You mind your business and I’ll mind mine
When I started on this Interweb lark there was no such thing as Google.
In fact there was barely an Interweb at all. PCs ran Windows 3.1 and if you wanted to access the wonders of the outside world you had to install extra memory, a shed load of software and a browser. My browser of choice was Netscape [Gold] and my search engine of preference was Hotbot.
Since then I have forsaken Windows and all their crappy, slow, bug ridden, expensive software and have moved to the brighter world of Linux, where everything is reliable, virus free, fast and – well – free. I have retained my allegiances to Netscape and the Mozilla project and always use Firefox and Thunderbird [How does anyone prefer Outlook? Fuck but it's the crappiest piece of shit ever invented]. I have also moved over to Google for my searches.
I have a thing about Big Business inveigling their way into my life. I have never used Internet Explorer, partly because Microsoft tried to insist I did and partly because it's a festering pile of manure. I won't use Chrome or whatever it's called because Google keep pushing it at me. I do however, and with great reluctance, use Google for searches simply because it works and I'm now used to it.
Lately they have been pissing me off.
One day I went to do a search and a window popped up ordering me to accept their new "terms of service" or some such nonsense. I couldn't get rid of the fucking pop-up so was forced to agree [there was no other option]. Fuck that. Next day the same thing happened on YouTube. FUCK OFF, GOOGLE!!!!
Google's reason for all of this is that they wanted to "help" me. They basically wanted to just show me advertisements that I would be "interested" in. Boy have they got a lot to learn! No advertisements interest me. They are a niggling irritation that distract me and slow things down so I have installed AdBlock Plus. So Google can target their advertisements all they like, as I won't see 'em. If I want to buy something I'll do my own research thanks very much.
I have just about all my preferences set to "off". They can fuck off if they want to know where I live, what I search for or what I watch on YouTube. They did offer to create a file showing all my search history. I thought that might be interesting so I told 'em to go ahead. Ten minutes later they told me my results were ready so I downloaded them. What I got was a web page showing all my searches.
No "data found".
Hah! Fuck you, Google.
Have a look at IXQUICK.COM I've been using it for years, no crappy adverts or "helpful" suggestions, they are not after your details or want to pass anything on to third parties. They also do an e-mail service, but can't comment on that as I am not a user, although the say it is anonymous.
Welcome Hal [not HAL 9000 by any chance?]. I looked, I liked and I now have it set as my default browser. Many thanks. I just had a look at their StartMail but I won't be going there – €50 a year is a bit steep when I have my own mail server!
I remember Netscape back in '94 and 'Alta Vista' when you wanted to find por ……. stuff!
Alta Vista have been taken over by Yahoo, I see. Mind you, there wasn't very much in the way of por… stuff to search for in those days.
I sometimes get an uncanny feeling on the internet that they are watching me and compiling a fat data file. Will it be passed on to Old Nick or the Archangel Gabriel before I leave this world?
The Daughter is a tad paranoid about her security – has a bit of tape over her laptop camera just in case. I hear the Zuckerberg fellow does the same but what the fuck does he know about the Interweb? Maybe our search histories are our souls upon which our entry to Heaven will be decided? If so, I'm fucked……
My browser is Firefox.
My search engine is still Dogpile.
Old habits die hard.
Browser is now Ixquick [thanks to Hal above] Now running Linux Mint 18! [Not officially available but it's up on the servers since this morning].
I use the Tor browser sometimes. It is so paranoid that you end up not opening anything and go off to do something more interesting instead!
It allows you to change countries!
Great for visiting those sites "forbidden by the Irish Courts"? 😉
Or just being a pain!