42 votes

DuckDuckGo has acquired ownership of duck.com from Google

11 comments

  1. [5]
    Emerald_Knight
    Link
    Good news for them. As minor as it might seem, someone is more likely to remember a one- or two-word sequence than they are a three-word sequence, and that just worsens the longer the sequence...

    Good news for them. As minor as it might seem, someone is more likely to remember a one- or two-word sequence than they are a three-word sequence, and that just worsens the longer the sequence gets. A single, simple, four-letter word as the domain name will make it far more memorable and easier for users, especially older or less tech-savvy users, to get to.

    21 votes
    1. [4]
      deciduous
      Link Parent
      It's obviously a good thing, but I'm skeptical if it will really matter. Are non-tech savvy people ever going to use a browser that isn't google or their default one? In fact, do people ever visit...

      It's obviously a good thing, but I'm skeptical if it will really matter. Are non-tech savvy people ever going to use a browser that isn't google or their default one?

      In fact, do people ever visit a browser page in the first place? Unless I'm trying out a new browser, I always just use my default.

      6 votes
      1. [3]
        Emerald_Knight
        Link Parent
        The example of less tech-savvy users was just an example. Even as a programmer, sometimes I find it difficult to remember a website name simply because it's not memorable, or it's too long, or I...

        The example of less tech-savvy users was just an example. Even as a programmer, sometimes I find it difficult to remember a website name simply because it's not memorable, or it's too long, or I can't remember the order of words, or any number of reasons. There are websites that I need to recall for checking up on my bills that, quite frankly, I would forget the names of if not for their being stored in my password manager. And my memory tends to be fairly good otherwise.

        The name "DuckDuckGo" is a tad nonsensical and doesn't roll off the tongue nicely, so it was a name that was difficult for me to remember until I'd seen it plastered everywhere. A name like "Duck", on the other hand, is so dead simple that I can't possibly forget it.

        It absolutely does make a difference. For your average user, probably a pretty big one.

        7 votes
        1. [2]
          nsz
          Link Parent
          I always though the name was from the nursery game duck duck goose. Where you go around tapping people till you land on the person you want with goose. Seems at least tangentially related to a...

          I always though the name was from the nursery game duck duck goose. Where you go around tapping people till you land on the person you want with goose. Seems at least tangentially related to a search engine.

          16 votes
          1. Emerald_Knight
            Link Parent
            Huh. That never would've occurred to me.

            Huh. That never would've occurred to me.

            2 votes
  2. meghan
    Link
    definitely the most intriguing part for me for sure

    Gabriel did not mention any purchase, simply stating that Google had chosen to transfer ownership of the domain to his company.

    definitely the most intriguing part for me for sure

    14 votes
  3. [5]
    menacetosobriety
    Link
    this just leaves me wondering why? it says Google just decided to give it away for free & w/o reason?

    this just leaves me wondering why?
    it says Google just decided to give it away for free & w/o reason?

    7 votes
    1. klc
      Link Parent
      Maybe to help their case that they are not using unlawful practices to gain/maintain a monopoly in search.

      Maybe to help their case that they are not using unlawful practices to gain/maintain a monopoly in search.

      22 votes
    2. [3]
      Vermin
      Link Parent
      I don't know why google would give that to them, it seems like it could really help their traffic. I might go there more often if the url wasn't so long, lol.

      I don't know why google would give that to them, it seems like it could really help their traffic. I might go there more often if the url wasn't so long, lol.

      1. [2]
        determinism
        Link Parent
        Just configure it to be your default search engine in your browser?

        Just configure it to be your default search engine in your browser?

        11 votes
        1. Chobbes
          Link Parent
          Especially since bang patterns make it even more convenient than other search engines :). https://duckduckgo.com/bang

          Especially since bang patterns make it even more convenient than other search engines :).

          https://duckduckgo.com/bang

          6 votes