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Hi there Jon Wiley,

Please PLEASE answer this question: Why did Google remove the Google Discussion search filter?

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Info for those not aware: Google Discussion filter was a tool to search forums/discussions. In the beginning of the year, Google removed the discussion filter as an option. Although it was removed from the search page, you could still access it with a workaround: https://www.google.com/?tbm=dsc

About a week ago Google have permanently removed the search, so now the workaround link does not work.

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It was literally 90% of what I used Google Search for. You could use it to search for difficult to find technical information, solutions to problems, getting a "human" perspective on products or services. Combining it with the "Anytime" filter (past day) (past year), to get info recently or during certain periods was amazing.

The alternative is to now use subpar forum search websites (boardreader/omgili) or to use regular Google with complicated search syntax that severely pales in comparison to the powerful Google Discussion filter.

Google Discussion filter worked perfectly as intended and many people used it (based on the complaints after removal) so why remove it? I could understand if it was replaced by a better product, but just removing it with no alternative has lowered the quality of my Google searches. Please have the team reconsider restoring the discussion filter. I can't properly describe to you you how frustrating this is.

For those that want to, politely make an official complaint to Google here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/Psb6OmlLJTg/discussion%5B1-25-false%5D

Thanks for doing this Mr Wiley.

Thanks for the reply Jon.

I understand the general point you are making. Deciding how to keep a product at it's most efficient can certainly be difficult. And of course, there are situations of the vocal minority.

However...you have a product that is clearly useful at what it does to the point where removing it takes away from the experience and the problem (I believe from reading your somewhat non-specific reply) is that it doesn't "interface" with newer technologies well and might be inefficient.

Google Discussions Filter cut out the clutter beautifully. If it caused problems with newer technologies, consider having the team develop a newer, more efficient Discussions Filter.

I wish you could be a little more specific about the problems that the discussions filter might have caused specifically, but maybe due to time constraints it's understandable that you gave a general product design philosphy reply.

Thanks again Jon

edit: Also, you heard him folks:

Sometimes we get it wrong, so it is important that people speak up. We really do listen, and we prioritize according to what seems to satisfy the widest needs given our capabilities.

Make your voices heard if you are also concerned about this: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/Psb6OmlLJTg/discussion%5B1-25-false%5D

If you do post to the product forum, what's really helpful is understanding the problem you are looking to solve – i.e., you have a question, you're looking for an answer, and you aren't finding the best results. If you provide some example questions (we call them queries), that can help us understand how Google Search isn't working for you. Then hopefully we can make Search better overall.

Excellent point. Under normal circumstances, this would be the best way for users to convey to the product team how to solve a particular problem. However, this particular problem can't simply be conveyed by providing a query as an example (at least not fully).

For a successful search example to show the product team the problem, it could be any query really...but with the restriction of only showing human discussion. No news articles, no blogs, no spam. The ultimate goal is seeking results with actual human interaction.

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Let me (attempt) to explain.

Examples would be:

Opinions: * Best Improv Comedy Lessons in LA w/ forums restrictions (no biased articles/ blogspam / services selling Improv classes etc.)

Obscure Tech: * Cambridge Soundworks SBS52 rear spider suspension fix (instead of articles, ads, stores, you get led to a forum maybe about pc speakers)

Human interfacing: * Experiences with verbally interacting with babies at early age (Maybe leads to forum where parents discuss the results of speaking to their babies, specifically what they talked about, maybe what they think the outcomes are) No article or service or books that try to sell you a product.

I apologize if I cannot show what I'm talking about. But basically a way for to Google once again get any query with the goal of finding results of actual humans in a conversation.

I'll see if I can explain that clearly in the Google product forums. Thanks for your time Jon.

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In every example the removed feature would have prevented/reduced either direct ads or results trying to sell you stuff. Google's main revenue are ads. People pay so Google shows you stuff others are trying to sell.

No need to don the tinfoil hat haha. From a business standpoint, it really does make sense. "Peeps use this, but it circumvents us making money"

It's something that I've def. been hearing of a possible reason why they removed Google Discussion. The filter (to an extent) circumvents websites that would be associated with Google Adsense. Now that it's gone we are getting a lot of clutter.

The reason I didn't bring it up because if that's the reason (or not), Google or this particular employee wouldn't admit it. Instead it would (I think) create a lot of negativity/inane argument about whether that's the case or not. An accusation might certainly detract from my goal of the questions.

I feel like I said what needed to be heard. Even if they never plan on bringing it back, I was heard which is the most important thing of all. I came to:

• Inform peeps about the importance of the discussion filter, why it's important, and lead them to the product forum.

• Make reasonable counter-points on the dev's replies so that at least they are thinking about it.

Hopefully, we will see some discussion tool in the future from them.

If not...now more than ever is a chance for a decent discussion search website to appear. Omgili, boardreader, and Bing aren't really there yet.