Internet filter bubble

[greasemonkey]

Right, being as it's xmas, i don't expect anyone to spend part of day explaining, or even reading this, but I'll post it up anyway.

Every time I do a google search, it throws up a load of nonsense. It always leads me to sites selling something, conspiracy related sites (ahem....) or forums. They are almost always american.
After the first ten results, the next ten pages are in no way related to what I searched for, except for the odd word or two.

I'm starting to think the local library bus has more information than the entire internet.
After some frustrating googling, it seems I'm stuck in a filter bubble, where Google filters my results, to give me what is most "interesting" to me, although why they are all yank, I have no idea.

Googling Filter bubble sends me to sites that sell books on filter bubbles, and dodge conspiracy theory websites and forums with downloads to make everything perfect again. (Yeah, right!).

So what's going on, and how do I get out of it?

[Jamesrl]

Set fire to the computer, it's possessed.

[greasemonkey]

In the land of the burning computer..........

[Rotary-Motion]

nice hehe

[greasemonkey]

And I now have an answer. ixquick.
No tracking or logging of searches, no search profile buildup, whole lot more sense.
Still can't stop the yankee sites.......

Oh, this is so much better. When I search for UK sites, I get, UK sites. Three or four pages of them, instead of the two or three options  was getting with google.

[Jamesrl]

No burny burny then, bugger.

[Rotary-Motion]

clear history in browser and cookies...

just used ixquick and searched electric pump I got this

LetTheKidsPlay.com

that was a link for a double electric pump? haha

[greasemonkey]

It's working brilliant for me.
I searched electric pump and got a link for a double breast pump.........

I regularly clear the browser history and cookies. This has been going on for ages.

[therecklessengineer]

Try "start private browsing" or whatever is the option in your browser.

It'll stop any cookies/previous information on your searches being sent to Google. If that works then clearing cookies/history should sort it. If not...then I think it's likely you've got some malware or somesuch redirecting your searches.

[therecklessengineer]

I searched electric pump and got a link for a double breast pump.........

I tried this. Also got electric breast pump from Mothercare. Nothing sinister in that.

Try "electric pump -breast" as a search.

[greasemonkey]

Oddly, I don't get breast pumps when I try electric pump -breast.

I may well have some malware on here. It wouldn't be the first time.

ixquick is just working way better anyhow. When I search for UK, I only get UK sites, even if some of them are nonsense. With google, it was just throwing up american sites after the first few UK ones. I've found a heap more companys for one search with ixquick than I ever did with google.

[therecklessengineer]

By putting a - in front of a keyword, you exclude it from the search.

So "electric pump -breast" will return results for electric pump that do not contain the word breast.

Have a read of this:  https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/136861

[thewormman]

Use Goggle.co.uk not .com, .com is american centred. On your goggle search settings check if safe search is on could be effecting results. Turn it off and you will get 'adult' results too
When you have the search page there it has a 'location' box make sure you put in where you are. If you don't it automatically detects where you are. Apparently I was in Texas the other day and didn't even know it. If you can't see the box click on the bit under the search box that says search tools.
When the results come up look at the local results, it's that list at the top with a map to the side, if it is actually local to you, you are getting the right results but maybe you need to think more carefully about the words you use to search.
Also as has already been said scan your computer for malware/viruses because if you have one it will take you to somewhere IT wants you to go - maybe to buy a breast pump
Hope that helps

[greasemonkey]

By putting a - in front of a keyword, you exclude it from the search.

So "electric pump -breast" will return results for electric pump that do not contain the word breast.

Have a read of this:  https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/136861

Cheers, I didn't know that. Useful.

[greasemonkey]

Use Goggle.co.uk not .com, .com is american centred. On your goggle search settings check if safe search is on could be effecting results. Turn it off and you will get 'adult' results too
When you have the search page there it has a 'location' box make sure you put in where you are. If you don't it automatically detects where you are. Apparently I was in Texas the other day and didn't even know it. If you can't see the box click on the bit under the search box that says search tools.
When the results come up look at the local results, it's that list at the top with a map to the side, if it is actually local to you, you are getting the right results but maybe you need to think more carefully about the words you use to search.
Also as has already been said scan your computer for malware/viruses because if you have one it will take you to somewhere IT wants you to go - maybe to buy a breast pump
Hope that helps

Yes I'm on google UK. The thing is, it was showing up US results, even when I specifically searched for UK sites. It's like the search was only reading the first word or two.
For example, I want multiple phone numbers, all pointing at the same mobile. I've been wanting a landline number, without actually having a landline. I've been pondering different ideas like this for a while, googling it, and finding nothing UK based.
Within ten minutes of searching with ixquick, I've found companys that can offer a solution. I'd never come across then using google.
If I searched anything in Hereford, the first results would be Yell.com, and local advrtising sites, not the company websites, the next results would be from Hereford, USA. Then it would just decend into chaos.
Now, with ixquick, the results are for companys in Hereford, relevant to what I am searching for. OK, so there is always going to be some irrelevant ones, but the results for forums and conspiracy websites have reduced considerably.
Maybe I have got malware on the computer, but why doesn't it affect ixquick?