Remove startpage.com from TBB 3.0 branch
I have a request from Startpage.com/ixquick to remove themselves from the local search bar in the "about:tor" page. They have concerns about handling the traffic load and time to scale their infrastructure up to meet the expect demand.
While discussions continue, we need to find a replacement search engine by default.
Activity
Why not use a revolver mechanism? Add 3 or 4 suitable default search engines and pick for each request a different default search engine, chosen randomly.
Trac:
Cc: N/A to adrelanos@riseup.netI asked DDG [1] if it would be welcomed to make use of DDG for the TBB.
There's no official answer, yet. I consider the reply of 'bizarre' as opinion hold by a moderator. He points out that the hidden-service could be used as well. I don't know how error-prone hidden-services are. Ultimately I assume that the "normal" website will work at any time, unless there's a big problem.
[1] https://duck.co/topic/duckduckgo-as-default-search-engine-for-the-tor-browser-bundle
Replying to proper:
Why not use a revolver mechanism? Add 3 or 4 suitable default search engines and pick for each request a different default search engine, chosen randomly.
If that is something to be considered would it be possible to have this as an option?
I personally like to know where my queries end up, before I make them.
Generally I'm not against this approach. I'm not sure how TBB users will see this. It could also feel like a bug, when query A ends up on search-engine X and query B on Y, so it would need to be stated somewhere to avoid confusion and bug-reports.
There's now a reply by the founder of DuckDuckGo [1] in which he gives absolute green light for DDG being used for this purpose. So no high risk for being ask to be removed from the local search bar.
He also states that he's considering changes to be more tor-friendly.
As a follow up to the hidden-service they run, the only real benefit I see is not relying on a CA infrastructure. (I don't use hidden-services at all)
