Good Alternative to Google?

[Terramax]

Sorry if such a thread already exists. Didn't see anything on search.

After the NSA fiasco, I want to stop using Google as my search browser. Is anyone able to recommend an alternative, that isn't linked to the NSA?

EDIT: It seems that some people out there are using this thread to argue that the NSA is a good thing. I didn't think I had to explicitly state this, but as the saying goes 'common sense ain't all that common', therefore, I will explicitly state; this thread is not about arguing over the NSA. It's about me looking for alternatives because I don't want anything to do with the NSA. Don't use this thread to throw abuse at me, or anyone else, who wants to play no part in the NSA. Thank you.

 

[SweetShark]

Can you explain with few words what is it about the NSA you just wrote?

Also, no, I only use Google. Exept of course the NSA thing is something really bad.

 

[SpAc3man]

Ask.com perhaps?

I prefer to think in terms of "Is there any reason the NSA would want to get information on me in the first place?"
I answered "no". I then asked myself "Do I have a problem with the NSA obtaining information about people they have security concerns about via companies that provide the services the concerning people use?" Answer was "no" again.

Google it is.

 

[Reeve]

Use either ixquick [https://www.ixquick.com/] or startpage. [https://startpage.com/]

Startpage boasts being the world's most private search engine. It has a page explaining why you're safe from O'Brien's best friend here https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

 

[Terramax]

Can you explain with few words what is it about the NSA you just wrote?

What?

Use either ixquick [https://www.ixquick.com/] or startpage. [https://startpage.com/]

Startpage boasts being the world's most private search engine. It has a page explaining why you're safe from O'Brien's best friend here https://startpage.com/eng/prism-program-exposed.html

Cool, thanks for that. I'm going to use Startpage for a while and see how I get on with that one. But I'm open for other suggestions.

 

[DoPo]

I used to use Scroogle but...it got scroogled. It was actually a pretty clever front to Google - it anonymously searched for you and threw away all the cached data every day or so, plus it stripped all the adverts and such. Eventually Google just didn't want it to exist any more.

DuckDuckGo [https://duckduckgo.com/] is advertised as a competitor to Google, as in it doesn't track you. You can give it a go. I personally didn't like it - the search results it returned weren't accurate enough for me (what I looked for was further down the page than I felt it should have been), though I will be checking in again at a later point.

Also try Yippy [http://search.yippy.com/] - no tracking and I'm currently giving it a go myself.

EDIT: Just looked at Startpage, seems to be the same as Scroogle, only, you know, working. I think I'll migrate over.

 

[omegaweopon]

Duckduckgo.com. Tons of features, absolutely no search history saved tracked, tied to you in any way. Always seems to give me great results.

 

[9thRequiem]

The only difference between Google and the other search engines is that Google is being more honest with us about what's going on. There is no decent search engine that isn't legally bound to turn over data to the NSA.

That said:
Bing is an excellent search engine for most uses. While Google is best for technical information and hardcore research, you'll get better, more concise (and fewer, which can be a good thing if you don't want to scroll through 900,000 results) results on Bing for most "casual" and "consumer" searches. Since Google got into retail it's consumer searches have become a little shady.

Well, the recent thing about the NSA is that the data wasn't legally handed over, but harvested without knowledge of the companies involved (in a manner that wasn't actually illegal, but extremely underhanded). And actually involved other companies than Google, including Yahoo! and Microsoft.

I agree with you about Bing - as maligned as it is, I really think it's an unfair reputation. For the most part, I prefer its interface, and as you say, for the most part its search results are better. But of course, everyone mocks it because of reasons.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

Well they already have my preferences, my jobs, my games, my soul, my dreams and my sexual preferences. I might as keep using it since I have nothing to lose and it does have convenient interface.

It also helps that I am not american.

 

[Terramax]

Well they already have my preferences, my jobs, my games, my soul, my dreams and my sexual preferences. I might as keep using it since I have nothing to lose and it does have convenient interface.

It also helps that I am not american.

I sense that, not being American means, to them, you pose and even greater threat to their establishment.

 

[Esotera]

The NSA/GCHQ can intercept all data you send, so it's not like they still can't find out what you're searching about. That said, DuckDuckGo is probably the best search engine that is like Google, and Tor is the best solution for total privacy.

It also helps that I am not american.

They've pretty much said they're only targetting Americans and you're visiting American sites, so you're not safe (although they're probably lying and target everyone).

 

[Ieyke]

No, seriously, there's no alternative to Google.

 

[vOID_vISION]

Bing. It is much better in terms of relevant search results anyway. As for your browser, use Internet Explorer 10, it's faster than Google Chrome and has good support for web standards. Only downside is it doesn't have many add-ons, but those are mostly useless anyway.

 

[mitchell271]

Bing. It is much better in terms of relevant search results anyway. As for your browser, use Internet Explorer 10, it's faster than Google Chrome and has good support for web standards. Only downside is it doesn't have many add-ons, but those are mostly useless anyway.

Internet Explorer faster than Chrome?

And hate to break it to you, but Microsoft is also part of PRISM. So all your Bing results are going to the NSA in the US as well.

 

[Total LOLige]

Bing. Microsoft keep all yo' datas for themselves. If our search history were a physical thing I like to imagine that Bill Gates is swimming in it, like when a cartoon character finds a huge stash of treasure. Bing it dude *Read in a John Goodman voice*

Joking aside, I read something about Duck Duck Go(I think that's the name) being totally awesome.

I don't have anything to hide from MI5 or NWA(Damn you Ice-Cube) so I'm going to keep using Goooooooooooooogle. At this point I'm not even sure if I care about privacy, Facebook already know everything about me, Amazon have my bank details, Twitter knows my inner most thoughts, what have I got left to hide?

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

There is no alternative to Google.

The only choice is Google.

GOOGLE KNOWS YOUR ATTEMPTS TO SUBVERT IT'S HOLY WILL.

GOOGLE WILL FIND YOU.

Spoiler: GOOGLE SEES ALL

OT: More seriously, I think Bing is pretty good.

 

[Lilani]

Sorry if such a thread already exists. Didn't see anything on search.

After the NSA fiasco, I want to stop using Google as my search browser. Is anyone able to recommend an alternative, that isn't linked to the NSA?

Oh for fuck's sake. What are you afraid of, getting sent to Guantanamo bay because Google passed along the kind of porn you search for? What exactly are you searching for that's so unique and dangerous that you think you even stand a chance of standing out in a database larger than you could ever imagine even if the US decides to start using people's Internet search histories to kidnap them in the night? I really don't get this logic at all.

 

[viking97]

I just go through every ip adress in order till I get to the one I'm looking for.