Posted on 10/07/2009 1:31:21 PM PDT by rlferny
I am looking for a good web browser to use besides Google. I would like to get away from the censored and filtered searches of Google. Can anyone help?
Alltheweb.com is easy and clean looking.
With all due respect to the OP, and yourself... and bearing in mind that I'm an old geezer at computers...
The simple (and distressing) fact is that these days, most users surfing the web CANNOT DISTINGUISH between the operating system, the browser, and the search engine. And they don't care. In most such cases, it's all just "Google". "Turn on Google, I want to read the news".
They type URLs into the search string box, and sure enough, Google takes them there, same as the location bar. And they're side by side... and some people drop using the location bar and ONLY use the search string box.
In the early 90's my MIL, a very skilled user of "WordPerfect" (for DOS), was reluctantly introduced to a Windows PC, and the application "WordPerfect for Windows". Within a week the "for" was dropped and she was calling the application "WordPerfect Windows". And in another week, since her prior app had been "WordPerfect", the new one was dubbed "Windows". This confusion was compounded by the fact that her computer auto-booted right into "WordPerfect for Windows" to save her the trouble of launching it.
As a result, phone conversations like the following ensued:
Her: Can you help me? I'm getting an error in Windows.
Me: Sure. What application are you running?
Her: Windows.
Me: No, not the OS, the application. WordPerfect?
Her: No, I can't use WordPerfect anymore. They've got me using Windows.
Me: You mean WordPerfect for Windows?
Her: Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, whatever, it's all the same garbage. It's no good compared to my WordPerfect... etc. etc.
Me: *sigh* So what does the error say?
...
You get the idea... Strangest of all, there are serious, intelligent people who will argue that this conflation is a Good Thing.
You’re going to find “censoring” and “filtering” with any and every search engine. That’s how they work. You can learn to use keywords in your search to reduce censorship of the subject matter, but that’s just how it is.
If privacy and advertising is a concern, then I suggest you try using http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm as your default search engine.
Scroogle uses Google, but it “scrapes” the ads from their servers before they reache you, and they don’t track, nor maintain any record, of your use for the past 48 hours.
“no cookies | no search-term records | access log deleted within 48 hours”
You can even click on the padlock for a secure ssl connection.
startpage.com is hosted by Google. So they can’t be trusted.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.