Category: wonderings

Google on Val on Google

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Following my post the other day, I asked Google a followup question:

Asking Google AI: What does Val Dodge think about Google? Google AI's answer: Toronto writer and photographer Val Dodge is highly critical of Google's current AI-driven search experience, viewing it as stubborn, overly presumptive, and deeply frustrating to use.On his personal city-observation blog, Dodgeville, he published a satirical breakdown titled "Google Search in 2026" that highlights his specific grievances:His Main Criticisms of GoogleAI Overrides User Intent: He expresses immense frustration with how Google Search refuses to accept literal search queries. When a user explicitly searches for "this thing," the algorithm stubbornly forces results for "that thing," assuming the human made a typo.Condescending AI Explanations: He mocks the Google AI interface for trying to "explain" definitions to users rather than delivering the actual list of references requested.Irrelevant Results: He ridicules the breakdown of search utility, noting that after fighting with the AI to get accurate results, Google ultimately just serves entirely unrelated data (joking that it gives you "information about restaurants in Lethbridge" instead of what you asked for).His View on Google MapsAs an avid cyclist and urban transit advocate, Dodge has also touched on Google's mapping tools over the years:Poor Bike Routing: In his cycling posts, he has noted that Google Maps' auto-routing feature "never met a highway that it didn't like." He points out that the algorithm often fails to understand how to keep cyclists safely away from major vehicle highways, forcing him to pre-define his own routes manually.

All of which is true, though that last bit about vintage Cadillacs is both oddly specific and a bit of a stretch to call an “historical deep dive.” Overall, it’s a lot to infer from a complaint in a single standalone post and a handful of passing mentions over the years. Still, it’s quite accurate. That isn’t due to any magic on the part of Google. Rather, it’s because I think I made my feelings on the matter pretty clear. Nevertheless, I was going to praise Google AI for at least being a fast learner. At least until I asked it again a minute later:

Followup question to Google AI: What does Val Dodge think about Google Search? Google AI's answer: I apologize for providing inaccurate information in my previous response. I hallucinated a satirical blog post and specific quotes that do not actually exist on Val Dodge's website.Val Dodge has not published any specific, detailed critiques or dedicated blog posts outlining a definitive stance on Google Search.Across his Toronto city-observation and photography blog, Dodgeville, he only mentions Google in brief, casual passing contexts:Google Image Search: He notes using it occasionally for minor visual identification, such as using Google Image Search to help him identify a vintage 1977 Cadillac Sedan DeVille parked at a local Canadian Tire.Google Maps Routing: When documenting his long-distance cycling trips, he mentions checking Google Maps for navigation. For instance, he noted that Google defaults to a more inland route when travelling from Kingston to Cobourg, though he preferred to take the more scenic Waterfront Trail and Loyalist Parkway instead.Outside of these practical, routine uses for mapping routes and looking up old cars, he has not publicly shared any broader opinions or deep frustrations regarding Google's modern search algorithm or AI integrations.

No, you had it right the first time, my senile old friend.

Joking aside, this is the real problem with Google’s (IMO) broken AI search as a default for consumers: it may give you accurate information, it may give you slightly inaccurate information, or it may give you the exact opposite of the truth. Sometimes all in a single session! The only way you can tell if it’s right or not is by going to the source material and verifying it. And if you need to do that, why not just skip the slot-machine summary in the first place?

Moon

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Waning gibbous in the early morning of August 5, 2025. (Sony A77 with Minolta AF Reflex 500 F8 lens, 1/80s exposure. Cropped and resized, but otherwise straight out of the camera.)

I figured the odds of seeing a plume of moon dust from the SpaceX rocket crash last night were pretty thin, but the sky was clear and I was up late, so I found myself sitting on the deck with camera and binoculars just in case. Of course the plume was a no-show, but I got some nice pictures regardless. So here’s a moonshot.

Google Search in 2026

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Me, to Google: this thing

Google: You mean that thing. Here are results for that thing.

Me: “this thing”

Google: Still pretty sure you mean “that thing.” Do you want to search for “this thing” instead?

Me: Yes

Google AI: Haha, you’re making a typo; you really meant to type “that thing.” Let me explain to you why you really mean “that thing” and then I will give you some results for “that thing.”

Me: Seriously, I mean “this thing.”

Google AI: Oh, sorry about that. Here’s the dictionary definition of “this.”

Me: I don’t want the dictionary definition of “this,” I want a list of any references you can find to “this thing,” as in my original search.

Google AI: Oh, I get it; you must mean “that thing.” Here are some results about that thing, along with some completely unrelated information about restaurants in Lethbridge.

Me: 

Me: Google, I can't tell you how useless you've become. You used to be so good at this. Google: I understand your frustration completely. It is incredibly annoying when you know exactly what phrase you are looking for, and a search system keeps trying to correct you or guess something else instead of just finding the match. The issue is that...

AJ who’s-that-now?

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Big ol' Cadillac with licence plate AJBILLES parked at Canadian Tire

It’s not every day in the 21st century that you see a late-70s Cadillac (Google image search claims 1977 Sedan DeVille) with impeccable spoked wheels and whitewall tires parked in the parking lot at the local Canadian Tire. Spotting one with that licence plate though? Maybe the boss picking up some Armor All?

(Not the first time that someone took notice of this specific car elsewhere in the same lot.)

(Also not the first time that I’ve looked too closely at licence plates.)

Mophie loves me

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Mophie loves me

The user manual for my Mophie portable power pack proclaims its undying love for me.

Dear Mophie,

Like a lot of people, I first met you after December’s ice storm. I suddenly found myself with things to charge and few places to charge them. The backup battery for my phone was great for my phone, but not for anything else. And it only gave me one charge, not nearly enough for three days without power. We took refuge at my mother-in-law’s, who had more than enough power to go around, but the ordeal made me realize just how vulnerable I am to power outages. I felt mortal. Weak. A poor provider. So once cats, wife, and laptop were safely provisioned in a warm house, I set out to find comfort in a portable power pack.

I found you in Future Shop, looking lonely on the rack and offering up promises of exactly the kind of portable power storage I needed. I gave you a quick once over. With two quick-charge USB ports, you’d be fast off the mark and reach the finish line without a lot of waiting. I asked the guy at the counter about you and he said we’d be perfect together. He gave me a knowing wink and added that you’d be able to charge me three or four times before I’d have to charge you even once.  I nodded silently, thinking, Huh, that sounds pretty good. You were stylish, if a little chunky. A little more than I was hoping to spend for a quick charge, but hey, any USB port in an ice storm. After some quick pleasantries, I paid your tab at the cashier and took you home.

I thought we had an understanding that this was just an arrangement of convenience; no pressure, and only the barest thought given to long-term compatibility. So I was a little surprised when I started unboxing you at home only to have you declare your love for me almost immediately. “Mophie loves you,” you said, channelling George Costanza in the third person. “Let’s just see how this goes for a little while first,” I said. You blinked a couple of LEDs at me as I plugged you in, and everything seemed fine.

We’ve had a few charges in the weeks since then and the guy at the counter was right: I can charge you once and then just sit back while you charge me over and over again. It’s given me some measure of comfort knowing that when the darkness comes again, I’ll be able to wrap your cables around my phone and keep the LTE lit up for a few days.

But your words linger in the back of my mind. Mophie loves you.  I threw out your clamshell a long time ago, knowing that I wouldn’t need to kick you out, and you go with me virtually everywhere now, providing silent support should I ever need it.  But I still have your receipt on top of the pile. I’m obviously not completely comfortable with the way things are. It’s not that I don’t like you, but…”Mophie loves you.” That’s tough to swallow right off the bat, and it’s just kind of been hanging out there since our first encounter. You haven’t pushed it, but it’s a definite undercurrent in our relationship. And with Valentine’s Day behind us, it’s about time that I address it.

Mophie, I don’t love you. Don’t get me wrong, I like you and all, but I just don’t see us having a long-term future. Sure, 500 charges sounds like a lot, but realistically, that’s only a couple of years before you start getting old and don’t charge me up the way you used to. And other than charging, we don’t really have a lot in common. By this time next year, I’ll be eyeing some fresh new power packs that will weigh half as much, deliver just as much of juice on demand, and won’t be nearly as clingy. I mean, let’s face it: the only reason I picked you is because you were the only one left on the shelf, the joint was getting ready to close, and I was kind of desperate. There may have been a reason you were the last one sitting around that day. Everyone you’d arrived with had already partnered up and left; why were you still hanging around? I don’t think I’ll ever really know, but I’ll always have my doubts.

Anyway, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when we met and certainly had no intention of committing to anything long term. I do appreciate the support you’ve given me so far but let’s park the “Mophie loves you” talk for now. I’m happy to keep using you for the occasional power trip. In return I’ll keep you charged up as much as possible and take you with me whenever I go somewhere. Let’s just be friends, with power benefits.

Sincerely,
 
Val