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Ha! I also use DuckDuckGo (a pain even to type) but get around your issue by just saying I'll google it, just like calling any photocopy a xerox or any tissue a kleenex.

I tried DuckDuckGo once or twice and didn't like the results it returned, so I regressed to Google, but I avoid the data collection issue by NEVER logging in.

And speaking of it, do you remember when the pull-off backing on a Band-Aid was entirely printed over with "BAND-AID IS A TRADEMARK?" It wasn't in your face, so I imagine that many people missed it.

Thanks guys/ Joe.

Is Duck using Google as engine? Duck is the browser right?

I have to check with the software guru I use for bookmarks. I use a software that sorts all bookmarks, chrome, safari, ff, so not sure duck is in that mix. Further, I'm logged into Google while doing all this, so they know every nefarious search and site I go to, probably forever? Orwellian right. That said right now, I'm choosing not to care or worry. but......

Artie, "but I avoid the data collection issue by NEVER logging in. grin"

I'm logged in because they it sync my bookmarks between desktop/ laptop. Critical-and iphone and ipad as well, all 4.

Can Duck do that? And Duck uses it's own engine? Which I'm sure not a good.. gotta give google credit, has best results. Though I agree, "don't be evil" even they decided to discard that motto.

I don't worry about bookmark syncing, because the only device I use for browsing/searching is my computer, but for your purposes, I wonder if one of the bookmark syncing apps I see listed on MacUpdate would do the same job Google is doing and enable you to get by without logging in (but I've got no idea if those apps can deal with DuckDuckGo).

And what about iCloud? Can it sync your bookmarks?

I think I read that DuckDuckGo uses Google as its search engine and modifies its results. The times I tried identical Google and DuckDuckGo searches my results were similar, but not identical, and in all instances I preferred Google's results.


In favor of Ellen's "Be nice," no doubt!

I admit that when I was pulling the backing off a Band-Aidâ„¢, I was usually in too much distress to read the bit I was discarding!

The paid version offers more options for refining the search and controlling the search depth. Its about like graduating from kids bike with training wheels to a full-blown mountain bike.

DuckDuckGo uses its own search engine and does not rank links based on what they are paid by the site or vendor, sell the search data to advertisers, or clutter the found links with paid advertising. And Google can identify your computer without your having to log on. The only way to prevent that is to use a secure browser such as TOR with security set to maximum (which makes many web sites unusable 😠).

I never log into Google or DuckDuckGo and all of my bookmarks, passwords, clipboard, etc are synched on my Macs, iPhone, & iPad through iCloud.

Joe, thanks, how can one sync or even have bookmarks that are not in the browser?

I think Google results will be more accurate? I remember competitors like Alta Vists, and even now Bing, and the results just suck, not accurate like Google for things...

A bookmark is nothing more than a URL. I have well over 100 bookmarks stored in a DEVONThink 3 database and I have recently discovered that I can drag and drop a URL anywhere in the system. The resulting file type is a "WEBLOC". Double click on a webloc and the url will open in the default browser. As weblocs are just a file they can be manipulated or stored just like any other file, but they are not hard linked to any particular browser. The bookmarks you see in Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc. are simply a collection of weblocs stored in the browser for convenient access and can be synched via iCloud, or any other online service just like any other file.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I get the bests search results from DEVONAgent Pro that runs on my computer not in a browser and uses a variety of search engines some of which you probably have never heard of.

Thanks Joe, well that convenience right in there is pretty nice!

JOe, your opinion, this just came up. Don't know if you own a website, but I know you are very big on security.

I have a website for years, and it was hosted by private art companies, but I"ve been hosting it for 5-6 years now with Godaddy for convenience (I have a few domains registered for years with them), and also their decent US phone support. The previous companies I was with went out of business or got mediocre.

WithGodaddy everything is ala carte. I have not bought their add on security, but they sent an email couple days ago, they got hacked, so are giving me a free 1 year of their deluxe security which is normally $240 year and has firewall.

I didn't' even add on their basic security which is just $60 year and included scan and clean up if you get nailed. You can join that anytime if you get hacked.

One of their reps yesterday said he really recommends I renew this after the year is up, for that firewall alone, ,so you don't get nailed in the first place. Isn't that a bit crazy $240 a year for a firewall for the website? I mean the hosting alone is about that price $240 year. (not to mention now I'm paying for SSL which is another new security expense ($190 year) and backups $36 year)

I don't have a web site any more at least in part because the increasing cost for security services priced me out of the market. I checked several of the leading hosting companies in the past and found that while there might be significant differences in charges for specific services in the final analysis there was very little difference in total cost. But there were significant differences in customer ratings. GoDaddy's reputation places them among the best.

There are two kinds of companies with an on-line presence, those that have been hacked, and those who will be hacked. GoDaddy's offer of one year of deluxe security seems generous, but it is in line with offerings from other companies that have been hacked. The scan and cleanup for $60 is nice, but after the fact and after damage has already occurred potentially placing you at significant risk of financial loss and loss of reputation. In other words it is locking the barn door after the horses got out. What you want is PREVENTION, so the $260 security package may be worth the money. You just have to make an honest appraisal of what your risk exposure would be if one morning you woke up to find some or all of the images on your site have turned into explicit kiddy porn. ($260 might be 1% of what a decent defense attorney would cost.)

Joe, thanks, great post.. I know you are a better safe than sorry guy, so I appreciate the analysis.

For me it's just getting used to paying $250 for hosting PLUS these security add ons.. which doubles or triples the cost.

So this is all about progressive march towards mayhem in our sick world, ie, every 5 years hacking and security become more and more of issue/ Crazy.. So I've skated by for 20 years, lucky in that I'm fairly low profile, that said.. I'll probably be taking your advice on renewal!.

SSL you know much about? Their standard service is $60 year, but I paid triple that for the deluxe: I have a lot of mixed content..(normal html and wordpress)..Not sure I need to stay with deluxe once that sort that out.. but maybe I do..?

As I said I no longer have a web site because I could not justify the cost. It is also why more and more companies are hosting their sites on Facebook rather than having their own web site.


Watch any police procedural show and in almost every episode you will hear the phrase "follow the money". That is exactly what is happening on the internet and the bad guys are following the money. They aren't particularly interested in targeting the big guys. They go for volume. If they hit enough little guys they can easily make $billions and the little guys don't have the international clout necessary to get the multi-national cooperation necessary for successful prosecution of the criminals. So the bad guys send out bots to find vulnerable computers and sites with no regard for who they hit or how much money the targets or doesn't have. It is essentially a form of sales boiler room and like a boiler room they rely on a very small percentage of successful hits. It is extremely lucrative, the chances of being caught are minuscule, and the chances of actual criminal prosecution even more minuscule it is too attractive for any talented programmer with a larcenous streak to pass up.


SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is actually a deprecated term, the current name is TLS (Transport Layer Security) but the end result is the same. It encrypts communications between the website and the user/customer of that website (Ie. HTTPS]. If your site has a shopping cart or is receiving personal information, or possibly "chatting" via your site you owe it to the user to have TLS in place. If you do business in the EU via the site HTTPS is legally mandatory. If your site is strictly "read only" the only thing TLS buys you or your viewer is a warm fuzzy feeling that your site is secure.

Thanks Joe. Yes, I have the SSL, just saying, the Godaddy charges more for "managed care"; cost triple $180 year instead of $60 where they tweak all your pages, is mixed content... wordpress, or traditional html... I just wonder if ones needs to continue year after year with managed, once all set up? I would guess yes..?

ON Deluxe security, it's $180 more per year, mostly because of that firewall. Why so much more because of a firewall. Is a firewall that expensive to have every year? Would seem it's just a software and should be an extra $20 year not $180?

Also Malwarebytes for both desktop and laptop? I only use laptop for TV viewing and occasional business.... no externals hardrive or very important internal hardrive data on it... though it is tied to my icloud...

Does you page layout and content change or is it stable year after year (effective web sites do change and evolve regularly)? Your answer to my question should answer your question.


Without doing a thorough analysis of the services offered I can't explain the cost differential, but web hosting is a VERY competitive business and it is unlikely that any vendor is going to get too far out of line in pricing their services. They may package them differently and use different titles but the bottom line price for equivalent levels of service will almost always be in the same small ballpark.


MalwareBytes for iOS/iPadOS and Android is a very different animal from MalwareBytes for Mac or MalwareBytes for windows. On iOS/iPadOS. It provides Ad blocking. Text Message filtering, Call blocking, and Web protection.

Thanks Joe, ok even at $240.. I'll go ahead.. just don't get why firewall costs so much, but who knows.

And Malewarbytes, I'll put on my desktop.. My laptop not as important, no externals or valuable data anywhere, but would you still fork out $40 years for the laptop on Malewarbytes. ( my iphone and ipad, I wont worry about)

SSL, I'll make note, yes pages changes and get added. not sure dynamic and need managed for those have to ask Godaddy.