Yes, DDG results have seen a major drop in quality in the past 4-6 months. It’s been my primary search engine for several years now but I don’t know if my loyalty can withstand such a drastic decline. Bing results must have taken a nosedive as well, but I don’t use Bing so I can’t compare.

Good callout. We shouldn’t attribute intent, experience, or any other human characteristics, to software.

I may be stupid, but I want to learn.

Wanting to learn is the least stupid thing there is.