Starting yesterday, the search engine we all use as our default has begun implementing something they call Search Plus Your World, which is a snazzy way to say they’re adulterating your Google searches with your own personal content. But for as “personalized” as it’s supposed to be, it’s kind of ironic that they’re not even giving us a choice in the matter. I’m totally weirded out by how my searches have already been co-opted.

Turns out, if you’re logged into any part of Google — Gmail, Google Calendar, Google+ of course, etc. — you’re automatically opted in to Search Plus Your World. And your search results get totally skewed toward whatever content your connections on Google+ have shared. So, for instance, I ran a search for “The Stir,” and usually, you’d get our logo and other random things in the image results … But when I did the search while logged into Gmail, Google decided I wanted personal photos of other Stir writers! Okay, maybe not that creepy, being that these people are my friends and co-workers, heh, but the fact that Google has basically hijacked regular search results and started to assume that I want results from only my inner circle (no pun intended) is redonkulous and beyond annoying!