Changes to Duck Duck Go

[Tubetec]

Looks like Duck Duck Go has moved the goalposts , preferences no longer automatically block advertising, you can save your settings but unless you allow cookies to persist in the browser your settings are lost after you close and reopen 

might be time to find a new search ,suggestions welcome

 

[JohnRoberts]

Looks like Duck Duck Go has moved the goalposts , preferences no longer automatically block advertising, you can save your settings but unless you allow cookies to persist in the browser your settings are lost after you close and reopen 

might be time to find a new search ,suggestions welcome

I have been using Bing lately... it's #2 I think... screw google...

For some reason google is spamming me with pop up windows here... turning off java script stops it, but stops some forum features.

"hey you kids get off my internet grass..."

JR

 

[midwayfair]

screw google...

Screwgle, a new search engine! Coming next year!

 

[Tubetec]

Looks like Duck Duck Go has a browser add on  that allows settings to be stored  , but it looks like the original claim to fame that they dont spy on your searches could now be over . The free model Internet as we know is only a bait 'n switch manuvre to get a foothold , in the longer game they either monetise your data or look for a subscription payment, or both .
The free Protonmail service Im very happy with , I wrote all my old email contacts down in pen and ink and only add them as needed, legit email contacts who sold or passed on my address have been thwarted ,nothing like waking up in the morning to a spam free inbox 

Screwgle, indeed
never a truer word said .

 

[cyrano]

DDG was sold a while ago...

For privacy and ad blocking, try the Brave browser. Qwant is a privacy oriented search engine that gives less results than Google, but usually far more to-the-point. And no advertising, as it is EU sponsored.

Also, Google isn't producing those popup ads. That's the advertiser. You could als blame your telco for that annoying sales person who keeps calling...

 

[john12ax7]

Are the duck duck go ads targeted? Generic ads where no personal info is stored wouldn't. be so bad.

If they are now tracking people that is big let down.

 

[boji]

Don't know how old this article / Q&A is, but:

https://duckduckgo.com/privacy

 

[Tubetec]

I'll investigate those options ,thanks Cy

We were always ex-directory at home due to my dads line of work so the cracking of the phone book cd didnt have much impact , random number generators did punch through the odd time , Id first ask where they got my number then Id tell them Im operating a voice print recognition system and would send in the men with the hooked noses if they ever called again and to wipe my number from their data base permanently, was a very effective strategy  8)  ;D

Just lately Ive been trying to cancel my moms shopping loyalty cards , I was told by staff it couldnt be cancelled instore due to GDPR regs and to contact a lo call number or go online , the introductory message on the phone line consisted of me being reminded my data could be recorded and would be sold off to xyz and used in anywhich way they pleased. I'm now making a point of calling in and requesting to see the store manager everyday Im in town until its resolved ,even in death the marketing machine grinds on trying to take its pound of flesh, an absolutely disgraceful state of affairs  :'(

Just in reply to Johns point they do seem somewhat dumb adds not per see related to the search terminology you use  , still I think it amounts to a softening up of targets before the full AI is unleashed ,
softly softly catchy monkey . Who bought out DDG is the other pertinent question

 

[Tubetec]

Fooof ;D
ancient history by the looks Boji, the laudable aims have long since been superseded by greed .
Gathering without marketing was just window dressing ,lulling people into a false sense of security.

 

[cyrano]

Sorry lads, I think I'm mistaken about DDG being bought by some moloch.  :-\

There's a rumour they've been taken over by Google, but that one is as fake as it gets. At the very least, Wikipedia has nothing about an acquisition.

 

[Tubetec]

I guess financial strife could cause DDG to have no choice but to abandon core principles ,
'Well its a dog eat dog ,eat cat too ,French eat frog  and I eat you' 

 

[rob_gould]

Looks like Duck Duck Go has moved the goalposts , preferences no longer automatically block advertising, you can save your settings but unless you allow cookies to persist in the browser your settings are lost after you close and reopen 

might be time to find a new search ,suggestions welcome

How / where did you discover this? I can't find anything about these changes...

 

[Tubetec]

Just working off the search results I see on screen , top few hits are nothing to do with my search terminology. Not targeted either by the looks ,more like a one size fits all blanket bomb, who knows what you see could depend on territory/mother tongue.

 

[Tubetec]

I may have been wrong about DDG being the issue , I tried it on another version of the browser and its seems to behave normally again , maybe re-installing a updated version of the browser might sort it out .

 

[cyrano]

DDG dropped search results from a number of pirate sites, according to Torrentfreak:

https://torrentfreak.com/popular-pirate-sites-disappear-from-duckduckgos-top-search-results-201112/

Google and Bing also did this, a while ago.