[Chester LUG] You've heard about the Google thing..

Thu Jan 26 15:57:23 UTC 2012

I used the gnome version of mint 12 for a while, it was OK but a bit
clunky. I eventually went for SUSE 12.1 which is pretty vanilla gnome
but did some tweeks, like allowing maximise/minimise windows, plus some
tweaks from here https://extensions.gnome.org/

Dave.

On 26/01/12 15:54, Les Pritchard wrote:
> Hi Paul,
> 
> Are you using the Gnome version of Mint? If so, how have you been finding it?
> 
> Les
> 
> On 26 January 2012 15:45, Paul Williams <wilp4a at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
>> I tried duck duck go as a default for about a month, but it never seemed to
>> return the results I needed.  Maybe there's something positive to say about
>> google's profiling there.
>>
>> When I switched to Mint 12, I lost the "right click> search google" option
>> in Firefox.  Since I use it all the time to check IP addresses and google
>> throws up "stop forum spam" within 2 results every time, I watched with
>> horror as duck duck go failed to display it for several pages.  I have since
>> hacked firefox back to give google as default.
>>
>> I respect what duck duck go stand for, but it's not for me.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:34:39 +0000
>>> From: les.pritchard at gmail.com
>>> To: chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>> Subject: Re: [Chester LUG] You've heard about the Google thing..
>>
>>>
>>> In fact, that reminds me. A few years back I met a guy who was in the
>>> business of selling Eastern European wifes (although I think he worded
>>> it a bit better and legally than that!). He was setting up a website
>>> for his company, all I could think of were pages with the Amazon style
>>> "Customers who looked at this lady also liked..." at the bottom :-)
>>>
>>> On 26 January 2012 15:30, Les Pritchard <les.pritchard at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Blimey, their profiling is spot on!
>>>>
>>>> On 26 January 2012 15:25, Stuart Burns <stuart.james.burns at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> I guess for the time being I shall just put up with adverts for Russian
>>>>> brides, Viagra and hitmen for now. (kidding!)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 26 January 2012 15:22, Les Pritchard <les.pritchard at gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yes, in a way Google is run in a very honest way. They're a bunch of
>>>>>> techies who don't enjoy the support and personal interaction. Normally
>>>>>> there's a buffer between them and customers in most companies, but
>>>>>> that never happened for Google.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 26 January 2012 15:07, David Holden <dh at iucr.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The interesting thing to me about Google is their almost non
>>>>>>> existent
>>>>>>> support. More and more my online presence relies on them but if
>>>>>>> something goes wrong there appears to be little in the way of
>>>>>>> resolution, sans their poor help system. I compare this to say
>>>>>>> Amazon,
>>>>>>> who in my experience provide excellent support, their Kindle support
>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>> amazing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dave.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 26/01/12 15:00, Les Pritchard wrote:
>>>>>>>> Interesting stuff, the whole search engine world seemed to go very
>>>>>>>> quiet for a while - like everyone had given up and let Google get
>>>>>>>> on
>>>>>>>> with it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The trouble with all of these is scaling and that's where Google
>>>>>>>> got
>>>>>>>> it bang on. They've now got to such a size that all these other
>>>>>>>> sites
>>>>>>>> feel so slow - even if we're just talking seconds!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> It's really good to have some more competition in this area though
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> I'll have a good play. I do find it funny that this slightly
>>>>>>>> anti-Google conversation has included three Gmail users, I'm sure
>>>>>>>> they're watching us :-p
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Les
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 26 January 2012 14:27, Ben Arnold <BenArnold at fsfe.org> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Highly recommended, I've had it as my default for months as the
>>>>>>>>> search
>>>>>>>>> box
>>>>>>>>> in my Opera no longer has a Google entry :)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I believe this is (to become) the default in Linux Mint n+1,
>>>>>>>>> probably
>>>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>>>> Firefox but I imagine they could do it for all the browsers they
>>>>>>>>> package.
>>>>>>>>> The bang search terms are ridiculously useful, "!github <search>"
>>>>>>>>> etc.,
>>>>>>>>> though "!google <search terms>" not so much...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I've also come across Seeks, http://www.seeks-project.info/ and
>>>>>>>>> search
>>>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>>>> thier instance https://www.seeks-project.info/search.php, which I
>>>>>>>>> think
>>>>>>>>> that, as a decentralised service, aims to group users that search
>>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>>> similar terms so they can provide useful results for that group.
>>>>>>>>> Sort
>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>> like voting up, but not for individual searches. Yes, I'm still
>>>>>>>>> confused.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Until later,
>>>>>>>>> Ben
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On 26 January 2012 12:52, Stuart Burns
>>>>>>>>> <stuart.james.burns at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I found out about a new search engine and have been using it for
>>>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>>>> week or
>>>>>>>>>> so. Google like it used to be, without annoying ads, tracking,
>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>> asking do
>>>>>>>>>> I want to upload to + etc. It also, most importantly has good
>>>>>>>>>> privacy, and
>>>>>>>>>> all sorts of customisable options, to include fully secure
>>>>>>>>>> search, no
>>>>>>>>>> search
>>>>>>>>>> term passing etc.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> www.duckduckgo.com
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It's clean, it's simple, it's relevant and quick.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Also it has some geeky toys http://duckduckgo.com/goodies.html
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> Ben Arnold
>>>>>>>>> Chester, UK
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Free Software Foundation (Europe) Fellow
>>>>>>>>> e: benarnold at fsfe.org  |  ben at seawolfsanctuary.com
>>>>>>>>> w: seawolfsanctuary.com  |  chat: benarnold at jabber.fsfe.org
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Chester mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Chester mailing list
>>>>>>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Dr David Holden. (dh at iucr.org)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Chester mailing list
>>>>>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Chester mailing list
>>>>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Stuart Burns
>>>>> E: stuart.james.burns at gmail.com
>>>>> M: [redacted]
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Chester mailing list
>>>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Chester at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>
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>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester
>>
> 
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-- 
Dr David Holden. (dh at iucr.org)