Tell us what’s on your mind
Google’s adverts help me find suitable products
Having read Issue 669’s ‘Question of the Fortnight’ (pictured), I have mixed feelings about adverts in Google.
I heartily dislike the layers of ‘Sponsored’ results at the top of search results. By the time I’ve scrolled down past them, I’ve lost any enthusiasm I had for the product I was looking for.
However, the ‘carousel’ of products that usually appears when you search for tech items – like laptops and tablets – can be useful. I just searched for ‘best tablets under £200’, and it found me 30-odd devices that I can scroll from left to right – not down the page.
This is easy on the eye, and all the info you need is clearly presented: brand, price, storage, rating and where to buy from. It’s certainly better to have 30 devices in a horizontal carousel than a long vertical list that takes you to the bottom of the results page.
Phil Butterworth I find adverts in Google search results as annoying as most people do, but in its defence it does a great job showing information when you’re not looking for something to buy.
The best example is when searching for weather updates. All I need to do is type ‘weather’ into the search box and it shows me a seven-day forecast for my area. It’s not detailed, but it’s fine as a summary. It appears at the top of the results, so I don’t need to scroll an inch to see it. I’ve never seen a single sponsored listing above or below it. Nigel Ferndale
Facebook putting profits before people
Facebook can choose which business model it likes, but there’s something distasteful about its decision to charge users to block adverts (Issue 669, page 9). In the same issue you warn about the rise of fake car adverts on Facebook. Over the years you’ve highlighted many such scams on the site, and there’s clearly a sizable problem with them.
I think the company should first strengthen its measures to block fake ads before introducing a fee to turn off all ads. But it’s a case of profits before people yet again. James Maudsley
Why Firefox is my favourite browser
Following Issue 668’s ‘Stop using browsers that track you’ Cover Feature (pictured), I’d like to tell you why Firefox is my favourite browser. I’m a family-history researcher with over 12,000 people on my tree. This means I have to store loads of favourites. Firefox lets me do this. I have 24 folders, containing at least 368 websites. I can even
