Google popups - how to stop them?

[occam]

Even if I stopped using Google Chrome a while back, whenever I search
with 'Google search' (using Firefoox and/or Edge) I get two popups which
strike me as very 'needy'. The first wants to implant cookies (simple
enough to ignore) the second always asks if I want to switch back to
Chrome browser.

Is there a way to block the second of these popups from the providers of
this insecure, second-rate browser?

(PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
around, despite its side-effects.)

[David Brooks]

Browsers have come a long way since Chrome was introduced and took over
the market share. Most of the modern browsers have closed the gap on
portability and functionality, and in some areas, like speed and
privacy, have actually surpassed Chrome. Still, determining which
browser is right for you will always depend on your individual needs and
what you value most as you navigate online.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browsers/compare/

[VanguardLH]

The popups are created by the site you visit. As you have noted, you
won't change, so you suffer what content they choose to deliver. It's
their site, their content.

You never mentioned if you use an adblocker extension. I use uBlock
Origin which subscribes to 11 blacklists (the ones that I choose, not to
all available). I use Firefox x64 90.0.2 on Windows 10 Home x64 21H1.
I see no popups that you describe; however, a site may not always show
their popups or CSS pages on a visit, and instead trigger based on when
you last visited, like they'll show their popups once per day.

I have not seen the popup from Google trying to lure you to their Chrome
web browser from quite a while. I don't know if that is due to my
settings in Firefox or by using the uBO extension. After Microsoft
dropped their EdgeHTML rendering engine to go to Blink (Google) and
dropped their Javascript engine to switch to V8 (Google), extensions for
Chrome can also be installed in C-Edge (Chromium Edge), so I also have
uBO installed in C-Edge.

I would have to test for many days, if not weeks, to check I no longer
get Google's plea popup to switch to Chrome to know if my Firefox setup
and uBO extension is causing the block of the popup, or if Google simply
decided not to nuisance me, anymore. I'm in the USA, so that can also
affect when the GDPR nuisances appear. GDPR is more EU crap.

The cookies, and the prompt to have you accept them, is due to the GDPR
regulations regarding privacy; see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation

The effect by the gov't in protecting your privacy is you get nuisanced
with trivial popups rather than getting users educated on the available
technologies, like how to purge locally cached data from the web browser
on its exit. Firefox already has the purge-on-exit options. With
Chrome, you have to install an add-on, like Click&Clean. The gov't
figures citizens are as stupid as they are. It isn't just Google
showing the popup to accept cookies. LOTS of sites that try to use
cookies will show their popup, or an overlay that you have to click away
to see the web page content underneath. It's how they indemnify
themselves against the GDPR.

By the way, you can use the Google search engine without using the
Google web site. Some online search engines anonymously submit the
search criteria to the Google search engine, but the site presents its
own web page of results. I use ixQuick's Startpage, because, like, you,
I find Google's search results more pertinent. I don't use their
extension in Firefox, but just define a bookmark with the keyword "s"
that submits https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=%s, where %s is the
placeholder for the search string you specify, like entering in the
address bar "s intel i8700". You can also make Startpage the default
search provider in the web browser. No, you aren't switching away from
using Google to do the searches. You are still using Google, but
switching away from using Google's home page which consequently gets rid
of any popup coding that Google employs at their site. You can use
different frontends to Google's search.

"Startpage.com has a contract with Google that allows us to use their
official "Syndicated Web Search" feed, ..."
(from Startpage's FAQs)

[s|b]

On Mon, 2 Aug 2021 11:21:04 +0300, occam wrote:

> (PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
> effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
> around, despite its side-effects.)

Nevertheless you should try startpage.com as it shows the same results.

--
s|b

[p-0''0-h the cat (coder)]

On Mon, 2 Aug 2021 11:21:04 +0300, occam <oc...@nowhere.nix> wrote:

>(PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
>effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
>around, despite its side-effects.)

Life's too short to dick around with the runners up.

Live everyday like you're a cat.

Sent from my iFurryUnderbelly.

--
p-0.0-h the cat

Internet Terrorist, Mass sock puppeteer, Agent provocateur, Gutter rat,
Devil incarnate, Linux user#666, BaStarD hacker, Resident evil, Monkey Boy,
Certifiable criminal, Spineless cowardly scum, textbook Psychopath,
the SCOURGE, l33t p00h d3 tr0ll, p00h == lam3r, p00h == tr0ll, troll infâme,
the OVERCAT [The BEARPAIR are dead, and we are its murderers], lowlife troll,
shyster [pending approval by STATE_TERROR], cripple, sociopath, kook,
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liar, total ******* retard, shill, pooh-seur, Pooh Dendum, scouringerer,
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Honorary SHYSTER and FRAUD awarded for services to Haberdashery.
By Appointment to God Frank-Lin.

Signature integrity check
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I mark any messages from trolls »Q« and 'Arlene' Holder as stinky

[JJ]

On Mon, 2 Aug 2021 08:31:43 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
> occam <oc...@nowhere.nix> wrote:
>
>> Even if I stopped using Google Chrome a while back, whenever I search
>> with 'Google search' (using Firefoox and/or Edge) I get two popups which
>> strike me as very 'needy'. The first wants to implant cookies (simple
>> enough to ignore) the second always asks if I want to switch back to
>> Chrome browser.
>>
>> Is there a way to block the second of these popups from the providers of
>> this insecure, second-rate browser?
>>
>> (PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
>> effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
>> around, despite its side-effects.)

Frankly, I'm glad GDPR is a European thing, cause at least in Google site, I
never got shoved with the annoying and sometimes useless GDPR notification.
Until I use Google's URL variable to override the annoying localized version
of the website to any European country. e.g. to UK:

https://www.google.com/search?q=nosy+google&gl=UK

But because Google is evilishly smarta$$, some parts of the web page would
still be localized (especially in YouTube). And affter a view page
navigations, the location override would lost its effectiveness completely.
Forcing me to readd the location override URL variable.

[Bucky Breeder]

occam <oc...@nowhere.nix> posted this :

I don't know if this will help or not, but when you uninstalled Chrome, did
you go through your [user]\AppData folders and delete everything connected
to Chrome? And/or Google, for that matter - if you're not subscribed to
them... even if you are, the essential ones will be recreated.... This
isn't a omnibus rule, only referring to Chrome and/or Google... It does
apply to a lot of other circumstances/software, but the casual
reader/lurker should bear in mind that many of these sub-directories
contain settings and registration information.

FYI, I don't have any of the popups of which you speak. Apparently, in
Europe, they have a new law that requires websites who are planting and/or
maintaining cookies on your computer to notify the end-users and/or request
permissions. Thus the epidemic of popups on websites, especially if you
clean your [Internet, et. al.] caches regularly.

Sounds like you have a series of issues which have combined to pester
you...

BTW: I hate the way Firefox allows websites like NY Post and many others to
popup little videos in the lower right-hand corner of the window and start
playing... At least you can exit the popup, but it's still chewed up some
of your valuable data usage with crap you don't really care about.

And Edge... EDGE... Don't get me started on that piece of crap. LOL!
(actually, I use it for a "sanity check" when another browser seems to be
screwing-up a web-site. If Edge screws it up, I figger it's the website,
and just try again later. If Edge renders it properly, it's just one more
thang about Firefox for me to bitch aboot.

M'k.

--

I AM Bucky Breeder, (*(^;

And *NO*, that is *NOT* a Jedi Light Saber I have in my pocket!

But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm happy to see you either.

[Shadow]

On Mon, 02 Aug 2021 18:21:14 +0200, Yrrah <Yrra...@acf.invalid>
wrote:

>"s|b" <m...@privacy.invalid>:

>
>> > (PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
>> > effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
>> > around, despite its side-effects.)
>
>> Nevertheless you should try startpage.com as it shows the same results.
>

>"Startpage delivers Google search results via our proprietary personal
>data protection technology."
>"Anonymous View proxy masks your identity while browsing other
>websites."
>https://www.startpage.com/
>
>"Startpage protects everyone with stringent Dutch and EU privacy laws
>(which are arguably the most stringent in the world), including the
>GDPR."
>https://www.startpage.com/en/about-us.html
>
>"Google has become so useful in many areas that it has become an
>important tool in many peoples life. Google is also an extensive
>tracking engine that is building a very extensive and detailed profile
>on you. Microsoft’s Bing engine is doing the same thing."
><https://commonslibrary.org/digital-security-guide-for-everyone/#Private_Internet_-_Stop_using_Google_and_FaceBook_so_much>
>
>But the OP really wants to use Gugle Suck's data robbery 'service', so
>he shouldn't complain about its objectionable practices.

I stopped using "Startpage" when I started getting redirected
to a page asking me to enable javascript so they could ID me and
"personalize" my "experience".

I don't want to be "personalized"!

As to browsers, the one I use under XP is so "secure" that
even allowing javascript for the page I'm visiting sometimes I can't
go anywhere due to my hosts file, which blocks google, Facekook,
Amazon etc. Shopping is hopeless.

It works fine for "normal" browsing. I can visit and download
from Majorgeeks, Snapfiles, Wikipedia, Sourceforge etc - no problems.

Today I booted into Linux to purchase some hardware, and every
time my mouse got near "buy" it would be blocked by popups "are you
sure? We can find you better offers on - google, Amazon, mercadolivre,
the shop_down_the_road etc).
I pity the guy that paid someone to put a site up that
redirects to other vendors. Should be illegal, but probably isn't.
:(
[]'s

To the original question, I think ALL recent browsers fsck you
over by design. Try using a proxy from a country/state with strict
privacy laws. Might work.

--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

[occam]

On 02/08/2021 16:31, VanguardLH wrote:
> occam <oc...@nowhere.nix> wrote:
>
>> Even if I stopped using Google Chrome a while back, whenever I search
>> with 'Google search' (using Firefoox and/or Edge) I get two popups which
>> strike me as very 'needy'. The first wants to implant cookies (simple
>> enough to ignore) the second always asks if I want to switch back to
>> Chrome browser.
>>
>> Is there a way to block the second of these popups from the providers of
>> this insecure, second-rate browser?
>>
>> (PS If your answer is 'change search engine', please save yourself the
>> effort, and do not reply. Google search is still the best search-engine
>> around, despite its side-effects.)
>
> The popups are created by the site you visit. As you have noted, you
> won't change, so you suffer what content they choose to deliver. It's
> their site, their content.
>
> You never mentioned if you use an adblocker extension. I use uBlock
> Origin which subscribes to 11 blacklists (the ones that I choose, not to
> all available).

I now have this on Edge and Firefox. It seems to have done the trick.
Also I am testing the startpage.com suggestion from Yrrah (stealth
version of google search). If I'm to believe the write-up, it should
return the same results as Google. (I do recall however some annoying
behaviour on behalf of startpage.com, which made me diss it some time ago.)

In any case, thanks to you both for the suggestions.

[SpamBlk]

occam <oc...@nowhere.nix> wrote in
<news:impo7h...@mid.individual.net>:

> I get two popups which
> strike me as very 'needy'. The first wants to implant cookies (simple
> enough to ignore) the second always asks if I want to switch back to
> Chrome browser.
>
> Is there a way to block the second of these popups from the providers
of
> this insecure, second-rate browser?

If Googfool are silly enough to always use the same class name or
DOM ID, then it may be possible to block a popup via an adblocker.

My browser still uses userContent.css so also possible, for example,
to block a DOM element by using something like this in
userContent.css

#annoying_popup_id { display: none !important; }

For other browsers I suspect there are addons or workarounds to gain
the same effect.

https://www.w3schools.com/css/css_display_visibility.asp

https://css-tricks.com/css-for-blockin-stuff/

[SpamBlk]

Shadow <S...@dow.br> wrote in
<news:an8ggg1t4djaakmak...@4ax.com>:

> Today I booted into Linux to purchase some hardware, and every
> time my mouse got near "buy" it would be blocked by popups "are you
> sure? We can find you better offers on - google, Amazon, mercadolivre,
> the shop_down_the_road etc).

Hmm. Wanted to buy some shoes off Ebay. Ebay decided I may not be a human
so had to complete a Googfool craptcha puzzle first. That's life.

[Shadow]

Google bots possibly use shoes too.They probably get a
"special discount" so the site was only being logical...
Let me guess: No discount for you?
LOL
[]'s

[SpamBlk]

Shadow <S...@dow.br> wrote in <news:9k7jgg9blj3ltop14...@4ax.com>:

>>Hmm. Wanted to buy some shoes off Ebay. Ebay decided I may not be a human
>>so had to complete a Googfool craptcha puzzle first. That's life.
>
> Google bots possibly use shoes too.They probably get a
> "special discount" so the site was only being logical...
> Let me guess: No discount for you?
> LOL
> []'s
> --

You could be on to something, Shadow.

Ebay's rival, Amaz-con run by Jeff Bezo$ might also sneak bots
onto Ebay to steal shoe-using Googfool's discounts. A nice
craptcha will stop that in its tracks.

[Shadow]

I heard Bezo$$$ hoarded enough shoes to retire.
Might be a rumor though.