12.15 forces Google as search engine
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desertoutlaw last edited by
"Are all of those steps necessary? Or are some of them just there because you don't want any traces of Google in your browser?"
Not all the steps are required. Removing Google for example is not required. However, I do not want anything to do with Google.
Of all the search engines available, Google collects and stores the most data, and that data is made available to the gov. The gov is suppose to be for the people but it is not that way anymore. The fed also operates only from $$$ collected from taxes, they do not earn, make or create any new money.
The gov originally set up departments to help the people. For example, the US Department of Transportation whose regional office in Kansas City cannot be reached by phone. However, since they are part of the gov, they can perform a query about me from the federal data base, much of which is provided by Google. Therefore, if I prevent Google from learning information about me, and I continue to use invalid information about myself when I do have to provide information, the US Department of Transportation who I cannot call, or even obtain the number from the Washington DC office, will not have accurate information about me. If the information being obtained, such as my IP address, was being used just for ads that appear following a search, I would not mind Google collecting the data. However, that is not the case.
The Google Chrome browser sends data home too. Another reason why I like Opera. Opera itself is not collecting personal information.
FYI, now that Google is out of my browser, Ghostery is working properly and the "Blocked Content..." feature in Opera is working properly too.
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Deleted User last edited by
Adding Ixquick to the list of search engines and defining it as default worked. No need to take further steps, at least here.
Happy to have got rid of Google as default engine! -
Chaiseel last edited by
The 12.16 update didn't fix the problem, yandex search comes back each restart even if I delete it from the list!
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Deleted User last edited by
The problem is fixed for me. I had Google as the default, and setting another engine via the GUI as the default was preserved in the next session. -
Deleted User last edited by
Bug isn't fixed in 12.16. Deleted default Google search still shows up after restart.
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Deleted User last edited by
That can mean two things: 1. they did that on purpose, 2. writing about bugs on this forum is useless. Or both.
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Deleted User last edited by
Originally posted by j7n:
The problem is fixed for me. I had Google as the default, and setting another engine via the GUI as the default was preserved in the next session.
Did you check with an engine that isn't shipped by Opera? Me think StartPage is one of those.
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iamkerwin last edited by
The problem of setting StartPage as the default is still there for me with the 12.16 update. I'll use Ixquick till it's fixed.
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Deleted User last edited by
If you want StartPage as default search engine, try this:
1. If you haven't, create custom search from startpage.com
2. Go to opera:config and type google in the quick find field
3. Find the setting "Google TLD Default" and change it to statepage.com
4. Find the setting "Google TLD URL" and change it to "https://startpage.com/do/search"
5. Save the changed settings
6. Open Preference dialogue, go to Search tab and set startpage search as defaultI deleted the native Google search, just to be sure. It may not be necessary.
FYI
http://my.opera.com/community/forums/findpost.pl?id=14451672 (DesertOutlaw's original method)Update
No. This doesn't work in the default profile (12.16 now). Strangely the same method does work in a -pd switch generated secondary profile, which was why I first reported it worked. -
Deleted User last edited by
Originally posted by Krake:
Originally posted by j7n:
The problem is fixed for me. I had Google as the default, and setting another engine via the GUI as the default was preserved in the next session.
Did you check with an engine that isn't shipped by Opera? Me think StartPage is one of those.
I can confirm that it doesn't work with StartPage. I previously successfully set DuckDuckGo (which didn't work in 12.15). But StartPage cannot be set. :awww:
Furthermore, my customized entry for google (verbatim, 100 results, no suggest) was moved down to keyword "o" and a default Google was created for "g". I absolutely cannot have this. :ninja:Who said one must always update to the latest version!? Google is taking over the world.
Thank you for pointing me towards StartPage. I love it.
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muford last edited by
Unable to access the bugs already reported in JIRA to up-vote them, so I'm adding a comment here to let Opera know that one more user is upset by this strange bug. Even deleting Google from the search provider list doesn't help to prevent its return as the default provider each launch. This seems like a more difficult bug to create than to fix. Insane!
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johnyaya last edited by
I will not use a browser that pushes only authorized search engines. When Opera 12.15 pulled their search engine stunt, I reverted back to Opera 12.14. I decided to wait and see what happens with the next version. Now I read that 12.16 hasn't corrected the problem. Bad move Opera! I'll hold out for a while, but I can't sit at 12.14 forever.
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desertoutlaw last edited by
FYI, although DuckDuckGocan can be used as a search engine, it is simply an extension for Google Chrome and uses its own crawler (DuckDuckBot) to compile an index of the web. It also uses data it gets from more than 100 crowd-sourced sites, Yahoo! BOSS, embed.ly, WolframAlpha, EntireWeb and Bing, making it something of a hybrid metasearch engine—hybrid, because while it uses many data sources, it also does some post-processing of results to filter out parked pages used for nothing but ads and other types of non-useful content. So rather than simple blended results you get from most metasearch engines, DuckDuckGo tries to pull together the best it can find from multiple sources.
If you go to
https://duckduckgo.com/aboutyou will see there is an add-on for Opera from
https://addons.opera.com/en/extensions/details/duckduckgo-for-opera-2/which adds a button to Opera searching since it is a tool-bar add-on and 3rd-party software. Therefore, it cannot be added to the list of search engines for selection as a default with Opera or any other recognized browser. However, it does work for searching.
Sorry.
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Deleted User last edited by
Originally posted by DesertOutlaw:
Therefore, it cannot be added to the list of search engines for selection as a default with Opera
I've got it in my list of context menu searches and it's one of Opera's default searches so it can be set to be the default. It's actually my default search.
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desertoutlaw last edited by
Startpage is a "plugin" that can be added to the Opera browser available from
https://www.startpage.com/eng/download-startpage-plugin.htmlThe instructions for adding Startpage to the list of search engines is nearly identical as those for ixquick
1. Type "opera:config" in the url window
2. Type "google" in the quick find search
3. Enter "https://www.startpage.com/" in the field for "Google2011 Location Provider" under "Geolocation"
4. Enter "startpage.com" in the field for "Google TLD Default" under "User Prefs"
5. Enter "https://startpage.com/do/search?language=english&cat=web&query=" in the field for "Google TLD URL" under ""User Prefs"
6. Click Save
7. Type "https://startpage.com/" in the url window
8. In the search window to the right of the url window, where Google appears, click on the downward arrow to reveal "Manage Search Engines" and select by clicking that selection
9. To remove Google, highlight Google and delete
10. If startpage is not shown, click "Add...' otherwise highlight startpage and the Edit
11. Make sure Startpage is in the field for the name
12 Make sure "ix" is the keyword
13. Click the Details button
14. Enter "http://ixquick.com/do/met.asearch.pl" in the field for "Address"'
15. Enter ""https://startpage/do/search?language=english&cat=web&query=" for the "Query string"
16. Click the box before "Use POST" so a checkmark appears
17. If desired as the default search engine, click the box before "Use as default search engine"
18. If desired as the Speed Dial search engine, Click the box before "Use as Speed Dial search engine
19. Click the "OK" button
20 Make sure there is not a check in the box before "Enable search suggestions in the address field"
21. Click the "OK" button
22. Reboot Opera
Using the above instructions work. However, just like any coding, just one error of a character or lack of the entire instructions may not add Startpage properly. Fortunately, in the event a mistake is made, Opera will still work. Therefore, just start over and try again.
Hope this helps.
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desertoutlaw last edited by
"I've got it in my list of context menu searches and it's one of Opera's default searches so it can be set to be the default. It's actually my default search."
My apologies. I did not see it listed. I blame poor eyesight. LOL!
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desertoutlaw last edited by
"I may be missing something. Otherwise, back to Opera 12.14."
Hmmmmm. 1st thought is if you have any toolbars installed as they have a tendency to interfere with the functions of any browser, call home a lot and consume resources. When I work on a computer reported as responding slow and performing like molasses, the 1st thing I do is remove toolbars and give the browsers a good cleaning, followed by ensuring only one AVP is running. Then check to make certain the hard drive capacity has not exceeded 80%, remove crapware, run Malwarebytes, then ccleaner, and finally defrag, ONLY after the drive has been checked 1st which requires a reboot. Its been my experience that overall performance is greatly improved.
Another thought is how tight Opera is being run; Are popups being blocked, is java permitted, are all cookies turned off?
If a solution cannot be found, you can always place a link to the desired search engine on the bookmarks bar until a version is released that works.
I know I continue to be informed about the latest release but I'm sticking with 12.15 until more of the bugs are removed.
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stepanstas last edited by
Came across this and it's starting to make more sense. Check out Opera's Vision between May and now.
http://web.archive.org/web/20130521203337/http://business.opera.com/company/vision
http://business.opera.com/company/visionThese two sections are no longer part of Opera's vision:
• We believe in respect for our users
• We believe in privacy (also mentions social responsibility)The new vision particularly highlights:
• We create value through partnershipsThat you do Opera, much more revenue flows in when you want users to share their private data with giants.
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Deleted User last edited by
(Ex) Opera user from 'ol 2001
I was always sympathetic with Opera as company that did manage to dig their own space between unfair competitors (IE pre-installed, Firefox subsized by Google paying up $1 per installation, Google Chrome advertisement on Google HOMEPAGE etc...etc...).My last Opera was 12.14 for this exact reason: I never saw Opera company play dirty AGAINST their user... and that why I've always used it for about 10~11 years.
It looks like Opera's fear to be unable to face next generation competition made them to sold-out the only resource they had in all these year : their user.
the "Google trick" or "users sold-out" it's still here in 12.16.
Don't worry Opera... Google won't pay that much anyway. The only thing they needed was another competitors out of the game... they paid for the searches you're trying to force users. But the real reason was alienate user from you... as for me, Google did succeed.
Uninstalling Opera.
Updating SRWare Iron.Goodbye
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Deleted User last edited by
I've switched to StartPage since recently, which is a sort of proxy for Google, to speed up searching. Although I would very much like to register Opera usage with Google, if that is what is happening by calling client=opera&sourceid=opera using the built-in search. Are these requests being counted anywhere? Do I need to search often, or is it enough to make a few searches per a longer time period?
