Re: Being followed on the Internet

dooBdoo · ‎06-27-2010

@bebe777 wrote:

@millieshops that's so distressing. Unfortunately, it seems to be an ongoing and expanding part of the public Internet.

I have two suggestions that I use to help make my Internet experience a more private one:

1) Safari has a duck duck go option that they created at the beginning of the year. Using this option prevents your browsing history from being viewed.

2) Surf Easy -- surf easy is a virtual private network. I purchased this product from QVC last year and it works quite well. Before I purchased it, I ran it by the Creatives at my local Apple store and they all gave it a thumbs up. It's not quite as easy to use as DuckDuckGo but I think it provides a much better level of privacy. -- I just checked the QVC listings and they don't seem to be selling surf easy anymore. I'm not sure if it's out of stock or if they've just stop selling it, but I think it's a very good product and you can probably buy it directly from surf easy.

-- bebe

Hi, @bebe777!

DuckDuckGo isn't associated with Safari or Apple. It's just another search engine which was added as one of the selections but it's available with all browsers. (But as I said before, it's great for those who don't want so much online tracking.)

Also, DuckDuckGo isn't new -- they've been around since about 2008.

hth!

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova

bebe777 · ‎12-10-2012

@dooBdoo wrote:
@onewhiteSparrow wrote:
I place my computer on the "Private Browsing" when I am on my computer. If I forget to place my computer on Private Browsing a site I visit will send me a email.
Which I think is an invasion to my private areas on my computer. Should be outlawed.

Private browsing bsically affects the browsing history and auto-fill info. It doesn't protect you from all cookies or other tracking the way other options can.

@dooBdoo I generally use my Surf Easy VPN unless I'm feeling lazy or it seems to be slowing down my internet experience.

When that's the case, I just use my DuckDuckGo option. --Before I end a session, even if I know I shouldn't have any cookies, I always click on the option to clear my cookies. But with DuckDuckGo, as well as with Surf Easy, it doesn't seem like there are ever any cookies to clear.

I know that I have more security/privacy with Surf Easy because it's a VPN. -- if you have the time, I'd really appreciate undersanding how these two options differ from each other.

thanks, in advance!!

-- bebe

dooBdoo · ‎06-27-2010

@bebe777 wrote:
@dooBdoo wrote:
@onewhiteSparrow wrote:
I place my computer on the "Private Browsing" when I am on my computer. If I forget to place my computer on Private Browsing a site I visit will send me a email.
Which I think is an invasion to my private areas on my computer. Should be outlawed.

Private browsing bsically affects the browsing history and auto-fill info. It doesn't protect you from all cookies or other tracking the way other options can.

@dooBdoo I generally use my Surf Easy VPN unless I'm feeling lazy or it seems to be slowing down my internet experience.

When that's the case, I just use my DuckDuckGo option. --Before I end a session, even if I know I shouldn't have any cookies, I always click on the option to clear my cookies. But with DuckDuckGo, as well as with Surf Easy, it doesn't seem like there are ever any cookies to clear.

I know that I have more security/privacy with Surf Easy because it's a VPN. -- if you have the time, I'd really appreciate undersanding how these two options differ from each other.

thanks, in advance!!

-- bebe

Hi, again, @bebe777! Basically, Surf Easy is a private browser which isn't free but does help avoid tracking and has added security when on the net. (Surf Easy is actually a modified version of Firefox.) DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, is a free search engine that protects the user from being tracked and can be used with any browser.

(Browsers allow a computer to connect to and use the internet -- Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc., are browsers. Search engines are the software which allows you to look up information or websites -- Bing, Yahoo, Google, Dogpile, Ask.com, etc., are search engines.)

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova

bebe777 · ‎12-10-2012

@dooBdoo wrote:
@bebe777 wrote:
@dooBdoo wrote:
@onewhiteSparrow wrote:
I place my computer on the "Private Browsing" when I am on my computer. If I forget to place my computer on Private Browsing a site I visit will send me a email.
Which I think is an invasion to my private areas on my computer. Should be outlawed.

Private browsing bsically affects the browsing history and auto-fill info. It doesn't protect you from all cookies or other tracking the way other options can.

@dooBdoo I generally use my Surf Easy VPN unless I'm feeling lazy or it seems to be slowing down my internet experience.

When that's the case, I just use my DuckDuckGo option. --Before I end a session, even if I know I shouldn't have any cookies, I always click on the option to clear my cookies. But with DuckDuckGo, as well as with Surf Easy, it doesn't seem like there are ever any cookies to clear.

I know that I have more security/privacy with Surf Easy because it's a VPN. -- if you have the time, I'd really appreciate undersanding how these two options differ from each other.

thanks, in advance!!

-- bebe

Hi, again, @bebe777! Basically, Surf Easy is a private browser which isn't free but does help avoid tracking and has added security when on the net. (Surf Easy is actually a modified version of Firefox.) DuckDuckGo, on the other hand, is a free search engine that protects the user from being tracked and can be used with any browser.

(Browsers allow a computer to connect to and use the internet -- Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc., are browsers. Search engines are the software which allows you to look up information or websites -- Bing, Yahoo, Google, Dogpile, Ask.com, etc., are search engines.)

@dooBdoo thank you as always for your help and your really clear explanation. lol, I think I finally understand the difference between these two options.

Thanks again!!!

-- bebe

straykatz · ‎03-09-2010

@Constance2 wrote:
Straykatz, I recceived an e-mail this morning from a news site I visited yesterday. I did not give them my e-mail address, but somehow they got that info from my computer. Very disturbing for I wonder what other info they gathered.

Cookies do not give out your email address to sites you visit. .

dooBdoo · ‎06-27-2010

@straykatz wrote:
@Constance2 wrote:
Straykatz, I recceived an e-mail this morning from a news site I visited yesterday. I did not give them my e-mail address, but somehow they got that info from my computer. Very disturbing for I wonder what other info they gathered.
Cookies do not give out your email address to sites you visit. .

I, too, doubt that was what happened but it's in the realm of possibility, @straykatz and @Constance2. Some cookies contain your email address and normally that info is only accessible by the site for which you save that info. However, while it's rare, it's possible for other sites to get that info from cookies resident on your computer when you visit them. (A cookie might be corrupted, as an example.) This is another reason it's good to clear cookies/cache/date regularly.

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

Once again, I want to say thank you to everyone responding to my post - especially to those of you teaching me better ways for me to deal with Internet issues.

Although my computer experience started years ago with when the Commordore 64 was state of the art, I retired just before the real explosion in Internet technology and I know I've never caught up. I also know I never really will, but that doesn't mean I can't make use of plenty of the information in this thread - and I assume I'll be back asking questions again.

Again, thank you all. For me, threads like this one are the absolute best part of these forums - Millie

Tique · ‎08-03-2013

@millieshops The Commodore 64. Now that's a real blast from the past. Thank you for initiating this thread and thanks to all that posted such good information and reminders that it is up to us to be vigilant when we are online.

April is Autism Awareness/Acceptance month.

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

If you use Firefox as your browser, go to Tools (left side at top of monitor), then on drop down menu select Options and then on that menu select Privacy. When that window opens choose under accept 3rd party cookies 'NEVER'. That also eliminates those pesky 'following you on the internet' things too.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

JustJazzmom wrote:
If you use Firefox as your browser, go to Tools (left side at top of monitor), then on drop down menu select Options and then on that menu select Privacy. When that window opens choose under accept 3rd party cookies 'NEVER'. That also eliminates those pesky 'following you on the internet' things too.

Great advice. I don't use Firefox but you can also do that in I.E., in case anybody here uses IE and wants more privacy.

With IE it's - tools/internet options/privacy/advanced