Author Topic: Why is video search so stupid?? (Read 3426 times)

mr_a500 · « **on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:20:06 »

I keep getting unbelievably stupid results when searching videos on both Google and YouTube. It's almost impossible to find what I'm looking for.

I search for "A Comet Called Halley" (a 1985 documentary) - in quotes - and Google suggests "a comet called halley's" then comes up with a list of videos from a singer called "Calle 13"!

WTF?? How is that related? I put my search in quotes! I expect it to search what I ask for! Every search I do ends up with a list of music videos completely unrelated to what I'm looking for. Regular web searches and image searches usually come up with correct hits... but why are video searches so damn stupid?

mr_a500 · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:31:39 »

I would ask Google - if they had a way for me to contact them to explain their stupidity to somebody who could actually change it.

Because I can't, I need a place to rant. (or else my head will explode like in the movie "Scanners")

mr_a500 · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:37:41 »

Uh.... thanks... for that... (said with stuccato Shatner-esque voice)

...but I don't need to know about Halley's comet. I'm looking for that 1985 documentary because it had some nice early 80's computer graphics and an awesome soundtrack.

audioave10 · « **Reply #3 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:41:29 »

Google is like Microsoft, the bigger it gets - the dumber it gets.
I like the way they plaster their ads right on top of the videos. GRRR!

mr_a500 · « **Reply #4 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:43:21 »

Quote from: ripster;390915

I've got until 28 July 2061 to get my telescope set up.
(Attachment Link) 22949[/ATTACH]

I'll be dead by then.

I'm also looking for an impossible-to-find 1989 geology documentary (on PBS or TVO) that had great background music.
(maybe you could find a Shatner equivalent for that too)

audioave10 · « **Reply #5 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 10:48:35 »

Wow...His rent must have been due that week!

mr_a500 · « **Reply #6 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 11:05:15 »

Quote from: ripster;390928

I found it with Google.

Yes, but it has over a million hits. It looks like Google goes by popularity when searching for videos instead of searching exactly what you asked for. If your video is popular, you have no problem - but if you're looking for something rare, you're screwed. Try searching for the "Queen of Hearts" 1989 movie trailer.

Quote from: audioave10;390917

Google is like Microsoft, the bigger it gets - the dumber it gets.
I like the way they plaster their ads right on top of the videos. GRRR!

Yes, I HATE the advertisements. And about dumbness... I hate how if you search for an unusual word, Google assumes you typed it wrong and searches for something else. Maybe 90% of the world are morons who type things wrong, but I always type exactly what I'm looking for. Half the time, I look at the list and say, "What the hell is this??", then look at the top to find that Google searched for something else. It never used to do that.

HaveANiceDay · « **Reply #7 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 14:08:43 »

That trailer was quite hard to find, this is the only one I found http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mRXR08Q7PDGRE
No sound.

mr_a500 · « **Reply #8 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 15:35:11 »

Ah, you found it - but it is also on YouTube (with sound). I saw it last week. I don't know how I found it, but now I can't. The thing is: the title of the video is something like "Queen of Hearts 1989 Trailer". It should come up first in any search for "Queen of Hearts" 1989 Trailer. (but it doesn't)

That was just an example though. The other two documentaries are videos I really want to find.

The Solutor · « **Reply #9 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 15:48:53 »

Please don't tell Ripster that both Bing's and Google's search engine are based on the work of two Italians... :redface:

HaveANiceDay · « **Reply #10 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 20:27:16 »

From what I can tell, this VHS is the only way to see that documentary http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Called-Halley-Ian-Ridpath/dp/B000KRK5SK

mr_a500 · « **Reply #11 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 21:35:14 »

Quote from: HaveANiceDay;391282

From what I can tell, this VHS is the only way to see that documentary http://www.amazon.com/Comet-Called-Halley-Ian-Ridpath/dp/B000KRK5SK

Yes, thanks. I saw those a couple years ago. I would have bought one, but Amazon doesn't take PayPal.

Well.. I guess I might overcome my hatred of Amazon and give them my credit card number.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #12 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 21:37:45 »

Quote from: mr_a500;391322

I guess I might overcome my hatred of Amazon and give them my credit card number.

So nonchalant.

alaricljs · « **Reply #13 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 21:42:40 »

I trust Amazon far more than ebay/paypal.

mr_a500 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 21:44:58 »

Quote from: EverythingIBM;391323

So nonchalant.

Not so nonchalant. I've been agonizing over this for years. I know it's there and I know I want it... but I hate Amazon. Eventually, you have to give in or you can't get what you want. I avoided PayPal for 5 years. I still hate PayPal, but without it I wouldn't have gotten so many keyboards. (...but maybe that would have been a good thing....)

alaricljs · « **Reply #15 on:** Mon, 01 August 2011, 21:51:37 »

Perhaps you should check out the terms of your credit card? I have been extremely pleased with my particular choice and their policy of zero fault fraud protection. This policy has saved them the most since they actively police purchases against historical data. I had one card that was 'test charged' a couple times by some thief/scammer for less than $5 total, I was contacted and before I had the chance to respond they turned down a huge purchase and froze the account. Next day I had a new account number and didn't owe anyone a penny more than I myself spent.

Most of my incidents involve walk-in purchases at various shops, Amazon has never let me down and I've never received spam due to them. Ebay/paypal much the same. I hate them for their financial practices, they've benngood with keeping my account info locked down

mr_a500 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mon, 15 August 2011, 10:36:45 »

I finally gave in and did my first order from Amazon. The first problem was finding out how to select shipping method. Amazon stupidly doesn't let you decide whether to use USPS or UPS/FedEx. That makes a HUGE difference for Canadians trying to avoid massive rip-off "brokerage fees" that the couriers charge (usually $30-$100 on top of customs fees). It looks like Amazon randomly decides to ship either USPS or UPS or whatever the hell carrier they feel like at the time. You have no choice. My second problem was the shipping charge - I read two different pages that said single VHS shipping to Canada was $4.95, but eventually they charged me $12.95. What the hell?

After a three day wait, I finally found out that they're shipping it USPS (thank GOD!). Then I noticed the Delivery Estimate: October 17th!! What the frigging hell?? Over two months! ****, even a racoon with a limp could hobble from the shipping point to my house in less time.

It looks like I was right to hate Amazon all those years. Why the hell is Amazon so popular? Do they do good service for Americans and utter **** for Canadians or what?

alaricljs · « **Reply #17 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 11:36:57 »

Did you buy *from* Amazon or *through* Amazon from one of their 'featured merchants'... That's yet another gotcha with Amazon.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #18 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 13:51:06 »

Quote from: mr_a500;399237

I finally gave in and did my first order from Amazon. The first problem was finding out how to select shipping method. Amazon stupidly doesn't let you decide whether to use USPS or UPS/FedEx. That makes a HUGE difference for Canadians trying to avoid massive rip-off "brokerage fees" that the couriers charge (usually $30-$100 on top of customs fees). It looks like Amazon randomly decides to ship either USPS or UPS or whatever the hell carrier they feel like at the time. You have no choice. My second problem was the shipping charge - I read two different pages that said single VHS shipping to Canada was $4.95, but eventually they charged me $12.95. What the hell?

After a three day wait, I finally found out that they're shipping it USPS (thank GOD!). Then I noticed the Delivery Estimate: October 17th!! What the frigging hell?? Over two months! ****, even a racoon with a limp could hobble from the shipping point to my house in less time.

It looks like I was right to hate Amazon all those years. Why the hell is Amazon so popular? Do they do good service for Americans and utter **** for Canadians or what?

I've had mixed results from amazon. The best deal I've ever got on amazon was for an audiophile card for $80 (it wasn't shipped FROM amazon, but from a company who put it up on amazon).
In fact, I rarely order directly from amazon. The only time I did, it took like three months or something due to the product not being in one of the warehouses or something. What was funny is that it was close to the end of the year, so when the item actually got shipped, it showed the order date as 2010, and the shipping date as 2011.
Also, after my purchase of said item, amazon removed the ability to purchase it...

One time when I ordered a VHS (shipped with USPS and ordered on amazon), the VHS took around four weeks. When it finally came, it was in a bag with water everywhere and an apology that "the item got lost" or something stupid. Thankfully, the VHS works fine.

itlnstln · « **Reply #19 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 14:09:16 »

Quote from: mr_a500;399237

Then I noticed the Delivery Estimate: October 17th!! What the frigging hell?? Over two months! ****, even a racoon with a limp could hobble from the shipping point to my house in less time.

That's probably how long it's going to take to get the order from your a500 to Amazon by a 300 baud modem. Sounds about right to me.

kps · « **Reply #20 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 15:11:16 »

Quote from: mr_a500;390933

And about dumbness... I hate how if you search for an unusual word, Google assumes you typed it wrong and searches for something else. Maybe 90% of the world are morons who type things wrong, but I always type exactly what I'm looking for. Half the time, I look at the list and say, "What the hell is this??", then look at the top to find that Google searched for something else. It never used to do that.

Add nfpr=1 to the options in the URL in your favourite browser's search plugin.

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #21 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 15:41:31 »

Quote from: itlnstln;403388

That's probably how long it's going to take to get the order from your a500 to Amazon by a 300 baud modem. Sounds about right to me.

He doesn't use the amiga 500 anymore; instead a powermac g5. I know hey? It looks like he decided to downgrade after 24 years

Both have the number five in them... hmmm. What does it mean?

mr_a500 · « **Reply #22 on:** Mon, 22 August 2011, 16:13:28 »

Quote from: itlnstln;403388

That's probably how long it's going to take to get the order from your a500 to Amazon by a 300 baud modem. Sounds about right to me.

Hey! I'll have you know my A500 modem is 56K. I once downloaded a 100Mb file with that thing. (and it only tied up the phone line for 12 hours)

Quote from: kps;403421

Add nfpr=1 to the options in the URL in your favourite browser's search plugin.

I'll have to try that. Thanks.

Quote from: EverythingIBM;403435

Both have the number five in them... hmmm. What does it mean?

...and there's a 5 in "56K" and I'm posting this around 5pm and there are 5 letters each in "Amiga", "Atari" and "Apple" - the only computers I used at least 5 times in the last 5 days! (...and notice how they all start with "A" - and there's an "A" in my username and my real life surname and last name!!)

Holy crap! This coincidence stuff is blowing my mind!
(not really :biggrin:)

EverythingIBM · « **Reply #23 on:** Tue, 23 August 2011, 01:09:24 »

Quote from: mr_a500;403462

and there's an "A" in my username and my real life surname and last name!!)

Let's see... your name is probably Andrew Amigaston. Or Adam Atarion. One of them has to be correct.

EDIT:
Or Allan Appleoni! But that's edging closer to itlnstln.

mr_a500 · « **Reply #24 on:** Tue, 23 August 2011, 03:49:59 »

Nope. It's Aandy Aardvark. (5 A's) :biggrin:

mr_a500 · « **Reply #25 on:** Tue, 23 August 2011, 10:10:41 »

Hey, they're copying Robin of Sherwood:

(...the head hitting, not the doll tying and enchanting)

News:

Author Topic: Why is video search so stupid?? (Read 3426 times)