What search engine do you use on the internet?

The reason I am asking is because I use google, and I've been noticing advertisements on random web pages that pertain to my specific interests.

For example I was thinking of getting some further education at an online university and I was researching this university and wrote to them (via gmail). Now I am encountering ads from that specific university on non-related websites. I see ads for many of my other interests, too. I'm not liking this feeling that I'm being watched (even though I obviously am, I still don't like seeing those startlingly specific ads).

Also what browser are you guys using these days? I'm a long-time firefox user, since it was an upstart in the 1.1 release range. But I'm getting tired of it. Anyone use Opera, Safari, or Chrome? I use a Mac so I can't use Explorer.

Jo
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I use firefox as it happens to like facebook games better than IE. lol However I will use IE occassionally and Travis has it set up so my computer will use both at the same time.

For searches? I rarely google. I tend to use ask.com before I'd consider googling.............. and Momma, yes you see that right Momma. lol Google and yahoo have been doing some weird things of late when you use their search engine. It annoys me.
 
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HaoZi

Guest
I use FF for a number of things, and Chrome for others. I use Google as home page and search engine because it gives me the info I'm looking for. I learned to tune out ads on sites years ago, the only ones I really hate are the unexpected talking/noise-making ones.
 

Marg's Man

Member
We also use Macs although I also use Windozers at work.

Our home computers use Safari almost exclusively. We also keep Firefox up to date because some websites imitate Internet Explorer and Firefox can handle most of the idiocies.

At work we AVOID IE except we cannot (e.g OS updates). Most users run Firefox or Opera. A lot are starting to use Chrome.

No statements as to preferences, just telling it like it is.

Marg's Man
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Yes, placing ads pertaining to your interests is a new thing that computer search engines have come up with. It's hard to get away from it. If you order something on Amazon, for ex, you'll find an ad for something similar within a day or two.
I use Explorer and Google the most, but recently Explorer has glitches in my computer and I have to reload it. I've been using Google Chrome for 1 day and so far it's clean!
I can guarantee that won't last ... lol.
 
Thanks all for the info. I don't really mind the ads either -- but it has been disconcerting on google, because the ads are so specific to what I've been googling about. Huh. Not a good feeling -- as Hound dog said, it's annoying. Although I love google calendar and I have a gmail account. Guess I better google it to see what's going on, lol.

Not meaning to make an issue of this -- it's just that I've been ignoring it for awhile but now it's staring to bug me. Meaning "who's watching me?"

Regarding browsers, I don't really have a preference either -- just like to switch it up sometimes and take advantage of the goodies which each browser offers as they compete for my attention.

Jo
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I use Google, and IE, and gmail. No problems. I did notice that I get ads that have to do with what I've typed. But that's going to happen... No matter what. Every provider I have ever used for my email has done that (with the exception of the US Government, though I get odd stuff there).

Honestly? I tune the stuff out... I usually even tune the ads on this board out, unless someone's mentioned something about them.
 
Thanks Step. I just haven't been paying attention to the content of the ads. My husband just explained that's why google is free -- because of the ads which are supposed to attract me. When I started seeing ads for the specific university I was considering applying to for a class, it freaked me out.

Jo
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
E and Bing.....It came with windows 7 so I thought I'd give it a whirl. So far so good.
 
Hey Star, I was just going to ask about Bing and if anyone had tried it. It's pretty! Love the daily pix on Bing's home page. I'm going to try it too.

Jo
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
It's okay - and I think it just took getting used to - I have used Google for so long, I wanted to give something else a chance. I'm still muddling through windows 7 - lol. It seems to like E, and well to be honest - I'm not a huge fan of FF - after getting SO many viruses at former job - will rephrase - Boss and other co workers had FF - and THEY got viruses, I had E - we all had same anti-virus. They got infected all the time, I did not. The only thing that was not a constant? They seemed to share "downloaded" videos - I did not - and yet I was the one that got let go when things got lean - (RIGHT) lol....perhaps I should have goofed off and downloaded videos off YOU TUBE too, and not been working. lol
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
LOL on the personalized ads. I have been so into Justin Bieber lately that most everything that pops up in ads has something to do with him. Or I see a list of babysitters available in my area. That is a bit funny considering I dont have a baby but I get a kick out of seeing pictures of young women from my town...lol.
 
Star, my son was a die-hard Windows XP fan forever, and hated W7 for quite awhile but he had to use it, and now he loves W7. It's a steep learning curve. I'm not devoted to one browser or other, I just get bored after years of the same old, and like to give something else a chance as you do.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I use Google for search, and Chrome as my primary browser. I also run IE8 because it's the corporate standard at work, and sometimes I need it.

As for the customized ad content, Google uses much of the same logic in producing ad content as it does in their search engine. So, it looks for keywords and matching terminology based on your search activity, and then provides "sponsored content" based on what it thinks you're looking for. If you have a g-mail account, you may also notice that there is a banner ad where the content changes based on the subject matter of the e-mail message you're reviewing.

Google's search logic is very sophisticated, so it can come across as someone spying on you...

I used Bing once when I upgraded to Windows 7, but haven't looked at it since. The images are too jazzy and distracting for my poor aspie brain. My searches can be a bit...um...esoteric because of the work I do, and I find that Google tends to give me the best quality search results. So, I stick with what works for me.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I use Firefox for everything but Facebook. IE is for Facebook...just the opposite of Lisa! I prefer Google for searches, but I somehow got something called mywebsearch on here, and it's irritating.
 
R

runawaybunny

Guest
I somehow got something called mywebsearch on here, and it's irritating.
If by "on here" you mean this website I need to clarify: you didn't get that from this site. It's malware that is downloaded when you go to smileycentral or other spammy sites like that.

If I were you I'd remove it ASAP.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Mary, uninstall mywebsearch. It's malware, plus slows your system way down.

I use google pretty much exclusively. I also use Firefox - avoid IE like the plague - and I use adblocker on most sites, so I don't see ads. :) difficult child uses Chrome and is happy with it.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I did not mean this website; I meant on my computer. I don't know where it came from.

Thank you, ladies, I just uninstalled it.
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I've used Dogpile as my search engine for years. It includes results from lots of different places like google, bing, ask, and yahoo. Maybe it's just that I'm used to it but everytime I try something else, in a few days I'm back to Dogpile.
 
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