Internet searches refinement

tony · 11. May 2016, 02:19 PM

I am doing a lot of searches at the moment for different computer parts. It is SO damn annoying that despite me logging into my search engines and stating my country it ignores that detail. I get lots of product from the dominant USA. Which I do not want. I even start buy in the UK, which means actually diddly squat. So I have logged in and stated which country I live and in the searches I do I try to find links for local or UK. There use to be, but its not visible now. But it was never that successful anyway. You would have thought that it isn't hard to get your own countries sellers and those that spread themselves across borders like Amazon. I do the search and I get Amazon Usa, or ebay usa. Not UK. I don't know what the magic is to ensure I am searching for what I want and NOT wasting my time. Thanks for reading, if you can put me in the right direction (and not the direction of USA) would be grateful

Remah · 12. May 2016, 02:05 AM

https://www.maketecheasier.com/perfo...ic-web-search/ has some useful info but it omits some basic stuff.

For example, in Google and DuckDuckgo you can specify a domain using "site:" in your search text:
site:.nz
site:.org.nz
site:techsupportalert.com

You can also do it from the search page. Google has "Search Tools" where you can select your local country; DuckDuckGo has a localization button which is easier to use.

Searching by national domain is of limited use because you still need to know more about the website than the country it is supposedly located in. Who owns it - has ownership recently changed? Where is it legally domiciled for the purpose of sales taxes, consumer protection, etc? Where is it shipping from? What is it shipping, e.g. do computer systems have your localization - you might not want a computer/phone that defaults to Chinese language?

Where I live, an overseas retailer and its local subsidiary have been liquidated. Another business in an overseas country has brought the local website and does not make it clear that all orders are being fulfilled from overseas. This means many people are going to get a surprise because some legal protection no longer applies, shipping costs are higher, and imported products can attract extra tax when they enter the country.

Pierre2 · 12. May 2016, 03:22 AM

yes - the USA is very dominant indeed.

here, the same issue prevails, and so the search query is:
"some information" in My Country & then it still offers up unwanted stuff.

true - it is more accurate if you use Google itself,
rather than say Startpage or DuckDuckgo

but - there is a reason for using those, over Google itself.

and sure - there is a distinct trend towards using a Local Search Engine,
to find Local Business - rather than those USA based search companies.

MidnightCowboy · 12. May 2016, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Remah

Where I live, an overseas retailer and its local subsidiary have been liquidated. Another business in an overseas country has brought the local website and does not make it clear that all orders are being fulfilled from overseas. This means many people are going to get a surprise because some legal protection no longer applies, shipping costs are higher, and imported products can attract extra tax when they enter the country.

The UK where Tony is have pretty good consumer safeguards, even in Lincolnshire so long as you don't mention Margaret Thatcher to anyone.

Here in Brazil though, and I suspect a lot of other places, you're pretty much on your own. Try to make a warranty claim and you'll likely be told to send it back to China yourself because it's imported and not covered. The cost of doing this renders many electrical and technology projects disposable. One of our friends had this issue with a toaster that was less than two months old. In the end he dismantled the innards, lined it with plastic and planted a fern in it.

tony · 12. May 2016, 07:34 AM

Thanks guys. You never let me down. I hadn't known about the the site: Will definitely be using it. And with Maggy Thatcher ding dong the witch is dead. Like the plant in the toaster. But in reality the information you put in when you are logged into Yahoo or Google should in theory put up local information and within your country. I guess like the petro dollar and space, the USA dominates

eyeb · 24. Jun 2016, 06:34 AM

just wondering if any of you guys have any "country" specific forums on what it's like living there.

I'd point out the city-data forum for US cities, but I can't find much about what it's like living in other countries without it turning into an expat forum.

Just wanting to see what rest of world is up to without wanting to move there, and not needing the "news" stories.

Example would be looking on youtube and searching "life in X country" or living in X place. But is there a forum/text based place for something like this?

11. May 2016, 02:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
tony Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lincolnshire (unfortunately) Posts: 153	Internet searches refinement I am doing a lot of searches at the moment for different computer parts. It is SO damn annoying that despite me logging into my search engines and stating my country it ignores that detail. I get lots of product from the dominant USA. Which I do not want. I even start buy in the UK, which means actually diddly squat. So I have logged in and stated which country I live and in the searches I do I try to find links for local or UK. There use to be, but its not visible now. But it was never that successful anyway. You would have thought that it isn't hard to get your own countries sellers and those that spread themselves across borders like Amazon. I do the search and I get Amazon Usa, or ebay usa. Not UK. I don't know what the magic is to ensure I am searching for what I want and NOT wasting my time. Thanks for reading, if you can put me in the right direction (and not the direction of USA) would be grateful

12. May 2016, 02:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
Remah Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1,741	https://www.maketecheasier.com/perfo...ic-web-search/ has some useful info but it omits some basic stuff. For example, in Google and DuckDuckgo you can specify a domain using "site:" in your search text: site:.nz site:.org.nz site:techsupportalert.com You can also do it from the search page. Google has "Search Tools" where you can select your local country; DuckDuckGo has a localization button which is easier to use. Searching by national domain is of limited use because you still need to know more about the website than the country it is supposedly located in. Who owns it - has ownership recently changed? Where is it legally domiciled for the purpose of sales taxes, consumer protection, etc? Where is it shipping from? What is it shipping, e.g. do computer systems have your localization - you might not want a computer/phone that defaults to Chinese language? Where I live, an overseas retailer and its local subsidiary have been liquidated. Another business in an overseas country has brought the local website and does not make it clear that all orders are being fulfilled from overseas. This means many people are going to get a surprise because some legal protection no longer applies, shipping costs are higher, and imported products can attract extra tax when they enter the country. __________________ Better to light a candle ... than to curse the darkness.

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12. May 2016, 03:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
Pierre2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Perth, AU Posts: 192	yes - the USA is very dominant indeed. here, the same issue prevails, and so the search query is: "some information" in My Country & then it still offers up unwanted stuff. true - it is more accurate if you use Google itself, rather than say Startpage or DuckDuckgo but - there is a reason for using those, over Google itself. and sure - there is a distinct trend towards using a Local Search Engine, to find Local Business - rather than those USA based search companies.

12. May 2016, 07:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
tony Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lincolnshire (unfortunately) Posts: 153	Thanks guys. You never let me down. I hadn't known about the the site: Will definitely be using it. And with Maggy Thatcher ding dong the witch is dead. Like the plant in the toaster. But in reality the information you put in when you are logged into Yahoo or Google should in theory put up local information and within your country. I guess like the petro dollar and space, the USA dominates

24. Jun 2016, 06:34 AM	#6 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 886	just wondering if any of you guys have any "country" specific forums on what it's like living there. I'd point out the city-data forum for US cities, but I can't find much about what it's like living in other countries without it turning into an expat forum. Just wanting to see what rest of world is up to without wanting to move there, and not needing the "news" stories. Example would be looking on youtube and searching "life in X country" or living in X place. But is there a forum/text based place for something like this?