I feel like there are probably some ad based search engines which are privacy and service oriented, but in general even for those there remains a misalignment problem. Hence if I don’t want to be a product now or in the future, what good search engines are there that I can pay for?
Kagi is my absolute favorite.
Ok cool I saw this one— is it really like the old internet?
I also recommend Kagi. I wouldn’t say it’s like the “old internet” but it works and it has amazing features that every search engine should have.
I use Kagi. It’s not especially like the Internet at some long-ago date, other than maybe than in that they run a search engine for Usenet archives.
I use Kagi for privacy reasons. They run a no-log, no-profile, no-ads setup, which is what I’d been wanting for some time.
If you’re looking for some kind of retro Internet experience, maybe grab a gopher client and look at gopher servers, or an IRC client, telnet to a MUD, use an FTP client to connect to an FTP server. All of those still have active servers and haven’t changed much, so it’ll still give a comparable feel.
Like others have said, it’s not “old internet” per se, but they are big proponents of the “small web”; that is, independently-run, focused sites with good content and a purpose other than ad clicks. In that sense, it reflects what made the old internet good.
Sounding off as another kagi user. It’s great. If the company doesn’t do anything extra stupid or come out pro-techno fascist they’ll have my business for life.
If for no other reason than to decrease my digital footprint, get rid of ads, and pay billionaires less.