Matt Cutts gave some numbers about how often the + operator was used - and even then it was mostly used incorrectly.
> > In the past, we provided users with the + operator to help you search for specific terms. However, we found that users typed the + operator in less than half a percent of all searches, and two thirds of the time, it was used incorrectly.
http://insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/search-using-your...
Check my math, but I think that means that + was used correctly in only 1 out of 600 searches.
People mention "power users". Google does not want power users. Google wants a mass market of people who see, and click, ads.
EDIT: i guess I need to say that I hated when Google changed the plus operator; and I find using Google now to be a frustrating and annoying experience. I'm shown results tha often are not relevant to my queries.
And Barrkel makes a good point about my confusing potentially misleading description of the times + is used correctly.
> > In the past, we provided users with the + operator to help you search for specific terms. However, we found that users typed the + operator in less than half a percent of all searches, and two thirds of the time, it was used incorrectly.
http://insidesearch.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/search-using-your...
Check my math, but I think that means that + was used correctly in only 1 out of 600 searches.
People mention "power users". Google does not want power users. Google wants a mass market of people who see, and click, ads.
EDIT: i guess I need to say that I hated when Google changed the plus operator; and I find using Google now to be a frustrating and annoying experience. I'm shown results tha often are not relevant to my queries.
And Barrkel makes a good point about my confusing potentially misleading description of the times + is used correctly.