Another thing, I personally don't feel quite right about using a search engine that relies quite heavily on other search engines to give results. From what I understand DDG is not a search engine in the same sense Google or Bing is a search engine (pls correct me if I am wrong).
I started out exclusively with my own stuff, and then started using BOSS when it came out so I could focus on what I think are my value-adds. Now I use a bunch of stuff (including my own). My approach is to just be a better search engine. If an API does something awesome, e.g. WolframAlpha or embed.ly, I figure why not use it.
Let's say hypothetically tomorrow, all the search API you rely on, decides to cut you off, what then? How good is your own index by itself?
Just to be clear, I am not dissing on you, it takes a lot of gutso to take on search engine market alone, I applaud you for that, I don't see myself having that much guts to do it. I am trying to be realist about the meta-hybrid-search engine.
My index is not usable in this fashion. I've re-purposed it mainly for 0-click and for spam removal.
Frankly though, I don't see why this comes up so much. Infospace is a public company that relies on other indexes pretty much exclusively. In other verticals, people routinely use more exclusive platforms, e.g. Twitter or Facebook or banking stuff.
I don't have a problem with DDG being a sort of meta search engine. Just give me the most relevant results first.
From my point of view there are no compelling reason to use DDG over Bing or Google, the only reason DDG is a HN darling because we like to root for the small guy; lets see it for what it is.
Personally I would love to see a search engine that really gives Google and Bing a run for the money and disrupts the search engine market. Unfortunately DDG doesn't do that.
The most visible things to me are the 0-click info and the less spam. Then there are lots of little things that start to add up, many listed on the goodies page: http://duckduckgo.com/goodies.html
I put a note on my task list to make sure that I email you (from the feedback page) on some of the things I believe might put you apart from others and also better promote your existing features (some of which I just saw for the first time). I need some time to sit down and give it a go for few hours and put down my fragmented ideas in a proper way.
Hopefully tomorrow.
http://kickdash.com (instant, with autosuggest, in categories, but no general search)
http://www.liquidjelly.co.uk/supersearch/ (client side merging of bing+boss+google into 1 page)
http://instantlyweb.com/ (i'm feeling lucky frame + instant)
That's a pretty bold statement. I have gained concrete benefit from switching to DDG full-time, mostly from the 0-click info but also from generally improved search results.
But no, I guess you're the "rational" one, and my experience is not valid.
The text you quoted was my opinion, was it not obvious enough?
It might sound like a silly reason but it's a big deal for me.