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Comment by asar | Hacker News Reader

I think it's a little too early to come to a full conclusion here. Google is constantly testing layout changes in SERPs and it seems like OP ended up in a test. The thread is 4 weeks old and I haven't seen or read anything on these changes anywhere but on this thread.

I still think Google's general direction is clear with more webmaster incentives for structured data, amp and also Google just straight up answering questions (nutrition, sports etc.). But this example doesn't prove that Google is removing URLs from SERPs, it is one version of many that are tested constantly to improve CTR and other metrics.

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It's less the specifics and more the trend. Google's direction is, as stated elsewhere, to be seen as the source of information - not a route to it. As you note, they're incentivising structured content - which means they can appropriate it and present directly rather than providing a link to the originator.

No doubt some will find it helpful (as with AMP). Some will find it unacceptable appropriation. I'm most definitely in the latter camp. I don't use Google search anymore, having transitioned to DDG 2+ years ago. I rarely find situations where reverting to Google is necessary, and when I do, a `g!` in DDG is as close as I get.

I realise I may be in a minority, but as far as I'm concerned both Google and Facebook have jumped the shark. They're become corporate behemoths, a malaise that seems to come to all companies of a certain age and scale. They've lost focus on providing useful, innovative services for real people. Instead, they're all about "shareholder value". Both are ripe for disruption.

I have recently noticed that to my eyes, Google search looks like physical junkmail marketing "Magazines".

Google funnels me to products, services, and affilate marketing blogs, advertisements and their own paid ad placement. To Google, the internet is shopping, and maybe a least-common-denominator social network or two. Garbage.

Google feels like going to the Mall anymore. Super sad, but as you have noticed the silver lining is the fabulous service of duck.com.

If I were paying for google search with a credit card, I would cancel, and then call to stop payment. Too bad they never asked for my money.

"Everything is Search" --Google exec, whose name escapes me at the moment.

It's out in the wild. It never should have passed the first level of internal discussion.

Hit me today. I hate it. I get URLs all the time for research, writing and my own database of info.

Honestly, I was willing to put up with BS so long as I actually got the data I was looking for. Now that I do not get it, and am forced into every result being turned into "I'm feeling lucky", I now have to abandon Google search.

This is a bigger deal than they want it to be.

Forced trust scenarios never go well. Abuse = profit = abuse.

I’ve seen this new presentation too. At first I didn’t think much of it. The version I saw was slightly different. It was using carets to divide the URL, both for domain as well as for directories. (So carets were substituting for ford and slashes; this goes further).

I started seeing that version about 2 days ago

Here in Switzerland I had it last week at home (not at the office), but currently the URLs are back.

I just tested and I see it as well

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