5 Alternative Search Engines That Respect Your Privacy

[Amit]

Originally Posted by Daveski17

Oh sorry mate. It is very simple to use Dr Evil's excellent extension. What I was trying to say (rather poorly) was that I had discovered a way of making any search engine you like to be the default (ie run in the URL bar) once you had the plug-in. Mozilla don't like you to be able to change to anything else easily (possibly due to the fact that they get a lot of wonga (££$$) from Google. Oddly, it is quite easy to change the default engine in Google Chrome (& also in SeaMonkey).

I'm sorry for the confusion. In my defence, I tend to drink powerful real ales towards the end of the week.

I particularly recommend you use Add to Search Bar with Context Search 0.4.6

Okay thanks.

[Amit]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Hi ams963,

See post #17 above.

-- Tom

I was lazy not to read that. Thank you.

[LockBox]

Originally Posted by lotuseclat79

Here is a convenient way to include new Search Engine plugins in your Firefox Browser which is the easiest way to switch between search engines in a new browser tab:

1. The first thing to do is to include the MyCroft Project Search engine into your Firefox search engines:
a. Paste the following link into Firefox after copying it, or just click on it: http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-eng...ycroft+project
b. Click on the MyCroft Project plugin link to add it as a Search engine to Firefox

2. Set the MyCroft Project plugin to your Firefox search engine window (upper right-hand corner)

3. Clear the Firefox search window, create a new tab, and enter the name of any new Search engine, e.g. Blekko, and search for it at the MyCroft Project website.

4. When the MyCroft Project web page search results appear, e.g. for the Blekko search engine plugin, then do the same as you did in step 1a. above to set up Blekko's search engine plugin in your set of Firefox search engines.

I have at last count, 55 search engines of various kinds in my Firefox search engine set.

-- Tom

Good information there. Thanks, Tom.

[Escalader]

Hello Thread:

Where does Duck Duck Go host it's search engine?

It need a host server like everything else.

If somebody here can check that I'd appreciate it.

[Escalader]

Hello Thread:

Here is what I found for Duck Duck Go , one private residence and an Amazon Cloud server. My Firewall blocked the outgoing flash.duckduckgo.com 137 Block NetBIOS

Can someone else verify?

72.94.249.36
www.duckduckgo.com
10:35:21 AM SYSTEM OUT UDP flash.duckduckgo.com 137 Block NetBIOS Traffic 0 0
IP Addresses Report

Created by using IPNetInfo
Order 1
IP Address 72.94.249.36
Status Succeed
Country USA - Pennsylvania
Network Name FTTP
From IP 72.94.249.32
To IP 72.94.249.39
Address Private Residence
SCHUYLKILL

Email IPNMC@gnilink.net
Resolved Name flash.duckduckgo.com

Order 2
IP Address 184.72.106.52
Status Succeed
Country USA - Washington
Network Name AMAZON-EC2-7
From IP 184.72.0.0
To IP 184.73.255.255
Address Amazon Web Services
Elastic Compute Cloud
EC2
1200 12th Avenue South
Seattle

Email aes-noc@amazon.com
Resolved Name ec2-184-72-106-52.compute-1.amazonaws.com

[syncmaster913n]

I've tried out a few search engines other than Google (particularly DuckDuckGo), and I'm sorry to say that their algorithms are nowhere near as good as Google's.

The way I see it, these other SE's are good if you are searching for really basic stuff, without using too complicated and compound keywords. If you are searching for something more complicated and plan to use a few random related keywords, all the other SE's are basically ripped apart by Google's capabilities, as far as my experience goes.

One example that comes to mind: I was trying to find a certain video game that I played a long time ago. I could not remember the name of the game, but knew that if I saw it I would recognize it. What I knew is that the game was made by a Czech company, and that you played a robot as the main character. So I typed in something like "game czech robot" (note: it might have been a bit different, but not by much) in a few search engines, other than google. None of the first few webpages in any of these SE's produced a helpful result. I searched for the same thing in Google - the very first link was to a game review of that exact game I was looking for, with the game name nicely visible in the title.

I've had many other similar situations, but this is the one I remember the most because of it's extreme nature. The more complex the search keywords got, the better Google did compared to the other SE's.

It's Google for me, no contest.

[chronomatic]

Originally Posted by syncmaster913n

I've tried out a few search engines other than Google (particularly DuckDuckGo), and I'm sorry to say that their algorithms are nowhere near as good as Google's.

The way I see it, these other SE's are good if you are searching for really basic stuff, without using too complicated and compound keywords. If you are searching for something more complicated and plan to use a few random related keywords, all the other SE's are basically ripped apart by Google's capabilities, as far as my experience goes.

One example that comes to mind: I was trying to find a certain video game that I played a long time ago. I could not remember the name of the game, but knew that if I saw it I would recognize it. What I knew is that the game was made by a Czech company, and that you played a robot as the main character. So I typed in something like "game czech robot" (note: it might have been a bit different, but not by much) in a few search engines, other than google. None of the first few webpages in any of these SE's produced a helpful result. I searched for the same thing in Google - the very first link was to a game review of that exact game I was looking for, with the game name nicely visible in the title.

I've had many other similar situations, but this is the one I remember the most because of it's extreme nature. The more complex the search keywords got, the better Google did compared to the other SE's.

It's Google for me, no contest.

Yeah, I can see that. However, some of these sites will use Google anyway. For instance, privatelee uses both Google and Bing results.

[PaulyDefran]

I use StartPage and have to go to Google only maybe once or twice every few sessions. They are my default on everything.

PD

[Escalader]

Originally Posted by chronomatic

Yeah, I can see that. However, some of these sites will use Google anyway. For instance, privatelee uses both Google and Bing results.

Yes looking at the links of DuckDuckGo it has links to Google, Youtube, Twitter etc.

The thread says "Respect Your Privacy". It is not in my view focused on "effectiveness" of the searching.

[syncmaster913n]

It's definitely related. There is no sense in using something for privacy's purpose, if the product is significantly lacking in functionality. I wanted to share my experience with other SE's functionality, which to me is so low that I definitely prefer using Google and having less privacy, than using an inferior product only for the purpose of maintaining some extra privacy.

Also, let's not get carried away; every thread will get slightly "derailed" (if you want to call it that in this case). As long as the thread starter doesn't mind (and he doesn't seem to, given that he himself is discussing issues not directly related to "privacy of SE's), and the discussion is hovering around the main title, I think it should be fine - we are not robots. If mods think otherwise though, I will of course follow.

[Escalader]

No problem, it is just my privacy bias which I make no appology for and yes I know none was asked for

I'm giving in my findings on the duck and didn't like what I saw, links to google, private residences etc.

So, in a nut shell I'm not sure it does respect my privacy. If as you say it is not a good searcher well.... the whole matter is mute.

What I want is a search engine that can PROVE it respects privacy.

Claims need proof.

[Tsast42]

Originally Posted by Escalader

I'm giving in my findings on the duck and didn't like what I saw, links to google, private residences etc.

So, in a nut shell I'm not sure it does respect my privacy. If as you say it is not a good searcher well.... the whole matter is mute.

Would that make it a lame duck?

Is the game you searched for named Machinarium?

I did some tests with "game czech robot". Here are some findings:

Bing returned Machinarium.net as its #5 result. Bing also returned a YouTube video about Machinarium as its #4 result.

DDG returned Machinarium.net as its #6 result. DDG also returned a YouTube video about Machinarium as its #1 result.

Google returned Machinarium.net as its #1 result. Google also returned a YouTube video about Machinarium as its #3 result.

Originally Posted by syncmaster913n

I've tried out a few search engines other than Google (particularly DuckDuckGo), and I'm sorry to say that their algorithms are nowhere near as good as Google's.

The way I see it, these other SE's are good if you are searching for really basic stuff, without using too complicated and compound keywords. If you are searching for something more complicated and plan to use a few random related keywords, all the other SE's are basically ripped apart by Google's capabilities, as far as my experience goes.

One example that comes to mind: I was trying to find a certain video game that I played a long time ago. I could not remember the name of the game, but knew that if I saw it I would recognize it. What I knew is that the game was made by a Czech company, and that you played a robot as the main character. So I typed in something like "game czech robot" (note: it might have been a bit different, but not by much) in a few search engines, other than google. None of the first few webpages in any of these SE's produced a helpful result. I searched for the same thing in Google - the very first link was to a game review of that exact game I was looking for, with the game name nicely visible in the title.

I've had many other similar situations, but this is the one I remember the most because of it's extreme nature. The more complex the search keywords got, the better Google did compared to the other SE's.

It's Google for me, no contest.

[Daveski17]

Originally Posted by Tsast42

Would that make it a lame duck?

Well, if it limps like a lame duck, quacks like a lame duck ... LOL

[Escalader]

Originally Posted by Tsast42

Would that make it a lame duck?

Well, in a word yes... if it looks like a duck and......... you can fill the rest!

[LockBox]

Since somebody mentioned it (I didn't want to offend users of DDG), I have to agree that DuckDuckGo search results are seriously lacking. StartPage, PrivateLee (most clever name of the bunch) are much better with results.

[Pinga]

Russian Platzhirsch Yandex also offers a global search platform that is remarkably accurate, fast and customisable:

http://www.yandex.com/

http://legal.yandex.com/rules/

[Yura]

Originally Posted by Pinga

Russian Platzhirsch Yandex

Lol what? What is Platzhirsch? It does not make any sense in Russian.
Yandex is a great SE which dominated russian SE market before Google ate that one too. But Yandex positions are still very strong. Have no idea about their privacy stand because since it's based in Russia what they say in TOS doesn't mean a quack. (Could not resist lame duck joke )
P.S. But mind you, Yandex always does and always will prefer .RU domains and shows russian based pages closer to top. Russian language pages it's first priority.

[hashed]

Originally Posted by LockBox

Since somebody mentioned it (I didn't want to offend users of DDG), I have to agree that DuckDuckGo search results are seriously lacking. StartPage, PrivateLee (most clever name of the bunch) are much better with results.

I have to agree that DDG is not always the best option, but I typically start with them; but these are definitely good to add to the arsenal.

~h