Google's Web History might surprise you

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So is there any way for us mortals to completely delete this involuntary history?

Mary

Does this do what it says it does Leo?

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

Yes Leo, I noticed the same today. First thing I did was delete my complete history which automatically paused the search (as you mentioned).
This sucks. Google is slowly becoming microsoft.

i like googles features--i sighned up for gmail, but don't understand it as of now.

Leo, I'll share one observation on this: I, too, have been using google for ages, both for searches and viewing maps, and so on. But my search history only goes back a few weeks: indeed, it's timed with the moment I took an option (offered on the google site, or perhaps an email) to enable the "web history" feature.

I thought it would be interesting to view, and figured I had nothing to hide or be concerned about. I should add I did it as much because it said it would track the history of my web browsing, and I actually wanted that. I find the browser's history interface not always useful.

So, again, until I enabled that option, neither my search nor my browsing history seems to have been tracked.

I'll add, as well, for those concerned about this (and you, Leo, for who it's been going on for 16 months), that perhaps the automatic tracking may be part of the feature in the Google toolbar. I can't recall which feature it is, but when you install it, it too offers a feature that it warns collects info. I had always turned that off when I installed it, as it didn't seem as compelling as the more recent offer of the web history interface.

Hope that helps someone. Thanks so much for your resources. Great stuff. (Hey folks, do check out his "tip jar" feature if you like what he offers: http://buyleoalatte.com/)

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Actually there's a subtle distinction:

Search history: probably has been getting collected by the Google Toolbar or
even just my being logged into my googleGMail account without the tool bar. But
that's only *search* history.

When you turn on *Web* history, then with the toolbar installed Google tracks
all the pages you visit whether search was involved or not.

Interesting stuff, eh?

Thanks,

Leo
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Apparently, all you need do is turn off the PageRank feature on your toolbar:

"You should know: Web History relies on your Toolbar's PageRank feature to send information about the web pages you visit to Google. This information is then associated with your Google Account."

Great newsletter, Leo! I checked and had zero history of any kind at the Google History site. I don't use Google toolbar, but use "igoogle" as my start page and as my primary search engine in both IE7 and Firefox.

I do have FF set up to delete private data when closing and run CCleaner daily as well. I allow cookies, but only save the ones i trust, deleting the others daily.

Tom

Great article, I too went and looked out of curiosity to see what my history has been over the past few months. What I found strange was that it was very random. going back to March 2007 but only a few entries, manymany months missing in between the sporadic shown months. DI told it to delete everything, does it delete ot from the Google servers too?
Phil

I went from the history link you gave Leo and found this message:
"Your web history has been paused.
This service will not collect any history until you choose " I believe that anything or everything I use on my pc can be traced if wanted badly enough, have nothing to hide and can't be worried about it. IF I ran a business on my pc I'd be sweating lead bullets!Probably would need a pill to go to sleep.

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