Protect from Google Data mining of personal Info

[mikewhatever]

The hosts file is not the place to block ads, that may work for Windows, but can cause all sorts of problems in Linux. Privoxy is a much better solution.

Privoxy is cool, if you are satisfied with the default settings. Making your own configuration, however, looks incredibly complex.

[SoFl W]

If you use noscript you need to go into options and remove google from the whitelist. Google has javascript embedded in many pages so you will need to block those scripts as well.

But I wouldn't worry, Google motto is "don't be evil", so how could they be?

[bodhi.zazen]

Privoxy is cool, if you are satisfied with the default settings. Making your own configuration, however, looks incredibly complex.

It is not ad difficult as it first appears, try the web interface =)

[mikewhatever]

It is not ad difficult as it first appears, try the web interface =)

Thanks. I'll try finding how to access web interface in the encyclopedia they call user-manual. I don't normally have reading comprehension problems, but that magnificent document is a real challenge.Can make heads nor tails of it.

[bodhi.zazen]

Thanks. I'll try finding how to access web interface in the encyclopedia they call user-manual. I don't normally have reading comprehension problems, but that magnificent document is a real challenge.Can make heads nor tails of it.

Privoxy's user interface can be reached through the special URL http://config.privoxy.org/ (shortcut: http://p.p/), which is a built-in page and works without Internet access. You will see the following section:

http://www.privoxy.org/user-manual/configuration.html

I agree, the documentation feels a bit overwhelming. Take a look at the various files and you will probably get a feel for it fast enough.

After looking at the web interface I got it sorted in about 15 minutes.

You can also manually read the config files , they are well commented.

[Twitch6000]

Well just to let you know all the info they gather from you is to make the ads geared toward your interests.

They never use it for anything else. If they did they would be sued so much..

The ones you need to worry about is your isp(comcast is really known to do this).

[zerubbabel]

If you're sufficiently concerned, the answer is to not use their services, period (IMO).

Don't use Google's search, gmail, DNS servers, docs, picasa, etc., etc., etc. Stay off of all social networking sites.

As for alternatives:

• Bing still mostly sucks, but it's getting better. Ixquick is not bad.
• For free webmail that supports HTTPS, both Lavabit and Hushmail are OK.
• OpenDNS provides free nameservers.
• I know of no good, free alternative to docs.
• There are lots of (variously crappy) free photo hosting services.

Does Google scan the photographs that you organize in Picasa even if you do not use their web album feature? In other words, just using Picasa to organize your photos on your own disk?

[uRock]

NecroThread Closed.

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