Re: [gentoo-user] Google privacy changes

[Mick]

On Thursday 26 Jan 2012 08:48:28 Michael Mathurin wrote:
> Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com> writes:
> > Hi list,
> >
> > I ran across this news item about Google:
> >
> > http://alturl.com/s7xi5
> >
> > The long URL is below.  I'm sort of getting to where I don't like Google
> > since they seem to be doing things that I'm just not comfy with.  Next
> > they will want a camera on my rig so they can watch me surf.  I found a
> > search engine that may work.  It is here:
> >
> > www.ixquick.com
> >
> > Does anyone have a better search tool?  I don't like Yahoo either.  I do
> > like froogle so that would be a bonus.  You know, shopping tool.
> >
> > Now to my next issue.  I'm thinking about switching emails too.  Yea,
> > everyone on here knows my addy but I bet most can recognize my posts
> > anyway. Plus, if the init thingy goes south, well, it happens.  Anyway,
> > what is a nice stable email account server that allows pop access,
> > Seamonkey as the email program, that is not tracking everything or nosey
> > as heck?  Free would be nice but I would pay something inexpensive on a
> > yearly basis if it is really good.  I think Yahoo has this but ain't
> > they sort of like Google already?  Plus, I'm not sure how much longer
> > Yahoo is going to last or make similar changes itself.  I'm sort of
> > getting tired of switching emails every time I switch ISPs or there is a
> > policy change.  That is why I switched to gmail in the first place.  No
> > matter what ISP I use, I can still use Gmail.  Yet, here I am again.
> >
> > Thoughts?  Suggestions?
> >
> > Dale
> >
> > :-)  :-)
> >
> > Long URL just in case the shorty above doesn't work.  It may be broken
> > tho.   Copy and paste alert.
> >
> > http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-tracks-consumers
> > -across-products-users-cant-opt-out/2012/01/24/gIQArgJHOQ_story.html?wpis
> > rc=al_comboNE_b
>
> For an alternative search engine you should have a look at DuckDuckGo
> I've used it in the past and it has a pretty impressive set of
> features. As for e-mail I've heard good things about FastMail. Hushmail
> used to be a good one but I'm not sure how they stand today.

I've used Fastmail for years and is a very reliable email provider.  It does 
not have the storage allowance of Gmail on its free account, so space will run 
out unless you start deleting messages.  Also, unless you pay you are only 
allowed to access messages via webmail and IMAP4, not POP3.  There are options 
for webmail scrapers or archiving of messages via mail clients, but Fastmail 
is not Google in terms of access options and features.

BTW, it seems to me that if you access youtube and at the same time search 
Google without being logged in to any of their portals, they will not be 
tracking your email for user profiling purposes.  They may be logging IP 
addresses but it could be different users on the same IP address, so 
advertising results would not be relevant.

Delete flash and normal cookies, do not log in to any Google sites and you 
should be as good with their tracking of your habits as you always were.

To search in relative anonymity you could of course use tor if you can put up 
with their slow connections, or perhaps visit Scroogle who also offer an SSL 
page in case you want to avoid anyone sniffing your packets.  Scroogle looks 
like ixquick except that they only serve Google search results.  At busy times 
Google blocks Scroogle access, so it may be getting too popular for its own 
good.
-- 
Regards,
Mick