In spite of Google's current mess...

[simonmc]

Is Google still providing valid search results to Joe Public?

I read all the cries here from afflicted webmasters that Google is broke and I see the CEO of Google admitting that Google is broke but is it really broke?

What is the feedback from Joe Public? Does he find what he wants from Google?

Even though it's supposed to be broke does it still serve something worth serving?

Will this current so called fiasco actually affect Joe Public?

[treeline]

When I'm searching for my own purposes (as opposed to website research...) I find Google extremely useful and don't use other search engines. It works.

Largest problem is that maybe a fifth to a third of links turn out to be useless fake directories in the MFA style. Back Button.

Most of the complaints about Google being broken boil down to the author's website isn't parked at #1 for top keywords.

There are problems, but people usually find what they want.

[Right Reading]

I don't think it's true that all of the complaints are about low rankings. A lot of people have complained about pages not getting indexed or being dropped from the index.

Which I think is a mixed bag. I think G is purging a lot of deadwood. But in so doing they're also cutting out a lot of good stuff.

From their point of view, this will probably put them in a better position moving forward, and some of the omitted information will probably start to move back in. So on balance the change may be positive.

But it's oversimplifying to say it's all about not ranking no. 1.

[F_Rose]

"I think G is purging a lot of deadwood. But in so doing they're also cutting out a lot of good stuff."

Very well put, I totally agree.

We have to suffer today, for a better tomorrow.

Hopefully we webmasters will be pleased with the outcome..

[texasville]

I find more and more people moving to other se's. I am in an extreme hi-tech area and I generally ask which they use and most have told me they have moved away from g and using y or msn or some even say ask.
I agree g may be doing a purge or an attempt to rebuild to a better index but with all the supposed brains there you would think this change could have been affected MUCH better.

[Whitey]

I'm of the opinion that while the results have been disrupted users & webmasters will put more effort into other SE's.