DuckDuckGo, Ixquick, and Search Engines

Rizar · 21. May 2011, 04:26 PM

I've yet to find a clear winning search engine. It would be nice if Google or Yahoo had URL search parameters like privacy oriented ones, Ixquick or DuckDuckGo.

I've never been able to setup Ixquick the way I would like and it's way too slow over my connection. The weighty themes are difficult to disable with adblockers.

I was easily able to setup DuckDuckGo, and I enjoyed doing so. It's fast and has lite versions (but they don't work with the parameters below). Here are my Iron parameters that I am trying out as my default search engine:

http://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s&kb=n&kc=-1&ke=-1&kf=w&kl=wt-wt&ko=-1&kp=-1&kq=-1&kr=-1&kv=1&ky=1&k1=-1&k4=-1

The only problem is the search results are a bit worse than Google and Yahoo. Its been best for simple searches. I'm not so sure I like the atypical single page approach.

eyeb · 21. May 2011, 09:02 PM

i dont really see why people care about privacy for things like search terms...

you don't want people to track what you are searching for? Then that makes the search engine not as good. Google works well because it can tell what people are searching for and what links they click on from the search. Then they can move that link up to the top so next time the search is seen, you dont have to scroll down as far to find link.

I mean it isnt like google is asking you for your name/phone/age/etc whenever you search. The only thing it asks is that it be allowed to know what you are searching and if you found what you are searching for.

wdhpr · 22. May 2011, 02:01 AM

Of course your correct eyeb.

Quote:

you don't want people to track what you are searching for? Then that makes the search engine not as good. Google works well because it can tell what people are searching for and what links they click on from the search. Then they can move that link up to the top so next time the search is seen, you dont have to scroll down as far to find link.

Google is woven through the Internet and is not limited to its search engine and with so much money involved it sometimes can feel like the fox is guarding the hen house.

Rizar · 22. May 2011, 02:57 AM

Quote:

t isnt like google is asking you for your name/phone/age/etc whenever you search

This is actually a good safety and privacy note -- don't enter any of that info into search engines because the Orwellian Eye will get back to you! See here: http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/sea...ivacytips.html

Also:
http://www.ixquick.com/eng/protect-privacy.html (info on their privacy rationale)
http://duckduckgo.com/privacy.html (info on their privacy rationale)
http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/consumer-privacy-project
http://www.brighthub.com/internet/se...es/109963.aspx

I originally used Google because of its simplicity over Yahoo, but the major search engines lack the options and customization of some of the smaller competition.

I've been using DuckDuckGo for the day and am quite impressed so far. I especially like the greater choice and customization. And it's even simpler than Google the way I have it setup. I'll probably have to use Google or Yahoo for advanced searching, but the smaller search engines may be good enough for regular searching.

eyeb · 22. May 2011, 05:58 AM

hm, i find it interesting about this take on privacy
http://donttrack.us/

Because I happen to like the idea that google is used to track disease outbreaks. H1N1 was a big example of this. If you happen to remember using google maps to follow where it was.

The entire thing about this is my IP and I want it private... IP doesn't really identify you :S It's like calling someone with phone and not having them see your phone number. Sure, you can block it if you are concerned but people don't see number showing as a privacy issue. IP is your computer's calling card so to speak, you can have it blocked a number of ways. But expecting the company you are using to do the work and block it for you? Doesn't make sense to me. It would be like me calling customer service then asking them to erase evidence that I called. Well they do ask if you want your call to be recorded, but that is only the talking parts, the actual call is still recorded even if you tell them not to record call.

And in this regard, google does offer you ways to protect yourself
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals
http://www.google.com/privacy/faq.html
http://www.google.com/support/webmas...?answer=164133

and all things aside, google does offer https service for search, which is what those other products listed above use for their "privacy"

Bob · 22. May 2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeb

i dont really see why people care about privacy for things like search terms...

you don't want people to track what you are searching for? Then that makes the search engine not as good. Google works well because it can tell what people are searching for and what links they click on from the search. Then they can move that link up to the top so next time the search is seen, you dont have to scroll down as far to find link.

I mean it isnt like google is asking you for your name/phone/age/etc whenever you search. The only thing it asks is that it be allowed to know what you are searching and if you found what you are searching for.

As far as I know, the main reason people don't like having their search terms tracked is that they don't like being individually profiled by Google. This morning, Google offered me a new highlighting system for my Gmail messages so that "we can find out what's important to you" (or words to that effect). I clicked "no thanks".

MidnightCowboy · 22. May 2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rizar

I've been using DuckDuckGo for the day and am quite impressed so far. I especially like the greater choice and customization. And it's even simpler than Google the way I have it setup. I'll probably have to use Google or Yahoo for advanced searching, but the smaller search engines may be good enough for regular searching.

I use DDG on all my browsers now mainly because of the clutter free look. Only if I feel I might be missing something do I look into Google, although it hardly ever happens that I find something new of relevance.

garth · 22. May 2011, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidnightCowboy

I use DDG on all my browsers now mainly because of the clutter free look. Only if I feel I might be missing something do I look into Google, although it hardly ever happens that I find something new of relevance.

Same....

eyeb · 22. May 2011, 04:53 PM

hm maybe i'm just the odd one out, but DDG looks just like google to me excep it's red and it moved the side links to right side instead of google's left side.

If it's because there is no preview thing for search page, adblock can block it (I know... there should be option to turn it off) but I happen to like the preview.

Plus I can't bring myself to verbally say I use duckduckgo without it sounding like a kid's game when I'm trying to say I 'm searching online. I can say I googled ____. I can' t say I DDG'ed or DuckDuckGo'ed ____.

But then again I suppose I am a google fan. I'll stop defending it now though

Just giving out my views on it lol.

deya · 22. May 2011, 09:52 PM

I think most people who use Google to search never consider the alternatives, probably never go further than the first three or four pages of results, nor worry about being tracked. It's convenient, the big brand name, same as Yahoo and Bing. They trust it. But the alternatives are always worth trying.

There are a couple of variations on Ixquick - Startpage.com and Startingpage.com, same company, same approach to privacy but different results. Ixquick gathers results from various popular search engines whereas Startingpage results are Google only, but with the privacy aspect of Ixquick included.

DuckDuckGo does provide good quality search results and I use it a lot, especially with browsers that don't have add-on support for WOT and I find it better to use than the WOT Surf Canyon search engine.

The one I use most frequently is Yandex, it's Russian, probably has the same approach to privacy as Google as well but that doesn't bother me too much. It's a useful search engine, clean layout with useful search features and provides good results. Yandex also warns you of sites that 'may harm your computer' more than any other search I've used. If you come across one it gives you the reason why, malicious content etc, but also allows you to view the site via a 'secure cached page'

How accurate the warnings are I don't know but WOT also works fine with Yandex, although if it turns up what it classes to be an unsafe site the WOT icon doesn't show at the side, it's like the Yandex warning overides it. I realise that it's country of origin may put some people off using it, and that's fine, but Yandex is a big player in the world of search.

Depends on your needs, or your fears, and it's interesting reading this. But search is big business and businesses want their product as high up the search rankings as possible, which is understandable, they also go a long way to funding it all. But the alternatives more often than not turn up better quality results.

21. May 2011, 04:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Rizar Editor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Space Posts: 368	DuckDuckGo, Ixquick, and Search Engines I've yet to find a clear winning search engine. It would be nice if Google or Yahoo had URL search parameters like privacy oriented ones, Ixquick or DuckDuckGo. I've never been able to setup Ixquick the way I would like and it's way too slow over my connection. The weighty themes are difficult to disable with adblockers. I was easily able to setup DuckDuckGo, and I enjoyed doing so. It's fast and has lite versions (but they don't work with the parameters below). Here are my Iron parameters that I am trying out as my default search engine: http://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s&kb=n&kc=-1&ke=-1&kf=w&kl=wt-wt&ko=-1&kp=-1&kq=-1&kr=-1&kv=1&ky=1&k1=-1&k4=-1 The only problem is the search results are a bit worse than Google and Yahoo. Its been best for simple searches. I'm not so sure I like the atypical single page approach. Last edited by Rizar; 21. May 2011 at 04:44 PM.

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21. May 2011, 09:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	i dont really see why people care about privacy for things like search terms... you don't want people to track what you are searching for? Then that makes the search engine not as good. Google works well because it can tell what people are searching for and what links they click on from the search. Then they can move that link up to the top so next time the search is seen, you dont have to scroll down as far to find link. I mean it isnt like google is asking you for your name/phone/age/etc whenever you search. The only thing it asks is that it be allowed to know what you are searching and if you found what you are searching for.

22. May 2011, 05:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	hm, i find it interesting about this take on privacy http://donttrack.us/ Because I happen to like the idea that google is used to track disease outbreaks. H1N1 was a big example of this. If you happen to remember using google maps to follow where it was. The entire thing about this is my IP and I want it private... IP doesn't really identify you :S It's like calling someone with phone and not having them see your phone number. Sure, you can block it if you are concerned but people don't see number showing as a privacy issue. IP is your computer's calling card so to speak, you can have it blocked a number of ways. But expecting the company you are using to do the work and block it for you? Doesn't make sense to me. It would be like me calling customer service then asking them to erase evidence that I called. Well they do ask if you want your call to be recorded, but that is only the talking parts, the actual call is still recorded even if you tell them not to record call. And in this regard, google does offer you ways to protect yourself https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals http://www.google.com/privacy/faq.html http://www.google.com/support/webmas...?answer=164133 and all things aside, google does offer https service for search, which is what those other products listed above use for their "privacy"

22. May 2011, 04:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	hm maybe i'm just the odd one out, but DDG looks just like google to me excep it's red and it moved the side links to right side instead of google's left side. If it's because there is no preview thing for search page, adblock can block it (I know... there should be option to turn it off) but I happen to like the preview. Plus I can't bring myself to verbally say I use duckduckgo without it sounding like a kid's game when I'm trying to say I 'm searching online. I can say I googled ____. I can' t say I DDG'ed or DuckDuckGo'ed ____. But then again I suppose I am a google fan. I'll stop defending it now though Just giving out my views on it lol.

22. May 2011, 09:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
deya Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 528	I think most people who use Google to search never consider the alternatives, probably never go further than the first three or four pages of results, nor worry about being tracked. It's convenient, the big brand name, same as Yahoo and Bing. They trust it. But the alternatives are always worth trying. There are a couple of variations on Ixquick - Startpage.com and Startingpage.com, same company, same approach to privacy but different results. Ixquick gathers results from various popular search engines whereas Startingpage results are Google only, but with the privacy aspect of Ixquick included. DuckDuckGo does provide good quality search results and I use it a lot, especially with browsers that don't have add-on support for WOT and I find it better to use than the WOT Surf Canyon search engine. The one I use most frequently is Yandex, it's Russian, probably has the same approach to privacy as Google as well but that doesn't bother me too much. It's a useful search engine, clean layout with useful search features and provides good results. Yandex also warns you of sites that 'may harm your computer' more than any other search I've used. If you come across one it gives you the reason why, malicious content etc, but also allows you to view the site via a 'secure cached page' How accurate the warnings are I don't know but WOT also works fine with Yandex, although if it turns up what it classes to be an unsafe site the WOT icon doesn't show at the side, it's like the Yandex warning overides it. I realise that it's country of origin may put some people off using it, and that's fine, but Yandex is a big player in the world of search. Depends on your needs, or your fears, and it's interesting reading this. But search is big business and businesses want their product as high up the search rankings as possible, which is understandable, they also go a long way to funding it all. But the alternatives more often than not turn up better quality results.