I've noticed something I don't like about Google search results now. If you search for something, it displays a list of links. Below each link is shown the url of the site listed in the search. BUT.... If you right-click on the link and copy the link's destination... the url that's copied is a URL back to Google, which then forwards you the the target website. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't like that at all. I don't want to go to websites by going THROUGH google. Is there a Firefox add-on that I can install that will remove the google-forwarding part of the URL and just send me directly to the site?
It's for analytics reason, so the site you're visiting knows that your visit came through search engine. It's just a redirect, nothing important.
The site you're visiting would know even without the redirect. The redirect is so Google knows which link you clicked on. Which helps them with their data mining and also may be used in their search algorithm.
Interesting. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...hmzqQkTsQ&sig2=R7fg-d7ZlZ1LMTn69pOL6A&cad=rja What part of this does that?
Break down the url string. You'd probably learn more from some SEO book. http://www.google.com/url? sa=t rct=j q=clutchfans source=web cd=1 ved=0CCgQFjAA url=http://www.clutchfans.net/ ei=REiFTr-7Hcq2tweX0aA- usg=AFQjCNFPaWHHRagifdG0iMAf_hmzqQkTsQ http://www.google.com/url? sa=t rct=j q=rockets%20fans source=web cd=1 ved=0CB0QFjAA url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clutchfans.net%2F ei=2EiFTtb-FIGftwfYgpBH usg=AFQjCNFPaWHHRagifdG0iMAf_hmzqQkTsQ This is one of the few ways the internet is free. If you were a real privacy spook, better ditch those fancy pocket computers that store all your private emails and allow towers to geolocate and store your position from the day you own one.
Do you use Gmail droxford? I know you are prone to good ol Big Brother fears, so that probably won't sit too well with ya. Though really, if you've been using internet search engines like Google, it's probably a little to late to worry about it anyway.
I don't have one of those. I use gmail, but only as a scrap email address. Really? There's no Mozilla plugin that will strip out the Google forwarding code?
By doing this, Google's search index can quickly remove those sites to where its engine cannot take your browser. It does this constantly as people find links. It can also decide that the site might be fraudulent or try to send you to an additional phishing scam or an illegitimate site. For example: let's say you search "SwoLy mexican clutchfan" (no quotes). Google finds SwoLy's website on its indexes, which it found a few years ago and it was still in existence yesterday. Today, SwoLy has decided to shut down his site. You click it. Google's indexes say: "Whoa, we can't find it, yo." Google's indexes try again and again, today, tomorrow, next week, etc., and based on a programmatical way, remove Swoly's results.
Just stop using Google, if enough people follow along they will get the message. They are today's Microsoft, but eventually something better will come along. DD
Jeez... I'm not trying to protest Google, for cryin' out loud. I like Google (overall). And when it comes to searching the web, you just gotta use it. I was just asking if a Firefox plugin exists to side-step Google link forwarding.
