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What happened to google?

What happened to clean URLs, Google? Jeez.

  • Is there a script I can use to work around the google-fied URLs that now show up in searches? Here's the scenario: 1. I'm writing a blog post about Mefi. I can't remember the URL. I go to google, search for metafilter, and there it is! 2. I right click on the link in the google search results and select "copy link location." Until recently, this would give me http://metafilter.com. Now it gives me this: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metafilter.com%2F etc etc (I truncated to spare you all the ugliness. I can't paste that mess! Are there any scripts (greasemonkey, maybe?) to get around this irritating issue?

  • Answer:

    Try installing the https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/743 firefox extension. It allows you to remove this annoying behavior among other nifty things.

arielmeadow at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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Sure you're clicking on the result, and not the "more results"? That looks exactly like a dynamic link to a google search. Another alternative- just click through to the page, and copy the URL from your address bar.

pedmands

You're logged in to google using your google account, and it's tracking the sites that you're clicking on. I think this is due to having the "Web History" feature enabled. If you log out, they will definitely go away. If you turn Web History off, it may go away.

swhitt

beaucoupkevin

CustomizeGoogle doesn't handle that, but I think the http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/21847 script might do what you want. I haven't tried it myself yet so all the usual caveats about using someone's uploaded script apply.

JaredSeth

Oh jeez, after taking a look at beaucoupkevin's link, you could just use a modified URL for a search page. If you're using the personalized Google pages, change your URL from http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en to http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en&pws=0 I also stumbled across this page that does it for you: http://www.presseblog.at/depersonalizer/

JaredSeth

swhitt has it. I did that, restarted ff and all is fine again. (I had thought it was just me and was as a result of installing Configuration Mania some weeks ago) Still, it's kind of annoying. In principle I didn't mind the history helping to tweak search results, but the loss of the right click URL/copy ability was just insufferable.

peacay

Sorry, what I meant was - I went and killed the history. (google account ---> edit 'My Services')

peacay

Until recently, this would give me... Actually this is not recent. It has been that way for at least a year and possibly more. As someone said, you are likely logged in. This doesn't answer your question, but just wanted to clarify that is all.

magnoliasouth

Hmm. That's not what I recall magnoliasouth. I've always been logged in and it's only been weeks/couple of months at most with this notable URL copying disturbance (I know, because I do it many times a day every day). But wasn't there a change to the login recently perchance? A consolidation update or the like? It may have resulted from that I suppose. The specifics whizzed past my head at speed however.

peacay

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