DuckDuckGo Challenges Google on Privacy (With a Billboard in San Francisco) • Hacker News Board

Re: DuckDuckGo Challenges Google on Privacy (With a Billboard in San Francisco)

#221

Post by hessenwolf » Fri, Jan 21, 2011, 4:05 PM UTC

aperiodic wrote: post #79

hrabago wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd say the second biggest reason is the annoying user interface DuckDuckGo is the first website that made me want to install a browser plugin to change the way the page looks. (As for other websites that had a look I didn't like, I simply stopped visiting them.) The problem with installing plugins, though, is that I use several browsers on several computers, and to get a consistent look, I'd have to customize all…

You can customize a fair amount DuckDuckGo's UI using the settings page[1], most notably hover highlighting, color scheme, and header placement (fixed vs scrolling). [1]: http://duckduckgo.com/settings.html

Not good if you operate on several different computers & browsers.

Re: DuckDuckGo Challenges Google on Privacy (With a Billboard in San Francisco)

#222

Post by hessenwolf » Fri, Jan 21, 2011, 4:07 PM UTC

apitaru wrote: post #190

eddieplan9 wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what bookmark is for. `Google' is not easy to type either, at least compared to `bing'. I put DuckDuckGo at position 3 of Safari's bookmark bar (position 1 being bookmarklet from instapaper and position 2 being bookmarklet for my posterious blog). Then I could just press command-3, and type `!w Al Franken' or `!w faithful place' or `!python tempfile'. Pretty sweet IMHO.

I think google is actually easier (or as easy) to type compared to bing. Look at the position of your fingers as you type it.. the repetition of G/O and the close proximity of L/E respectively makes it a easy to type without looking at the keyboard.

That 'b' is a fucker if you are a left handed touch-typist. I never fully got into the habit of consistently using the right index finger.

Re: DuckDuckGo Challenges Google on Privacy (With a Billboard in San Francisco)

#223

Post by cyrus_ » Fri, Jan 21, 2011, 4:26 PM UTC

pedanticfreak wrote: post #50

Anyone else think there should be a DuckDuckGo of browsers that is similarly proactive about privacy? There way more ways than just cookies to track people nowadays and it's about time we implemented default behavior in the browser to block them. There's no reason to wait for Google or Mozilla to do it for us either.

The EFF has a plugin that uses SSL when available on a number of common websites (Google included): https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere.

AdBlock will get rid of a lot of stuff (you will be depriving some sites of revenue, use the whitelist if you respect the site.)

There are a few other privacy-related add-ons that I don't have experience with too.

Re: DuckDuckGo Challenges Google on Privacy (With a Billboard in San Francisco)

#224

Post by iamelgringo » Sun, Jan 23, 2011, 10:53 AM UTC

iamelgringo wrote: post #194

jamesaguilar wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they are legally bound to maximize shareholder value Can you point to a single instance where a company was forced to commit some act that its managers reasonably thought was morally wrong because of the "law" that companies must maximize shareholder value? Personally I think this trope has no basis in fact and cannot explain why Google or any other company is compelled to do things that are wrong. There are many p…

Can you point to a single instance where a company was forced to commit some act that its managers reasonably thought was morally wrong because of the "law" that companies must maximize shareholder value? Personally I think this trope has no basis in fact and cannot explain why Google or any other company is compelled to do things that are wrong. Really? I'm surprised that you have a problem believing that people who…

For what it's worth, I'm not saying that Corporations are legally bound to do immoral things. My argument is that people within corporations are required do to things that are in the corporations and the shareholders best interest.

And, that pressure at times causes people within corporations to do actions of questionable morality.