%3BResize%3D(3000).jpg&w=500&h=500&output=jpg)
Understood: Who Broke the Internet? Don't Be Evil
20 snips
May 5, 2025 The podcast dives into Google's transformation from an innovative search engine to a revenue-driven giant. It explores the ethical dilemmas faced by the company in prioritizing ads over user experience. The conversation touches on the origins of Google's motto 'Don't be evil' and how it contrasts with current practices. Listeners are taken through the challenges of navigating a cluttered online landscape filled with SEO-driven content, highlighting the frustrations of finding reliable information amidst the decay of quality.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Google's 'Code Yellow' Crisis 2019
- In 2019, Google's head of ads warned of a "code yellow" crisis due to stagnant search query growth.
- They pressured search engineers like Ben Gomes to increase queries, even if it meant making search worse to boost ad views.
Worsening Search Boosts Revenue
- Making search results worse can drive people to search repeatedly, increasing ad views and revenue.
- This understanding made engineers uneasy as it conflicted with improving user experience.
Inshittification Explains Internet Decay
- The term "in-shittification" describes the decline of internet platforms driven by profit incentives.
- Many major tech platforms like Amazon, Uber, Netflix, and Facebook have experienced this degradation.
