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Comment by baltoo | Hacker News Reader

I realize you probably already know this, and perhaps even don't need this, but I often use http://google.com/ncr. The "/ncr" bit ensures that no localization redirection is done.

(At least with regards to the language for the UI and search results. I don't know if advertising is adjusted.)

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I just wanted to try this with blocked cookies, and it seems FireFox doesn't even have the block cookies option anymore :-( Or I couldn't find it atm. I suspect it wouldn't work without cookies?

Anyway, I used to block Google cookies but I have become lazy. Still, how would I configure the /ncr in the FF search field ("Chrome")? Overall I take it Google doesn't really want me as a customer, so whatever.

I guess they use cookies, yes.

Personally I'm an opera fan, so I haven't tried getting it to work but a quick search brought up: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/51000, https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12625 and https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11551 as plug-is. As for blocking cookies there are several options.

I've looked at those plugins a while ago, too. But then I wasn't sure if they don't do too much, that is, limit to english (or even US) results. I just want a general search - if the German result is better, give me the German result.

I would have to look further into the workings of Google to understand that, but as I said: why should I invest the time? They shouldn't be forwarding me to German Google without my explicit desire to do so (which I would state by visiting google.de instead of google.com).

Also, I don't like to install plugins in general - who knows who made them and if they are safe. So why risk it? Using Yahoo! seems the cheaper course of action for now.

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