Back to the Altavista days of +search +must +include +plus +signs +"and quotation marks"
Seriously, the problem is advanced users get unexpected results with the query expansion and refinement layers they've added on. While dropping obscure words is helpful when grandpa has misformed queries, it's maddening for a technical user looking for a very specific, infrequent keyword. However for grandpa, it's probably a better experience for a generalized result.
Using +'s works well enough, but it's disappointing we have to use a less efficient method of querying now.
More generally, I think that we don't have a good mental model of how Google is searching. It used to be straightforward, almost like Git, which won't make any "clever" merges. Google, as a tool, is on the decline because it's not comprehensible (even to us advanced users!).
Seriously, the problem is advanced users get unexpected results with the query expansion and refinement layers they've added on. While dropping obscure words is helpful when grandpa has misformed queries, it's maddening for a technical user looking for a very specific, infrequent keyword. However for grandpa, it's probably a better experience for a generalized result.
Using +'s works well enough, but it's disappointing we have to use a less efficient method of querying now.