I mean, this is a very HN-bubble thought. Even if people here actually think that, just look at Google's revenue or usage numbers. Clearly a "few" people are still using it!
People here might say that Google has gotten terrible, but I would bet 99% of HNers still user Google dozens of times a day, just like everybody else in the world.
The HN-crowd tends to be more demanding and sometimes ahead of the curve, but it's a general trend. I also wonder how much people enjoy using Google vs suffers through it because they don't know any alternatives.
I remember reading that even Google is worried about how crappy their results are becoming and at least some of the company sees it as a threat to itself.
But yes, you're right, Google is still very much mainstream and the #1 search engine. I'm just not certain it's because it's an amazing experience rather than "no other options".
Eh. I've been hearing of this "general trend" for 15 years. I'm pretty sure if you look at HN in 2010, you'd find plenty of people speaking of the decline of Google search results and how they spell the downfall of Google.
(It might even be true! I'm just saying it's not new.)
People here might say that Google has gotten terrible, but I would bet 99% of HNers still user Google dozens of times a day, just like everybody else in the world.