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Google redirect search results back through google • mozillaZine Forums
When I do a google search (from the http://www.google.com search page), I quite frequently will cut and paste a search result URL from the list of "hits" into a document or e-mail.
What I've noticed in the past week or two is a change in what (or how) google generates the actual URL's.
For example, if I do a search on the word "jupiter" (no Quote: s), the second hit is titled "NASA - Jupiter".
The URL for that hit is displayed as "www.nasa.gov/worldbook/jupiter_worldbook.html".
If I hover over the hotlink for the hit, the url that's printed on the bottom line of my firefox browser does indeed show that url.
But if I right-click on the hotlink and select "copy link location", this is what I get when I paste the link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=w ...
Tphy36O1ww
You will notice that it's a re-direction back through google.
And now if I hover over the hotlink, I see that re-direction URL on the bottom line of my browser.
I realize that it's common for google sponsored search results to be redirections back through google, but I've never seen non-sponsored results do this.
And like I said, it's only within the past week or two that it started happening.
There is some evidence that only mozilla-based browsers do this (firefox and seamonkey).
Internet exporer, Opera, and a few others that have been tested don't do this.
I don't think it's a fault or has anything to do with the mozilla browsers - it must be something happening at google.
Google must be generating these search results specifically for mozilla-based browsers.
What this allows google to do is to track which non-sponsored links mozilla users actually click on.
I've seen this behavior on several different PC's (win-98 and XP) and different versions of Firefox (version 2.x and 3.x).
I have seen one example where someone with XP and version 3.x Firefox with about a dozen different add-ons or plugins installed and he doesn't get these google-redirections in his search results.
At my request, he installed a copy of Firefox portable version (with no addons or plugins) and that indeed did show this google re-direction phenomena.
Can anyone else replicate this, and more importantly, does anyone know why it's happening - and if it can be stopped?
ps: I just signed up today to this web forum and I gave a yahoo.com e-mail address during registration, but despite several attempts to re-send a confirmation e-mail, I got no confirmation e-mail (yes I checked my spam folder).
So I re-registered using a hotmail address and it worked immediately.
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When I performed your Google steps this is what I ended up with...
http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/jupiter_worldbook.html
Which looks ok to me.
Also, I've noticed that Yahoo mail can take a very long time to have a new email show up...
I've sent myself emails (as tests) from my client email app.
On my comp. to Yahoo mail and it could take hours at times to show up...
Mystery??
PS... you might want to try running in safe-mode to see if the issue goes away.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_Mode
Also, in addition to the many other addons that I use I also use CustomizeGoogle...
Which may be helping to clear stuff up???
As you can see she's ( CAT ) always alert and on the prowl for Malware!
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> in addition to the many other addons that I use I also use CustomizeGoogle
That might be the reason why some people see this behavior, and some don't.
I see this google-redirection behavior on systems that have few or no firefox add-ons.
And like I said, until recently, this behavior wasn't happening at all.
Google is clearly generating their search page results such that the search links point back or are re-directed back through google, but only for users using mozilla-based browsers.
If you're not seeing this, then an addon is altering this behavior.
When using other browsers, google is not generating their search results such that they are redirections back through google.
I have determined that noscript is not the addon that alters this behavior.
I suggest that you try installing a portable version of firefox (at least temporarily) with no addons to see this behavior.
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I suggest that you try installing a portable version of firefox (at least temporarily) with no addons to see this behavior.
Why would I want to do that?...
My system is working the way I want it to.
As you can see she's ( CAT ) always alert and on the prowl for Malware!
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> > I suggest that you try installing a portable version of firefox
>
Why would I want to do that?...
My system is working the way I want it to.
I thought you wanted to investigate this behavior and see it happening for yourself.
My mistake.
I am looking for some explanation from the "Mozilla experts" as to why google is generating their search results such that they now are all google-redirects, but ONLY for users using mozilla browsers.
I am wondering if those that are mozilla developers or advocates are at all concerned over this behavior that google has implemented, which allows them to track specifically mozilla users in more detail vs users of other browsers.
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I thought you wanted to investigate this behavior and see it happening for yourself.
My mistake.
I did investigate this and reported that it was not happening to me...
As you can see she's ( CAT ) always alert and on the prowl for Malware!
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> > I thought you wanted to investigate this behavior and see it happening for yourself.
My mistake.
> I did investigate this and reported that it was not happening to me...
Are you saying that because it's not happening to you, that it doesn't happen at all?
And I explained that the likely reason was an add-on you have installed.
If you are interested to see that what I'm saying is true, you need to experience it on a plain vanilla installation of Firefox.
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It happens to me (on my Mac running FF 3.5.2), as well.
It doesn't happen, however, when I use Scroogle , a Google-data scraper.
And there's a Scroogle SSL search add-on for Firefox's search box here .
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Is there a firefox addon that automatically replaces google re-directs with the actual end-point URL - thereby preventing google from performing click-tracking of sponsored (and now, non-sponsored) search results?
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Would this extension help?
(I've never used it.)
Redirect Cleaner
Edit: The CustomizeGoogle extension has an option to "Remove click tracking".
I don't know if that does what you want, but I use the extension and appreciate its other features.
For some reason the version which works the best with the current Google pages isn't hosted on the AMO page.
The developer posted a link to it in the CustomizeGoogle support forum at http://groups.google.com/group/Customiz ...
Ogle&pli=1 .
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Not sure if this is the same but at unspecified intervals when I am doing a google search it returns a search for "hp" which I definitely do not enter.
In fact today I copied and pasted a link into the address bar at the top of Firefox, pressed enter and was immediately directed to google results for hp!
Annoying to say the least but I guess the search returned could be a lot worse.
I re pasted and was taken to the correct web site.
I too would like to know why this is happening.
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I don't think it's the same thing, Greyhair1952.
According to this topic started four days ago, "hp" shows up when I search with Google , the LinkExtend add-on is responsible.
It may make sense for you to continue your discussion in that topic instead.
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