I like to use Firefox's search toolbar to quickly Google within seconds. However, I was feeling irritated because I often right-click and copy links from search results if I know what's on the pages, and instead of the page's actual URL, I was getting fugly, long links like:
Blech! Turns out it's Google's click tracking at work, which isn't done on the Canadian (and likely others, I haven't tested) version of Google.
I remembered I had uninstalled the CustomizeGoogle add-on some time ago, so I reinstalled it. All you need to do is enable Web > Remove click tracking, and future copied links will show their short selves properly. It may improve your privacy, too.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I thought you got that long URL only if/when you were logged in Google.
I use both Italian and English versions of Google, and I don't get that long URL. I'm never logged in Google.
But thanks nonetheless for having mentioned CustomizeGoogle – it provides other interesting features I wasn't aware of, so I just installed it and will soon give it a try.
@Opensource It happens when I'm logged out of US Google.com — it's incredibly how many little things you can tweak!
I installed CustomizeGoogle, because it seemed to have many useful features. Oddly enough, the click tracking removal appears to be the ONLY one that works.
Huh.
Funny.
Okay, I'm using Safari 4 (maybe this is new for S4 – I don't know)
I do a quicksearch (upper right toolbar – just like firefox, etc.) and I get the Google results. I right-click on a link – copy – paste elsewhere.
Rinse and repeat.
I *am* logged into my Google account.
I *do not* get these long, bizarre URLs you are talking about. I wonder if it's a FireFox thing (that they are there) or a Safari thing (that they are not).
By the way, been beta-testing S4 since february. Now the release is out. It screams on my PC and Mac. Now if they would only allow plug-ins the way FireFox does.
i downloaded it and its very handy, strangely enough the click tracking option was not there, but it does have some other usefull privacy protection stuff.
These right-click tracking URL's only seem to appear in FireFox indeed.
I do not think it is related to a plug-in however?