Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

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FourthDr
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Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by FourthDr » 2025-01-19, 00:02

Hi:

I don't know if anyone has noticed. But Google just put in an automatic redirect when I searched starting around Jan 15th. In Palemoon the redirect is so quick I can't manually stop it by hitting the X button on the navigation bar. But in Firefox ESR 52.9.0 I can stop it. Search results are returned with the added text (Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds.) at the top hyperlinked to https://www.google.com/httpservice/retr ... PIP9b_kmAo wanting me to enable javascript. :thumbdown:

I have always searched Google with all scripting disabled. Not just because of the awful AI results now dumped at the top of the search results page. But because of security and privacy concerns. Not to mention the cleaner look. First it was moving cached pages behind a script. Then it was removing cache all together for BS reasons. Then the AI bologna! Now this stupid redirect! This is the straw that broke the camels back!

I have been looking for a script or add-on that can disable this dumb a** redirect. I found an article about redirect settings in Firefox. But those don't have any affect and Palemoon doesn't seem to be any better. So far no luck finding any effective counter measure. Does anyone know of an add-on that works in the older Firefox and Palemoon? Or know if there is a Palemoon about:config setting that will disable this Google redirect?

I shouldn't have to be fighting Google with "counter measures', sounds more like a war. Which is what the internet apparently has degenerated into. A war between users and big corporate monopolies making outrageous and stupid decisions like this one from Google.

I'd like to request that Palemoon have a function added via the about:config settings or that an add-on be made that can negate this Google obscenity. Thanks in advance for your replies.

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by Moonchild » 2025-01-19, 00:16

FourthDr wrote:
2025-01-19, 00:02
I shouldn't have to be fighting Google with "counter measures', sounds more like a war.
I understand your frustration, but ultimately if you don't want to fight this you have 2 options:
  • Use a different search engine that isn't trying to enforce scripting. For example use Pale Moon's default DuckDuckGo, OR
  • Use a Google browser for a Google search engine.
If you're married to Google Search you'll have to play by their rules.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by FourthDr » 2025-01-19, 01:05

I don't think so! My browser, my rules!! Time for a revolt! DOWN WITH GOOGLE! Or more specifically, with Google's monopoly and Google's CEO and board of directors! Bunch of over paid bums! Who have nothing better to do all day but think of evil ways to make peoples lives more difficult and expensive!!!

But seriously, redirects are just code in html interpreted by the browser. Can't code be added to the browser to disable/ignore the redirects for specific domains and or all together? Sort of like the way your ad blocker has a white list or a blacklist of URLs or domain to block or allow? It would be great to have that as a setting in the browser's settings or as an add-on.

We need to bring GreaseMonkey back!

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by adoxa » 2025-01-19, 02:16

See how this Modify HTTP Response filter goes for you.

Code: Select all

[["/google/",["/^\\/search/",["/<noscript.*?noscript>/",""]]]]

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by moonbat » 2025-01-19, 05:37

FourthDr wrote:
2025-01-19, 01:05
We need to bring GreaseMonkey back!
It hasn't gone anywhere.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by Pentium4User » 2025-01-19, 06:56

You can use 4get to search Google without JS.
Multiple instances are available if some don't work.
https://4get.dorfdsl.de/instances
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by Theresnothinghere » 2025-01-19, 14:45

Does Pale Moon team still get revenue from searches with DuckDuckGo when no JavaScript is enabled?

Disabling JS makes

Code: Select all

t=palemoon
disappear from the url

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by Moonchild » 2025-01-19, 17:19

Theresnothinghere wrote:
2025-01-19, 14:45
Does Pale Moon team still get revenue from searches with DuckDuckGo when no JavaScript is enabled?
If the tag disappears then it's unlikely we're being credited for the search traffic.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by FourthDr » 2025-01-19, 18:04

As for crediting Palemoon for traffic. I'd be happy to click a referral link now and then. At least I know who I am crediting. Not being surreptitiously tracked.

https://www.ghacks.net/2025/01/13/googl ... -tracking/

https://opentools.ai/news/google-cranks ... ns-for-you

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/17/googl ... le-search/
Last edited by FourthDr on 2025-01-19, 18:25, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by FourthDr » 2025-01-19, 18:13

adoxa wrote:
2025-01-19, 02:16
See how this Modify HTTP Response filter goes for you.

Code: Select all

[["/google/",["/^\\/search/",["/<noscript.*?noscript>/",""]]]]
I tried it in Palemoon. Installed the add-on and added the code and enabled it. I then tried a quick google search. But all I got was a blank page. No search results. Nice try, but no cigar. Any other suggestions?

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by suzyne » 2025-01-19, 20:55

This behaviour has made the news:

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/17/google-begins-requiring-javascript-for-google-search/

So if there is a work around it may turn up in the comments of the sites (there is more than one) reporting the issue? But I haven't seen a solution yet.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by adoxa » 2025-01-20, 00:09

FourthDr wrote:
2025-01-19, 18:13
I tried it in Palemoon. Installed the add-on and added the code and enabled it. I then tried a quick google search. But all I got was a blank page. No search results. Nice try, but no cigar. Any other suggestions?
This is what I see (the script version has the gear icon and the "Tools" menu). Since you didn't get the disabled page I guess it did work, but perhaps you have more than one noscript tag (logged in maybe?). Try adding "g" after the last slash: ...noscript>/g"....
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google-noscript-search.png

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by frostknight » 2025-01-20, 00:57

suzyne wrote:
2025-01-19, 20:55
This behaviour has made the news:

https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/17/googl ... le-search/

So if there is a work around it may turn up in the comments of the sites (there is more than one) reporting the issue? But I haven't seen a solution yet.
Well thanks Google! As if I didn't have a good enough reason to refuse using you as it is...

It seems Google is more than willing to push people away from them if it means making more advertising money from the people who stay with them.

I have no idea what makes them think this won't burn users from liking them. I mean really...

Although, maybe they think most users are too stupid to care. Just another reason to tell corporations to go eff themselves on a huge wall that is already covered enough with what already exists on it.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by moonbat » 2025-01-20, 01:06

Just use Startpage, which works as an anonymous proxy for Google. No personalization (which these days is what Google thinks you want to see rather than what actual results are there for your query) and no tracking other than Startpage themselves, which anyone competent can circumvent with an adblocker.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by suzyne » 2025-01-20, 02:16

frostknight wrote:
2025-01-20, 00:57
maybe they think most users are too stupid to care.
Surely, the number of users who routinely have JavaScript disabled is very, very tiny and the proportion of that group who use Google as their search engine is even less?

It's not that people don't care, it's more like they won't be materially affected and will never notice.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by frostknight » 2025-01-20, 03:48

suzyne wrote:
2025-01-20, 02:16
Surely, the number of users who routinely have JavaScript disabled is very, very tiny and the proportion of that group who use Google as their search engine is even less?

It's not that people don't care, it's more like they won't be materially affected and will never notice.
Probably very few people with intelligence to know to block javascript use google as their search engine. Yeah I would agree/hope so.

As for your 2nd sentence, more likely, they do notice, but not enough to be affected.

Google is still an advertisement engine and how anyone could avoid running into their intense amounts of ads is beyond me.

If they do run into them, no one in their right mind doesn't get pissed by them. Besides, some of them are very loud videos that start talking immediately.

They could even be set at volume 2x the expected noise level the computer is set at.

Bonkers and trollish.

This is what corporations need to stop doing.

They are bunch of assholes.
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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by FourthDr » 2025-01-20, 05:41

adoxa wrote:
2025-01-20, 00:09
FourthDr wrote:
2025-01-19, 18:13
I tried it in Palemoon. Installed the add-on and added the code and enabled it. I then tried a quick google search. But all I got was a blank page. No search results. Nice try, but no cigar. Any other suggestions?
This is what I see (the script version has the gear icon and the "Tools" menu). Since you didn't get the disabled page I guess it did work, but perhaps you have more than one noscript tag (logged in maybe?). Try adding "g" after the last slash: ...noscript>/g"....
Just tried it again with the extra g added. Still a blank page. I wonder if my ad blocker is to blame? Or should it make a difference at all? The other thing is I haven't yet updated to the latest Palemoon either. What do you think?

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by adoxa » 2025-01-20, 06:40

Not sure. I signed in, which still worked. It works with my adblocker. First tested on Basilisk 2024.01.04, then PM 33.5.0 & .1. All the filter does is remove the <noscript> tag, which stops it redirecting to the disabled URL and hiding table/div/span/p. Given you have a blank page it sounds like it's doing the former, but not the latter.

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by andyprough » 2025-01-20, 06:47

FourthDr wrote:
2025-01-19, 18:13
Any other suggestions?
Duck.com works everywhere, even works with terminal-based text browsers that have no js engine at all.

SearxNG also works and can give you google results without all the privacy problems. I just used a SearxNG instance with only google results with no js, and it worked without a hitch.

Both Duck and SearxNG work well without js in Pale Moon in my experience.

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Re: Google Search Redirect "Turn on JavaScript to keep searching"

Unread post by suzyne » 2025-01-20, 11:16

DuckDuckGo Lite is nice and lightweight, if that appeals?

https://lite.duckduckgo.com/lite/
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