522606 - Bug Causes Firefox to Copy Google Search Result Links Instead of Direct Links

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Search, defect)

Description

[jonathan timson]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.3) Gecko/20090824 Firefox/3.5.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

This only seems to happen when using Google with Firefox. Copying the link to a site in Google search results, copies a Google link to the search result, not the direct link.

So for example if I search for Mozilla and then right click and copy the link, instead of Mozilla.org, I get 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2F&rct=j&q=mozilla&ei=Pr3XSrqCKMHhlAfM4PihAQ&usg=AFQjCNEYypZL90rpQY8ftwZcjS1wSxGdsA&sig2=JWV0-Je1FnGAUZv9lM5JnA

I hardly have any Add Ons installed, beyond the basic AdBlock and Greasemonkey. This problems only occurs when searching Google in Firefox. Using other search engines does not. Using Google in Chrome, etc does not duplicate the problem.

I haven't found a similar bug listed here, but another user reported the same problem here

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1075097/how-can-i-make-firefox-change-google-search-result-links-to-direct-links-to-what

I am running Firefox 3.5.3 with AdBlock Plus, Greasemonkey, Microsoft.net framework, ReloadEvery and a disabled RealPlayer browser record plugin. 

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Go to Google.com or the Mozilla start page
2. Search for anything
3. Copy a link
Actual Results:  
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&ved=0CAgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.org%2F&rct=j&q=mozilla&ei=Pr3XSrqCKMHhlAfM4PihAQ&usg=AFQjCNEYypZL90rpQY8ftwZcjS1wSxGdsA&sig2=JWV0-Je1FnGAUZv9lM5JnA

Expected Results:  
given me this http://www.mozilla.org/

Comment 1

[Ryan Flint [:rflint] (ping via IRC for reviews)]

Google changes the outgoing links to their redirector when you click on them while logged in to your google account (and some cases while not). We have absolutely no control over what Google does on their own websites.

Comment 2

[Noah (NoahSUMO/SolidSnake) [:Noah]]

There's a workaround.

Install Greasemonkey:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748

Then install the Google Tracking-B-Gone script:
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/47300

I've been using it for months, as what Google was doing was driving me nuts!

Comment 3

[jonathan timson]

Thanks Noah

(In reply to comment #2)
> There's a workaround.
> 
> Install Greasemonkey:
> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
> 
> Then install the Google Tracking-B-Gone script:
> http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/47300
> 
> I've been using it for months, as what Google was doing was driving me nuts!