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3 Firefox Scripts I Use To Alter Google Search

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Do you want to know why I love Firefox? Because it offers the ability to set things up so you can do stuff that none of the other browsers can do, especially Chrome because, well, Chrome doesn’t want you to do any of what I’m about to share with you.

I’m going to share 3 scripts I use to alter Google searches. These modify the Google page as well as hides information Google tracks on you. To use these scripts, you first have to add an extension called Greasemonkey, which I’ve talked about in the past. These scripts, created by other users, then allow you do alter things like what I’m about to share with you.

The first script is something called Hide Google Sidebar. You know how they added that thing that pushes all your information to the right? I hate that thing, and this script will make sure that doesn’t ever bother you again. Of course, I found that I liked being able to access in the past when searching for images (such as looking for images of a certain size), but I can deal with not being able to do that anymore.

The second script is called Remove Google Search Ads. You know those Google ads that you’re always getting served on the right side? I don’t see any of that. Yeah, I know they really want me to see those things, but I’m not in the mood to have them on my search page. I see them in so many other places, and I want to see my entire screen with just the links to websites I’m looking at.

This leads me to the last one, and this one’s a doozy. The script is called Don’t Track Me Google and it’s a very interesting script. I’ll explain it this way. Go do a Google search for anything.

When the page comes up, right click on the link, slide down and copy the link location, then paste that link into your Notepad application, or any other text program you have. You’ll see a whole bunch of stuff that’s not quite the link the Google page tells you that you’re going to. That’s actually how Google tracks where you’re going when you go to a page from their search engine. That’s how they know if someone that ends up clicking on an ad came from the search, which they get paid more money for and thus pays publishers (writers; that be us lol) more, and that’s also how they start determining what ads to show you.

When you add this last script, if you right click and copy the link you’ll see the same link the search page is showing you, nothing else added. Now they can’t track you; neat eh? You have to know that they still keep records of stuff you’re searching; no getting around that. But it’s something different than tracking where you’re going from their site.

That’s that; you now have a bit more control over your workspace and your privacy. You can thank me later. 🙂
 

13 thoughts on “3 Firefox Scripts I Use To Alter Google Search”

  2. I’ve never used any of those add-ons. I think that, already have more than 10 that are used in my daily work and I guess if I add more, browser will load very slow. About the privacy option, I use desktop software and delete all history, cookies and traces and this is done every morning when I turn the computer on. Honestly with G+ and new Google policies, I doubt that surfers can hide where they are going. Other than that, for sure Firefox have all possible add-ons suitable for any work.

    1. Carl, sometimes I find myself turning off a couple of my add-ons until I’m ready to use them, and I’m betting that helps with power consumption and speed. It does turn out that there are things we all can do to hide at least some of what we do without going to an anonymizer.

      1. Actually there is an option in account settings of Google which can be turned off, one of the main reasons I didn’t tried add-ons. Sure, turning on and off add-ons is one of the best ways to use only what you need.

  4. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere (on Firefox itself, I think) that Greasemonkey uses a lot of memory or something so it would put me off using it, I hate things that slow down my browser.

    I don’t see ads in the side panel – my adblock plus gets rid of them. And surely the way round Google tracking where one goes to and comes from is to open links one wants more security on, in a separate window via a right-click? Or am wrong on that?

    I’ll see if I can find the stuff about Greasemonkey slowing the system – I hope I didn’t imagine it, lol!

    1. Val, both Greasemonkey & UserScripts can use lots of resources but not by themselves. It depends on which add-ons one loads and how many of them. I wrote about it some time ago based on a test I did by eliminating them all and then adding some back. So, if you’re only using a few of them like I am the speed will be fine.

  5. Hi Mitch! I’m glad to be here. I enjoyed reading your post; I didn’t know about the useful scripts until now and I’m so glad I’m using Firefox. I love Firefox the way I love WordPress – there is so much flexibility in them. I can’t wait to try these scripts. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Glad I was able to share something that offers some help Mike. There are tons of these things people don’t know about; lots I have no clue about myself, but I’m learning.

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