A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

Google and most other top search engines, as you may know, keep records
of searches and the associated ip addresses for an indefinite period and use that info as they wish, allowing the searcher no opportunity to know how it has been used or to erase it. The potential for legal, quasi-legal and illegal use of this info by governments and others is enormous, to state the obvious.
If privacy , or the lack of it, is a concern for you , please be aware that there is an alternative. The search engine http://www.ixquick.com is based in the Netherlands . On July 14, 2008 ixquick was awarded the first EU privacy seal. At that point it was their policy to delete search records after 48 hours. As of 1/28/09 it is their policy not to record your IP address AT ALL!!!!!!
Google was given the lowest privacy classification according to selected criteria you can learn more about on the site, having been deemed hostile to privacy concerns. It may be naive to think that just quitting Google could clear up these concerns, but we have to start beheading this hydra at some point. I hope we don't get seven more Googles in its place. Peace, Cantaloupe

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

The trouble is how do you know ixquick is ok and not put there by TPTB??
Could be worst :zip:

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

Yeah, Swanny, it's tough to know. I got wind of the engine by listening to a leading privacy advocate named Catherine Albrecht on c2c radio where she does a monthly privacy updatehttp://www.katherinealbrecht.com
She comes off as having the "chops" to be considered authoritative in the area of privacy advocacy.
Cheers,
Cantaloupe

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

I'm going to give it a go :thumb_yello:
Trouble is google is so bloody good at what it does :annoyed_h4h:

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

I have been using it for a couple three weeks with no problems. And i have no doubt Google would welcome you back to its bosom in a heartbeat.

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

Any news on how this alternate search engine works?

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

I use Scroogle - http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm - but I'll check out this one too. It's good to have options! Scroogle doesn't do images and vid, so I find myself defaulting back to Google on account its convenient search bar on my desktop and, like Swanny says, it just does it.

Malynda - So I went away to try ixquick. It has separate web, phone, video and pictures search. Its search results are compiled from * All the Web * Gigablast * Wikipedia
* Ask/Teoma * MSN UK * Yahoo
* Exalead UK * Open Directory

It worked really well, actually, in a first try - hmm, ...

Re: A privacy oriented alternative to Google
 

Hey no caste,

Thanks for trying it out and reporting back. I'll give it a go. Sounds decent. Thanks again. =)