almost instantly and got exactly what I needed. I stayed loyal in a sense to Google for a few years until I saw all the flashy commercials for Bing and just had to test it out. I will admit that compared to Google, I do find Bing more esthetically pleasing-it just doesn’t find what I need it to and it’s not worth the extra time it takes to find the information just to see some pretty pictures.  I tell people that Google has saved my life and although the statement is slightly dramatic it holds true just the same. I Google on almost a daily basis, I couldn’t count the times I have had an actor or movie stuck in my head and was left blank trying to remember who or what they were in. I’ve had countless times where I heard a song that I absolutely loved and missed the title of on the radio. Now with Google I just type in a few words from the song or a piece of a dialogue from a movie and I have everything I need. The author, the biography of the band and multiple versions of the song that I can download, buy and watch. Being able to type a question into Google in school helped my grades more than reading the entire book did. With the option to search for one thing specifically and not have to re-read an entire chapter over and over it gave me more time to lengthen and improve the quality of what I was submitting. Every time I have a question about a certain thing or I can’t remember something I just type it in Google and have the answer I need. Now that Google has put its search engine on my phone-I get my information a lot faster and am never second guessing my thoughts.  I’m still just as impressed as when it changed my mind a few years ago.  I may be biased on the subject, but one thing that I do know is that my life is a lot easier and happier with Google and I’m sure my music player and old teachers feel the same way.