Google ran an experiment in 2000 where 99% of users got ads and 1% didn't. The company says it saw 3% more searches from people who had ads than those who didn't. But Google forgot about the experiment until 2008, when a colleague told them to turn it off. "This is probably the most expensive experiment Google ever ran"
It used to feel like magic. Now it can feel like a set of cheap tricks. Is the problem with Google — or with us?