scroogle is down

[MALsPa]

As DrHu mentioned in another thread:

...freedom of choice is something we should all wish for..
http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi

• Now that interface is gone. It is not possible to continue Scroogle unless we have a simple interface that is stable. Google's main consumer-oriented interface that they want everyone to use is too complex, and changes too frequently, to make our scraping operation possible.
  
  Over the next few days we will attempt to contact Google and determine whether the old interface is gone as a matter of policy at Google, or if they simply have it hidden somewhere and will tell us where it is so that we can continue to use it.
  
  Thank you for your support during these past five years. Check back in a week or so; if we don't hear from Google by next week, I think we can all assume that Google would rather have no Scroogle, and no privacy for searchers, at all.
  
  — Daniel Brandt, Public Information Research, scroogle AT lavabit.com

What we have on the Internet to which we all likely connect --since I don't think except for some high security systems, that no connection/easy communication links are provided -- is massive amounts of advertising and user tracking/data collection..
--Google, of course being the biggest progenitor of this mode

Some other options that you may or may not like:

http://www.ixquick.com/

http://duckduckgo.com/

http://www.etools.ch/

[FedoraRefugee]

A friend of mine swears by these guys:

http://www.dogpile.com/

I will stay with Google, I have nothing to hide and I like the interface. I am borderline ready to try switching to a smaller engine just as a matter of principle though.

edit: duckduckgo looks pretty good.

[MALsPa]

A friend of mine swears by these guys:

http://www.dogpile.com/

Thanks for that tip! I just go with Google, too. But I'll pass this on, I know folks who preferred Scroogle and who aren't so happy about the news of its demise.

[FedoraRefugee]

A friend of mine swears by these guys:

http://www.dogpile.com/

Thanks for that tip! I just go with Google, too. But I'll pass this on, I know folks who preferred Scroogle and who aren't so happy about the news of its demise.

eh, I just read the privacy policy in dogpile and I do not see any advantage for them over Google except they are smaller.

OTOH, if this concerns anyone then they should definitely read the privacy policy of whichever engine they choose. I imagine they are all similar.

duckduckgo seems like a very good policy, but I do not like their results format and they also do not have an image search which I use quite often.

[MALsPa]

It's actually kind of interesting that search engines like Scroogle exist (or have existed). Folks don't like the idea that someone might be collecting information about their web searches, I guess.

I think Google is probably harmless. Still, it's something to keep an eye on, and something to be aware of.

[FedoraRefugee]

It's actually kind of interesting that search engines like Scroogle exist (or have existed). Folks don't like the idea that someone might be collecting information about their web searches, I guess.

I think Google is probably harmless. Still, it's something to keep an eye on, and something to be aware of.

I don't want to get involved in all the Glenn Beck style conspiracy stuff, but I think our government and probably several others are about to make a huge play for the internet. With net neutrality failing the FCC has now re-regulated the internet as a public service...They disguise it as equal access for everyone, but....I know of NO ONE in the US that has any complaint as it is? It is going to be an all out power grab and this administration is going to try to censure what they feel is misinformation. You remember all the liberal yelling during the Bush admin about the Patriot act and loss or privacy and rights and such? THEY WERE RIGHT!!! Where are they now?

Anyway, it is hard to tell what side any of the players are on. Take Goldman-Sacks. Congress gets to ream them out but...They are the ones who PAID FOR the congress! Google seems like it is on the right side at the moment, but...Man, I have lived a long time but I have never been this worried about our basic rights before...

With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation...

And this will be the basis of the rational of "regulating" the internet, among other forms of information and speech.

[DrHu]

Man, I have lived a long time but I have never been this worried about our basic rights before...

Let me be clear (as some like to say)
Government, authorities and business make it their business to curtail consumer rights and freedoms
--not a conspiracy, just their way of operating

And the purpose is:

• Information/data control
  --governments and authorities
• data collection for profit and control
  --business

So no surprises then!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informatio ... ess_Office
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31730.pdf

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/fbi-nsac/
http://www.lumpen.com/world/surveillance.html

Net neutrality would have been a good step, just as open government or open books in business is a good step for the public, that is...

[FedoraRefugee]

Man, I have lived a long time but I have never been this worried about our basic rights before...

Let me be clear (as some like to say)
Government, authorities and business make it their business to curtail consumer rights and freedoms
--not a conspiracy, just their way of operating

And the purpose is:

• Information/data control
  --governments and authorities
• data collection for profit and control
  --business

So no surprises then!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informatio ... ess_Office
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL31730.pdf

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/fbi-nsac/
http://www.lumpen.com/world/surveillance.html

Net neutrality would have been a good step, just as open government or open books in business is a good step for the public, that is...

I agree with a lot that you say, but not on this! Government control and regulation is NEVER a good idea! My country was founded on the opposite principle and that was what made us who we are. I am NOT a libertarian, and I do acknowledge that we do need SOME regulation of the private sector and we also need a form of social safety net. But we do not need the government telling us what we can eat, where we can work, what we can drive, where we can worship, or what we are allowed to type on the internet.

We are following Europe at the moment and most of us see it is a dead end street! Americans are rising up, things will change here. It will never be totally fixed and it is not going to happen overnight, but we are a free people and will remain so.

[MALsPa]

Government control and regulation is NEVER a good idea!

Sorry, Fedora Ref., you are wrong there. Unless you think that the Interstate Highway System, for example, is a bad idea.

Edit: Sorry, didn't notice the rest at first:

I do acknowledge that we do need SOME regulation of the private sector and we also need a form of social safety net

[Biker]

It is when you're taxed to maintain it, and the money is spent elsewhere.

[MALsPa]

It is when you're taxed to maintain it, and the money is spent elsewhere.

Yeah, that does happen. Not cool. That's something that we always have to guard against.

Wow, reminds me of how I never really know what that child-support check gets used for...

[FedoraRefugee]

Look at it like this MALsPa, every bit of power you entitle the Federal government with costs you another little measure of personal freedom. Yes, the Interstate Highway is a good thing, and even though some of my tax money goes towards that I feel it is a good trade. Us bailing out Greece is NOT a good trade! It is a losing proposition when we are already 13 TRILLION in debt ourselves. The Federal government took over the public school system officially in the late 1970's (though it was actually the late 60's). What do we have to show? The schools have gone downhill. Pour as much tax money as you like in them and the students only get dumber. Bad buy, the Federal government needs to just bugger off! I stated I am not a libertarian, but I need to note that I agree with the principles. I am just not deluded enough to believe that it would ever work. But I still believe that we need to retain as much freedom as possible while still ensuring public safety and equality. But boy, we can sure strip a crapload of Federal bureaus and entitlement programs!

[MALsPa]

Yep, no matter how you look at it, there's gonna be a trade-off -- a bad side that goes along with the good side of a thing. We all want the good things that a Federal Government brings. We just don't want too much of the bad things.

[Biker]

Wow, reminds me of how I never really know what that child-support check gets used for...

Don't get me started on THAT tirade! **banging head on desk**

[MALsPa]

Wow, reminds me of how I never really know what that child-support check gets used for...

Don't get me started on THAT tirade! **banging head on desk**

13 years of it, brother. One year to go. I know it's something we have to do (like paying taxes), but...

[markfiend]

Scroogle is back.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/12 ... e_returns/

[DrHu]

Look at it like this MALsPa, every bit of power you entitle the Federal government with costs you another little measure of personal freedom. Yes, the Interstate Highway is a good thing, and even though some of my tax money goes towards that I feel it is a good trade.

..every bit of power you entitle the Federal government with costs you another little measure of personal freedom.
You do know, that is an idealogical position..
--well we all have them..

And you don't think the same applies to business and corporations, they operate in exactly the that manner, ever since they pulled the wool over the legislatures and allowed a corporation to become a legal person.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_person


My ideological position is:

• Unions are good for society
  --an attempt at more equity, although I would prefer a secret ballot for all decisions, rather than the open forum (town hall) meeting where a vote to strike mandate is usually given
• Right to work states are bad for society
  --a new form of slavery, low wages are bad for society: unless we always want to have a less than sustainable lifestyle, for each person; or for those other persons that are not us
  http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog ... besQA2.pdf
• No-one is only an individual, able to work on their own, completely independently: the pioneers did not do that, and they were definitely individuals
  --we are all interconnected in some way, we depend on each other, and thinking otherwise is what allows the divide and conquer approach of governments and business to work (against us all)..

[DrHu]

Scroogle is back.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/12 ... e_returns/

Google did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the fate of Scroogle, but the company told The Wall Street Journal the removal of google.com/ie was unrelated to the search scraper

--must mean they (Google) just presume that no-one is still using IE6, yet this is precisely the browser version that is vulnerable to web exploits, as has been widely reported..

Great, I was missing it already..

[FedoraRefugee]

Look at it like this MALsPa, every bit of power you entitle the Federal government with costs you another little measure of personal freedom. Yes, the Interstate Highway is a good thing, and even though some of my tax money goes towards that I feel it is a good trade.

..every bit of power you entitle the Federal government with costs you another little measure of personal freedom.
You do know, that is an idealogical position..
--well we all have them..

And you don't think the same applies to business and corporations, they operate in exactly the that manner, ever since they pulled the wool over the legislatures and allowed a corporation to become a legal person.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_person


My ideological position is:

• Unions are good for society
  --an attempt at more equity, although I would prefer a secret ballot for all decisions, rather than the open forum (town hall) meeting where a vote to strike mandate is usually given
• Right to work states are bad for society
  --a new form of slavery, low wages are bad for society: unless we always want to have a less than sustainable lifestyle, for each person; or for those other persons that are not us
  http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog ... besQA2.pdf
• No-one is only an individual, able to work on their own, completely independently: the pioneers did not do that, and they were definitely individuals
  --we are all interconnected in some way, we depend on each other, and thinking otherwise is what allows the divide and conquer approach of governments and business to work (against us all)..

At the risk of turning this into a political discussion...

I really do not disagree with any of this. But what it boils down to for me is which monkey would I rather have on my back. Corporations or government. Personally, corporations do not bother me. I do not see them as the evil entity. All you are doing is using government to try and regulate business. But government is the bigger evil!!! Our government is by the people, for the people. As long as we do not give it more power THAN the people we will always come out on top.

As far as unions...in principle they are a good thing, but we are now seeing the reality of the damage unions have caused us for the last 70 years. Again, I am only speaking of the US. What happens when salary, pensions and other entitlements exceed profits? Ask Greece. You simply do not get something for nothing. The system will always eventually collapse.

[lexon]

Like someone just said, Scroogle is back. My Bookmark works again.

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

Lex