TORONTO - Google has quietly made significant changes to how it performs searches and users are demanding an undo.
Users on Google's help forum recently noticed that adding the + symbol in searches no longer works.
Using the + symbol before a word ensured that Google only retrieved web pages including that term. For example, a search for "+Canada online" produced a list of web pages that all included the word Canada somewhere on the page.
Now, users must use double quotation marks around a word instead of the old + symbol: "Canada" replaces +Canada in Google-speak.
Reaction to the change has been largely negative.
"I made some profane comments in their search feedback, but apart from that, I don't know what can be done. If Google wants to shoot itself in the foot, there's little we can do to stop them," wrote user dtfinch.
"I've used the boolean '+' operator for as long as I can remember. It's ingrained in my search methodology. It aggravates me every time I make a search (and) then have to turn around and adjust the search to current standards," posted Colt45ws.
Kelly Fee, a search community manager at Google, responded to the criticism by saying the move was meant to make search better.
"We're constantly making changes to Google Search
Users on Google's help forum recently noticed that adding the + symbol in searches no longer works.
Using the + symbol before a word ensured that Google only retrieved web pages including that term. For example, a search for "+Canada online" produced a list of web pages that all included the word Canada somewhere on the page.
Now, users must use double quotation marks around a word instead of the old + symbol: "Canada" replaces +Canada in Google-speak.
Reaction to the change has been largely negative.
"I made some profane comments in their search feedback, but apart from that, I don't know what can be done. If Google wants to shoot itself in the foot, there's little we can do to stop them," wrote user dtfinch.
"I've used the boolean '+' operator for as long as I can remember. It's ingrained in my search methodology. It aggravates me every time I make a search (and) then have to turn around and adjust the search to current standards," posted Colt45ws.
Kelly Fee, a search community manager at Google, responded to the criticism by saying the move was meant to make search better.
"We're constantly making changes to Google Search