DuckDuckGo Is A Virus!

[RayH]

I was reading some reputable stuff on the web about DuckDuckGo being a search alternative that respects privacy and that big, bad Google is picking on it. IMO, DuckDuckGo is a VIRUS and please don't mess with it!

I installed it to my Firefox Search Bar. DDG also installed itself to my Address/URL search. After a couple of weeks, I decided that I didn't like its results. I deleted it from the Search Bar and reset my Address/URL bar.

Now, in searching with Google, DDG results appear at the TOP of the Google results page. Annoying as I could use that space on my laptop screen. So I can scroll a bit. This does not happen with IE. Remeber, DDG was installed to my Firefox.

Also, every so often, it reinstalls itself in my Address/URL bar as default, causing me to go through a little exercise to reset. It also installs itself as my default in my Search Bar, which forces me to delete and move Google up the chain.

Anything that acts like a virus can't convince me that it is respecting my privacy. Recommended not to mess with it.

BTW, I would like to contact Google and FF about it. But they don't seem to have an easy way to be contacted.

[rwest]

It may be as annoying as a virus but I wouldn't call it one. They just want you to use thier software and dont care how annoying they are about it. Sounds like they also dont offer an option to turn off the annoyances like taking over your browser.

[glc]

Have you tried doing a system restore back to before you installed it?

[RayH]

Too much trouble to go back that far. Have installed a lot of things. It becomes irksome, but I can manage. I just wanted to let others know how this darling of tech writers really operates. If it does that, is it really protecting privacy??

If it was really bad, I'd consider reinstall.

[Force Flow]

Did you actually uninstall the extension and add-on in firefox?

http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/...remove-add-ons

Or, did you just close the toolbar? (As in, click the "X" next to where it appears)

[RayH]

It wasn't an extension or whole line toolbar. It's that little window called the Search Bar. I added DDG as one of the search options. I deleted it. Which is how it's done. As for the Address/URL default search, a FEW times, I have made the edit back to Google.

Don't fall for any "little guy" that respects privacy. It's behaving like a virus. What do you call something that keeps reinstalling itself? Does that sound like something that is respecting privacy????

What is angering me is the OK was given by respected sites...

[David M]

It might be more accurately described as malware, which is the broader category that includes viruses.

[Force Flow]

Where did you download it from?

[kilgoretrout]

If I understand you correctly, in the drop down menu of the firefox search window you selected DDG after which you began to experience the problems you described. If that's the case, you can try doing a "Reset Firefox":

Reset Firefox ? easily fix most problems | Firefox Help