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Question

Any search engines that don't involve targeted ads?

Dec 9, 2012 6:38AM PST

Man, I am sick at heart. I can't look any anything on the web these days without constant bombardment with ads related to recent search queries. I am sick and tired and (for an older gentleman, who is generally quite cool, calm and understanding) now getting POed at the situation. I am reading a nice book on the history of the Everglades, and keep coming to references of locations, old towns, rivers, and so on in the Everglades and elsewhere in south Florida, etc. and when I go to my PC and open any search results, half way down the page I run into a section of personal targeted ads. OK. I ordered some Burberry perfume for my wife for a 'stocking stuffer' a few days ago. I was also looking for a good quality bright solar LED spotlight to illuminate some trees in my yard that are decorated for Christmas. (Very hard to find bright ones!) And so on. So, when I am looking to find out where "Paradise Key" is (or was), I don't want some search results to be giving me ad for perfume, LED lighting, and so on. Google and You Tube keep and track what I see and where I go...p***es me off, but that's what you get for 'free info' access. But the ads have got to stop. Any optional search engines out there? I'd gladly PAY for being able to get information without having to deal with the ads. Or am I just being difficult? (Oh, yes and I have done all the crap with 'opting out of Google tracking, You Tube history, and all that - it's all BS...you cannot really opt out if you use these services.) I ASSUME Bing and Chrome - which I have never used - are as bad? Any suggestions?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Did you try Duckduckgo.com?
Dec 9, 2012 6:41AM PST

Chrome didn't have a single ad. Those come from sites, toolbars and such.
Bob

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Answer
I am not answering my own question but...
Dec 9, 2012 11:54PM PST

...clarifying. I meant to ask is there a 'browser' not a 'search engine' that won't give me the targeted ads and tracking? First response from r.proffitt - thanks! - sent me to duckduckgo.com which seems interesting. But opening it with either Firefox or IE gives me duckduckgo's search results and on opening them, I still get a 'Consumer Reports' ad in the header, and midway down the page a consumerreports.org ad for appliance reviews...further on yet another an ad for Orient watches at the discountwatchstore.com, then along further an ad for Christmas LEDs at ChristmasLightsEtc.com. Proffitt also suggests Chrome...I'll try that. (Doesn't anyone else notice how many more ads there are recently? And how very intrusive and insistent they? Maybe it's only me.) Thanks for the attention.

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I'd start looking at my browser add ons.
Dec 9, 2012 11:58PM PST

Here I don't see those ads but my install is clean. The only addons I have are as follows.

1. AdBlock Plus.
2. WOT (Web Of Trust)
3. Flash.

That's it!

Can you share what browser add-ins you have?
Bob

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What is the targeted ad?
Feb 15, 2013 8:11PM PST

I am a newhand here,what are the targeted ads mentioned in the information above? Could anyone here tell me? Thanks a lot.

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Since I don't get such ads, but have helped others block ads
Feb 15, 2013 11:05PM PST

I can't tell you what they could be. Let's see if those that got them will share.
Bob

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Answer
Search engine or browser without ads
Oct 31, 2013 5:19PM PDT

The best way to avoid ads in browsers is with AdBlock. No matter what browser, some ads will get through.

For search engines, you already tried DuckDuckGo. I use IX Quick to avoid ads. Or try Yandex, as the ads seem less annoying, maybe just different. With Yandex, the Amazon and Google advertising (everywhere) is less bothersome..