Do not use Google.

[QBFimi2]

>> Is there a better alternative?

Try “Clusty”. Anything you search for on Google is stored - forever. Not so with Clusty.

[superfries]

Not sure how my comments were taken to be flippant but here is how google supports Boolean....they also support many other commands but since you are already using “advanced search” you probably already know that.

Boolean search is nothing more than AND OR and NOT commands. Google supports all three as does every search engine I can think of.

Here is an example...cut and paste this into a google search box....

FAR “subcontract administrator” (intitle:resume OR inurl:resume) -job -jobs -send -submit -you

This search utilizes the AND command the OR command and the NOT command. AND is signified by the space between FAR and subcontract administrator” the OR is signified by the OR between (intitle:resume and inurl:resume) and the NOT is signified by the minus sign after the search string telling you not to show you pages that contain the words job/jobs/send/submit and you.

So if the search worked right you should have returned the resumes of several subcontract administrators with FAR experience whose intilte and inurl pages does not contain the words job/jobs/submit/send and you.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Thanks. I simply never tried to do Boolean there because it didn’t invite me to as the old engines did (with “help” for rules, etc). I assumed you couldn’t do it - further by the fact they have an “Advanced” page. Which is really only half-baked.

[jetxnet]

Hi Cicero, I’ve found Yahoo to be very good .. made major improvements. I’ve found things there that I couldn’t on Google.

Google started with Yahoo’s database, so many of the searches are inherently the same.

Do and search on both, and you’ll see what I mean.

Google makes it’s money on traffic, if half the US were to ban Google, they would lose sponsored advertisers etc.

Search engines really are simplistic. Most novice programmers can create them in matter of a few days or less with many features.

It’s just that Google has been majorly hyped in the movies over the years.

I have yet to find something on Google i couldn’t find with Yahoo.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Google is garbage and so is their stupid browser, its total garbage.

It's spyware by default. That by itself is a non-starter for me setting aside the fact it has little cookie management and zero for javascript.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Google is turning into RealPlayer, shoving themselves in everyone’s face and trying to take over your system. If the OEMs allow their spyware browser to be the default at installation then they are part of the problem and not the solution. It’s bad enough we’ve got IE but I’d argue even that’s not as bad as Chrome despite the standards problem.

[Cicero]

Thanks. My daughter seems to have a Yahoo toolbar on her computer, and it seemed to work perfectly well. But isn’t Yahoo also liberal?

I don’t use the toolbar on my computer, but the IE7 Search window, which gives you a choice of what provider you want to use. I think that keeps the footprint smaller and uses less memory.

[RGPII]

Jason Lewis did recommend Dogpile as well and he is a conservative radio talk show host.

I wonder if I can get google off the opening page of the browser for firefox? It’s really not that important of a question though.

[SolidWood]

Open firefox, go to tools, properties and make Freerepublic or whatever you want your starting page.

[RedDogzRule]

My absolute favorite! Been a fan for many years.

[RedDogzRule]

What Silicon Valley tech firm is NOT liberal...not much luck there...

[jetxnet]

Something I forgot to mention is that Google’s CEO is set up to be Obama’s “Tech Czar”.

Originially, the story was that he didn’t want to be Tech Czar, but now it appears is going to be. In any case, he and Obama have had meetings about it.

Google wants the government to regulate ISPs, and Obama wants data on the citizens.

Next thing you know, Obama will be trying to mandate the the entire US be on one network, much like China’s citizen Internet is.

Yahoo is liberal but not so much in the tank for Obama like Google is. Yahoo’s CEO was just voted down by the board of directors, so maybe an Obama friendly CEO will be there too.

Bill Gates is in the tank for Obama .. another Utopian.

I guess that leaves Dogpile or Ask.

The Repubs should create their own search engine.

[batter]

If you want to mess with Google, consider CustomizeGoogle.

It is a Firefox extension (IE version available too, but I haven't tried it).

CustomizeGoogle allows you to stop them from tracking you and blocks their annoying ads (Ads = revenue for them). It also allows you to use secure/encrypted (https) Google pages. It does much more than that, just click on the above link and read up or watch the introduction movie.

As I said, CG for IE is available: CG4ie.com. I haven't used it (I avoid IE like the plague due to it's security issues, among other things) but it appears to be endorsed by CG (CustomizeGoogle for Internet Explorer)

Disclaimer: If you use gmail and do a search, while logged in, I think Google will track you based on your gmail (or other account) login cookie.

For maximum effect, let your friends and family know about it. First, it allows for more secure and private use of Google's services without the stupid ads ( and the more who use it the harder Google is hit. Otherwise, Clusty seems to be the next best alternative, IMO.

[jetxnet]

Thanks Batter, but it will still give them traffic. The traffic is what gets them sponsors. Google has almost 50% of all Internet searches, if more people were to ban Google .. they'd lose allot of their market.

[Cicero]

If you use the Google toolbar with Internet Explorer, you can go into it and opt out of the tracking function, as you say. Also, you can remove any buttons from the toolbar that you don’t find useful.

I haven’t kept up with the most recent versions, but it used to give you a choice by asking it when you installed it. I’m not sure if it does now or not. But you can always go into it, tab through, and check out which boxes are checked.

One reason why Google survived when earlier search engines died was that it was the first that actually DID give users the choice to opt out of adware and spyware.

I use Ad Muncher, so I don’t know if you would still see any ads doing a google search using the IE search window. I don’t see any ads anywhere.

[isom35]

I just googled “jetxnet”. my gosh..........

[batter]

I agree with you. I tried to direct my post to those who still plan on using google. It was a middle of the road deal. Plus, while google may have traffic, if enough block the advertiser’s ads, that should affect advertiser revenue to move away from google and to other website where they can’t be blocked.

Clusty seems like a decent alternative, for now. I don’t think anyone is up to google’s search effectiveness and yahoo has issues of their own as well. CustomizeGoogle can be used as a ‘bridge solution’ for those who don’t want to stop using google until an equally effective search site is established.

[batter]

Thanks for filling us in. I didn’t know that.

[batter]

OK, after some more digging I found a search engine on par with Google...the results are virtually identical (from all my test searches). Thus you get google search results, zero censorship, google gets zero traffic, and totally looses out to a competitor.

Test it out for yourselves: IceRocket

If anyone is interested, I think I can put together a Firefox search engine add-on. I'm switching to icerocket for my searches.

One last note: this also has the bonus that I can be logged into a google account and run a search equivalent to google without google tracking what my account has searched for.

[jetxnet]

Awesome! IceRocket does the trick. It's ironic, last night I was thinking why wouldn't you have a search engine just search blogs etc., if you wanted it to. It would isolate your search and wouldn't return 8 million unnecessary, unchecked links.

Nice find .. i’m using IceRocket and spreading the word.