I recently read, though I don't recall where, someone comparing Amazon to a giant flea market. That statement really struck me as profound, and I've been thinking about it quite a bit. Like Google before it, searches at Amazon have grown worse in recent years, with loads more noise and less signal.

For example, when I search for woodworking t-squares, the results I'm shown are rife with Chinese no-name brands. In fact, I have to browse to the 9th item in the list to see a name brand item (Irwin, in my case). The 39th item is a Woodpeckers branded item, the gold standard that most other companies try to copy. Comically, that item is only 3-inches in length!

Nearly every other search I've performed recently has been similar: drawer slides, children's star lamp, etc. Every search results in junk; and I mean junk! Some of the reviews on these things are comical. I've started using the Fakespot browser plugin to try and help weed through the junk, but it's still a struggle.

As a result, I have been turning elsewhere to find reliable products. Home Depot and Ace Hardware are two of the go-to websites recently for product comparisons (I shop for mostly home improvement stuff these days). I am still guilty of using Amazon for the convenience of quick shipping, but I've also been shopping locally more and more. Local shops just don't have that skeezy feeling to them.