Currently Steemit users are only given the option of using Google as a tool to search Steemit. This is a problem for several reasons:
- Google is one of the primary entities responsible for tracking internet activity for espionage and data mining purposes. Search activity is NOT private on Google.
- Google openly admits to tampering with it's own search results to eliminate controversial pages from search results to attempt to force us into perceiving a consensus version of reality akin to the 'Department of Truth' in George Orwell's 1984.
Alternative search engines exist that do not track user searches and which do not artificially filter search results for political reasons. Switching to an alternative to Google could be done pretty easily too.
Users who come to Steemit expecting a cutting edge, intelligent platform that is sensitive to the needs of modern internet users seeking an uncensored experience will be somewhat let down when they see Google in use at Steemit.com.
DuckDuckGo.com is a trusted alternative and others also exist.
Perhaps an even better option would be to host an instance of a dedicated search index tool such as Solr that can return search query results efficiently and quickly with total customisation available too.
Some of the issues with using google as a search tool can be found in James Corbett's video on the topic here:
Open Source Contribution posted via Utopian.io