Monowi.re - a new SearXNG search engine by Revengeday

Revengeday just launched Monowi.re, a search engine based on SearXNG

This post details the new venture as a response to browsers that harvest information and AI generated slop that clogs feeds and increases load times.

SearXNG aggregates search results from many search engines, pulling the information in without collecting, storing, or sharing user information. This lets users browse the web without the need to surrender their personal information and browsing habits to untold numbers of corporations and individuals. A great bonus of this is that the results don't include ads or paid referral links.

Monowi.re is my first experience with a search engine built off of SearXNG. Getting it installed as my default search engine was easy on the various browsers I use (most of them are based off of firefox). The Monowi.re info page also helpfully links to instructions for the major browsers.

So far, my experience with the engine has been amazing. My search results have been speedy (hovering around 0.8 seconds), I have been happy with the top results (no need to scroll to multiple pages to find information of interest), and the maps results default to OpenStreetMap which makes me quite happy. Seeing my feed free of clutter from links and suggestions has been a welcome addition to my browsing habits.

Another major benefit of this engine is that it cuts out the automatic AI generated responses at the beginning of searches. I have been growing increasingly concerned about my use of google as a search engine, as the environmental impacts of AI by default appear to be worsening. Additionally, I don't like the thought that my search data is now being used to train AI models, in addition to the behavioral information that was already being harvested from my activities.

Finally, as a major fan of the cyberpunk genre, the aesthetics of the search engine leave nothing to be desired. Typical of Revengeday's work, using Monowi.re gives the impression of surfing the net on a futuristic cyberdeck. I am keeping this blog short as Monowi.re is new, but I will update below based on my extended usage. I'll wrap this up by saying that you should head on over to Revengeday's site and drop a donation or buy some stickers to support the work. There is always some amazing artwork and music to be found there!

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