New Year, Same Internet Problems

It's called The Enshitification of the Internet, this is a real term for a real problem and article have been written on it and the whole term describes what you're describing and me too, how a search for something that seems quite simple and palin suddenly becomes a marathon of stress as you flick endlessly through pages of stuff you never asked for, mostly under the guise of sponsered ads. Sponsered ads aren't covovered by ad blocking software and you can't turn them off either on a search engine like google or a site like amazon. It's really annoying, it's like junk mail falling through the door or out of something like a magazine you've bought, companies pay to mess you about like this! I guess a lot of people just give in and go with it and don't bother looking at what they're buying, the rest of us just shut down the browser and find someone to rant at, I think we must be growing in number as I'm told physical shops are reopening. It always amazes me that when I look for new kindle books the first thing that comes up is romantic fiction, I've never read romantic fiction, these algorhym thingies are supposed to know us and our tastes so well, how can they get something so basic so wrong?

What I don't get is when you search for the specific name of a shop and the first item is a different one. Also if it says sponsored I choose the entry which doesn't say that, as I heard once a reason why not to use the sponsored one.

I hate the cookie thing too, why are they called cookies anyway, what a stupid word? It's like they think if they use such a homely word you'll ignore what they are and what they do. Some sites I find don't give you an option to reject cookies, I don't use them.

I think places like tripadvisor must be one of those that pays shed loads of money to be on the first half a dozen pages of whatever the search engine is and clog it up. Is this something government should look into? Unfair competition blocking or something?

I know just what you mean. I have ended up getting sheets that weren't deep enough. 

Just wondering if there is an option to ask a question, although if it's like my experience you'll get a bot that doesn't understand.

I'm looking for a mattress topper and none of the ones that get advertised at me tell me how thick they are or if they fit like a fitted sheet or if they hook over the ends of the bed with elastic.

Thank you re shoes, I can look there next time. I seem to have the opposite with trouser legs, usually end up taking them up. I also have wide thighs so some are cut too tight for comfort.

Yes information, that's another thing that annoys me when there are no instructions and you have to search on the internet. It was so.much easier when everything came with an instruction booklet. Or if you mean when you are looking for something, I agree and often don't get things as it doesn't tell me all I need to know.

Have you tried Moshulu, they make shoes for British shaped feet and their normal sizes come up quite large and wide, they include a returns lable and if you don't like the product, you put it back in it's packaging pop the lable on and take it to the post office, no faffing about or anything.

I'm with you on trousers, why is extra long a 31" leg? That used to be standard. I can get trousers more easily in summer as all the linen trousers seem to come really long, but in winter they're all short, do tall people only come out in summer?

I find it difficult as theres so often no context on screen, just a picture against a white background, if I'm looking at furniture for example I've got no idea how the thing I'm looking at fits in with anything else. I'm not a fan of photos at the best of times, but I don't understand how photo's on screen look so flat and lifeless when they never did in a printed catalogue?

Why are so many measurements so wrong? 

How do you get information thats not given, it often seems that all the information I want isn't available.

I don't have it either and have no desire to. I don't want lots of things I am not interested in dropping in my box. It's bad enough with cookies which I reject as much as possible.

Yes that is very true.

They often arrive in a different colour than is displayed on screen too

I am finding more and more that there are things I need that it is difficult to get the right thing from a page on a screen.  Things don't always look the same when you get them. There are some things I need to ask someone what is best. 

Trousers online don't always have the right fitting. The thing that is really difficult is shoes as I have wide big feet. They are best tried on. 

I hear you loud and clear, and can relate to some of what you have expressed.

One thing I've noticed is that a lot of independent retailers can only be accessed via Faceache. Although I have a Faceache account, I haven't been active for a good 2 or 3 years, as I didn't like the way it was going. Aside from endless advertisements, the novelty of seeing carefully curated posts from friends and relatives had long since worn off. I deem it to be unsociable media because in my experience, few people seem to want to use it to be sociable and have a conversation.

The businesses on Faceache may well be legit, but I'd rather not take my chances and find out. An independent retailer with a physical shop one can walk into and peruse the goods? Well, that I can trust.

With the larger retailers, some of them will allow you to see if items are in stock at your nearest store. However, if one doesn't have a smartphone, there is no guarantee it will still be in stock if one is able to visit the store. Yes, there is the option of online shopping, providing one can justify and afford the cost of delivery, but then there's the hassle of returning items if they are damaged, don't fit properly, etc.

As for internet searches, don't get me started!

Why everytime I look for somewhere to eat out it only comes up on trip adivsor that gives an AI overview of previous reviews? Or you have to go on faceache, I don't have faceache and nor do I want it!