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Filter to block Google Suggest
Aug. 28, 2008, 03:15 AM
Post: #1
Filter to block Google Suggest
Google is rolling out that horrible Google Suggest feature to Google.com. I've had it since yesterday. It is driving me nuts. A thread at dslreports security forum claims the ONLY way to disable it is through Google preferences. I have NEVER allowed Google a cookie and never will! I have no intention of allowing Google to profile me. Google Preferences cannot be used unless you allow Google a cookie.

I use Firefox and I have Customize Google that should block this feature but it isn't. Of course, even if did, if I used another browser I would see that horrible Google Suggest.

So, could someone PLEASE write a filter that will block Google Suggest?
I will be very grateful!

http://searchengineland.com/080825-201142.php
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r2100543...gle-Search
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Aug. 28, 2008, 03:42 AM
Post: #2
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
It's pretty simple Smile! :

Code:
[Patterns]
Name = "Disable Google Suggest"
Active = TRUE
URL = "$TYPE(htm)([^.]+.|)google.[^/]+"
Limit = 18
Match = "google.xjs_ready=1"
Replace = "google.xjs_ready=0"

There's never only one way to do something Wink Right now it's pretty simple; later on, if they decide to make it more complicated, I'll have to write a filter that goes into the Javascript file that's responsible for the autosuggest feature and have some fun changing some values here and there Wink
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Aug. 28, 2008, 07:19 AM
Post: #3
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
That was fast! Wink But, like you said, that doesn't look too complicated so not time consuming to write. I bet Google will make it more complicated in the future but maybe not for some time.

Thank you so much! Smile! It is a great relief to have that gone.

I linked in the dslreports thread to this thread so anyone with Proxo wanting this filter who reads dslreports will know to come here.
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Aug. 28, 2008, 03:44 PM
Post: #4
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
Here's another filter with more cleaning power (removes the reference to the Javascript file that does the autosuggest-calling and displaying):

Code:
[Patterns]
Name = "Disable Google Suggest v1.1"
Active = TRUE
URL = "$TYPE(htm)([^.]+.|)google.[^/]+"
Limit = 256
Match = "<script>google.(y|xjs_ready)(=|.)[^>]++</script>"
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Aug. 29, 2008, 01:29 AM
Post: #5
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
I can see, even with my limited ability regarding filters, that looks more powerful. Thank you!
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Sep. 11, 2008, 03:38 PM
Post: #6
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
Mele;

I wondered what all the fuss was about........ Seems I've been living under a rock, instead of in my cozy cave, for the last few whiles........Sad

First up, I enter my search terms directly into the browser address bar. I have an entry in my registry that allows me to use shortcuts, such as hitting 'g' (without the quotemarks), whereupon the browser automatically looks it up in the Registry, and Presto!, I'm whisked off to Google, and the results page is all I see. (This works for IE, under any OS, I can't speak for other browsers.)

So I went to google dot com, entered some stuff in the textbox, and saw nothing extra appear on my screen. I viewed the source code, and found that the "xjs" coding is at the very end of the page. However, it uses the "setTimeout" function to start the script, and since Proxo zeros out that value at the start of a page load, I'd hazard the guess that the function never fires, hence I never get to see it in action. Shucky-darn! Whistling

Applause

Just scratchin' my head here.........


Oddysey

I'm no longer in the rat race - the rats won't have me!
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Sep. 11, 2008, 04:16 PM
Post: #7
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
it ceases to amaze me the number of people that allow javascript...
i HATE javascript, but do have a GreenBrowser toolbar "button" plugin that reloads the current page with the ol' "?prx-keyword=.i_script:-1." URL addendum, 'cause yes, admittedly, albeit EXTREMELY rare, .js is "needed"...


the 'g' for Google registry bit, are you talking a URL "alias" where 'g' in the address bar takes you to www dot google dot com or are you talking "g proxo" doing a Google Search for "proxo"?
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Sep. 11, 2008, 09:48 PM
Post: #8
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
ProxRocks;
(Sep. 11, 2008 04:16 PM)ProxRocks Wrote:  ........

the 'g' for Google registry bit, are you talking a URL "alias" where 'g' in the address bar takes you to www dot google dot com or are you talking "g proxo" doing a Google Search for "proxo"?

Technically, the answer is yes to both parts.

Within the Windows Registry, there are several keys for Internet Explorer. It doesn't matter if you use some other browser, these keys come from the original Windows installation. And this goes for every OS since '95, right up to Vista.... trust me on this, I've personally checked. Wink

It's found under various major headings, but the subkey is always called SearchURL. Any subkey under that, the name is the alias that you will type into the address bar. The default value for that subkey is the website's main address, but you can modify that to include the query string that will be suppled to the website in question, and the parameters you add after the name will be appended as your search terms.

Actually, there is an easy method of doing this, something like a wizard or some-such, but I've long since forgotten most of those "user-friendly" ways of doing things. Give me a text editor any time, and I can make Windows sing, dance and clean the kitchen sink! Cheers

Anyways, here's a sample SearchURL:
Code:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\G]
@="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%s"
Note that all I did was look at the address of a Google results page, figure out what they inserted before my search terms, then entered that into the key's default value. The trick lays in the %s, this is what the Registry uses to pick up your search terms from the address bar.

Here's another example, for those that prefer Scroogle:
Code:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\S]
@="http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi/search?q=%s"

If I'm looking for a specific image, here's Google to the rescue:
Code:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\pix]
@="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%s&sa=N&tab=wi&gbv=1"
In this case, I wrote the query string just like Google, with the %s in the middle, instead of at the end. Works like a charm. Whistling

I use eBay a lot to check the probable price of various items. Rather than go through all the razz-a-matazz:
Code:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\ebay]
@="search.ebay.com/%s"
Nice and simple, eh? Smile!

One more, to show that you can complicate the query string as much as you like:
Code:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchUrl\Tunes]
@="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=tabs lyrics chords -shopping -eshopping -musicnotes %s"

The address bar is case insensitive, you can title your subkey name in either case, and it will still work. Also, note that in those cases where a character set is called for, as in the Google links, I make sure that ISO-8859-1 is spelled out! Applause


I don't know about other browsers and how they might or might not access those keys, but I should think that any browser built on top of IE would have a decent chance of doing this too.

HTH



Oddysey

I'm no longer in the rat race - the rats won't have me!
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Sep. 12, 2008, 12:05 AM
Post: #9
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
er, what is "ISO-8859-1"?

as for the alias-bit, i guess my surfing habits have to be "highly" PORTABLE and NOT 'pinned down' to LOCALIZED registry entries...

i have a proxo filter that works on any browser, any OS, any computer... Smile!

my surfing habits "at home" are identical to "at work", identical to at any of three brothers houses, identical to at any of two sisters houses (well one, the other is proudly serving in Iraq, US Army [i mention that only due to it being 9/11]), identical to at my folks house, identical to at any computer i plop my butt down in front of...

why tie one's self down to a registry entry you can't carry with you on a USB stick? Big Teeth
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Sep. 12, 2008, 06:33 AM
Post: #10
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
PR;

I think you're referring to Proxo's URL Alias List commands, and for sure, that's a good way to go......... or is it? From what I can tell, you can't enter additional terms after the initial "dot alias". Anything in the address bar after the dot alias is ignored by Proxo, and the browser tries to take over, sending you off to its own default search engine. That's not what I need. Sad

However, not all is lost. If you are truly using a USB stick to haul your personal profile around (meaning, your desired utilities), then you can easily include a Registry file that can be imported to the OS when you arrive at that computing station. Let me explain the procedure for any other readers who might be unfamiliar with the concept.........

Upon plugging in the USB stick, the first thing you'd do is "update" the local Registry with your personalized entries by importing them from a text file held on that same USB stick. Open the Registry Editor, click on Registry/Import, browse to the appropriate text file on the stick, and Presto!, the local machine is now ready to obey your URL search commands. Hail

The only trick is to write the text file such that it works on any Windows system you're likely to encounter. If you have to use both W9x and NT-class systems, then you'll have to write two sections, one for each of them. The beauty here is, the two are mutually exclusive, and will never interfere with each other. IOW, those keys entered under one OS, but meant for the other, will be cheerfully ignored! Thus, you can keep your text file up-to-date on any machine as you wish, then when you arrive at the following machines, you need only do the import thing, and all Search entries will be updated. If you delete something, that should be deleted from all the Registries you visit (via an appropriate text file entry), but it's not Earth-shattering if you don't. Liar

In this manner, any IE user that has to jump around can do so with full capability, and without causing other machine users any distress. (The keys are in Current User identities, not in Local Machine.) That is, providing you are indeed using an identity specific to you, and not sharing the whole enchilada with everyone else. Whistling

Quote:er, what is "ISO-8859-1"?
That's the specific character-set which the browser uses to render text. I'm referring to my diatribe, here. Banging Head I believe you'll find that part way down, you asked roughly the same question. Mike (z12) and I discussed it for awhile, I'm hoping that you'll review it, and get the gist of why I made the oblique reference. (I know, never laugh at yourself, it robs other people of the chance to laugh at you first. Big Teeth)

HTH


Oddysey

I'm no longer in the rat race - the rats won't have me!
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Sep. 12, 2008, 09:08 AM
Post: #11
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
the 8859, "oh yeah", forgot about that "question marks" topic...

the registry bit, nope, i don't have a separate "user account" on my sisters, brothers, or parents computers... so albeit "easy" to export/import reg. entries, not too keen on mucking with a registry that 'tis not my own Smile! "hey, what did you do to my computer, it hasn't worked the same since you last visited"...

besides, i'm a "minimalist" when it comes to the registry...
9 times out of 10, i install apps into a VIRTUAL OS then copy the "directory structure" over to my HOST OS, NOT the registry entries that were "installed" to the VIRTUAL OS... generally speaking, many "installs" create 'un-needed' registry entries, i only export-from-virtual then import-to-host the *needed* entries, attempting to keep my host machine free of "clutter" in the registry... then "uninstall" becomes a matter of me removing reg. entries that i myself put there and simply deleting the created directory... "uninstalls" via "add/remove" ALWAYS leaves 'crap' behind and Total Uninstall, Your Uninstaller, and other uninstaller programs have all but "killed" my virtual machines a time or two, especially when "uninstalling" something like Adobe Reader...
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Sep. 12, 2008, 08:05 PM
Post: #12
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
PR;

I have to admit, the potential of having to answer stupid questions from those who think that because you know more than they do, they just automatically assume that you must be the one who screwed up their machine, is an extremely good reason not to do any more than minimum-necessary fiddling. My aplogies for having not thought that through. Sad

Still, have you found a way, or do you know of anyone who has found a way, to use Proxo's dot alias commands with additional parameters fed in via the address bar? That'd be truly useful, both in portabilty and in browser/OS neutrality.


Oh, and for absolute total control, albeit manual, over install/uninstall processes, try InControl, any version. It logs everything done to your local hard disks and to the Registry, and can display it to you in straight text, HTML, a spreadsheet, etc. Pretty comprehensive, it's saved my butt more than once, particularly where Symantec is involved. (1200+ Registry entries, anyone? Mad with Teeth)



Oddysey

I'm no longer in the rat race - the rats won't have me!
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Sep. 12, 2008, 09:57 PM
Post: #13
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
"additional paremeters" - like what, per se?
i myself "rarely" use the ADDRESS bar, but use the SEARCH bar *hundreds* of times per day...

"all" of my browser have the SEARCH bar set to use Google...
then my proxo filter "kicks in" and i perform my Scroogle, Yahoo (web|image|finance|ticker lookup|message board), MSN (search|ticker), CNN, isoHunt, acronym finder, dictionary lookup, IMDb, wiki(spit)pedia, et cetera ALL from a GOOGLE search bar (oh, add in Google Image and Google News searches via "alias" also)...

i've never stumbled into anything that the ADDRESS bar is "needed" for (i actually keep the ADDRESS bar turned OFF in GreenBrowser then 'drag and drop' the SEARCH bar up one row and keep it on the same row as my back/forward/up/stop/refresh/home buttons)...


couldn't agree more about Symantec, ouch big time...
will def. have to give InControl a try...
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Sep. 14, 2008, 04:11 AM
Post: #14
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
ProxRocks;

Well, it's obvious that you and I think a bit differently. (Gee, ya think? Pervert)

Whereas you type into a tool that is supplied by a "name" you trust, I use the address bar that comes with the browser. I suppose there's not much difference, 'cause we get the same results, just delivered via different mechanisms, tha's all. Who's way is better? Neither, as I see it. This here is a personal preference gig if I ever saw one. Whistling

Ciao for now



Oddysey

I'm no longer in the rat race - the rats won't have me!
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Sep. 14, 2008, 03:49 PM
Post: #15
RE: Filter to block Google Suggest
name i trust? NOT...

if i "trusted" Google, i wouldn't be Proxo filtering their ads, untangling their URLS, removing query strings, et cetera Big Teeth

what "amazes" me is how "socialism" is so 'embedded' in society that said society labels Microsoft as "M$" but same society has no 'beef' against GOOGLE...

i "trust" Microsoft much more than i do Google Big Teeth
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