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

Thu Jan 26 17:15:41 UTC 2012

That's interesting. I've been trying a few distros out recently after
Ubuntu went to Gnome 3. When Mint went to Gnome 3 I gave it a quick go
but wasn't impressed.

At the moment I've ended up using XFCE on a few different distros and
am really liking it again. Nice and simple, plus you can use compiz if
you want.

I've also started testing PC-BSD again, I know it's not appropriate
for this list :-) but so far I'm quite impressed. I really like the
idea of all applications being completely independent of each other.
Could reduce the stress caused when you upgrade one package and it
breaks others.

Les

On 26 January 2012 15:57, David Holden <dh at iucr.org> wrote:
> 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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>>>
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>>
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>
> --
> Dr David Holden. (dh at iucr.org)
>
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> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/chester