For some time now, I have not seen the Showcase or Search functions. Today, by accident, as my pointer was moving over the website, I saw that these (and other) functions would display from a white space in gold letters. Is this a setting on my IE browser that “hid” these buttons?
Internet Explorer is just about the most insecure browser you can use. There might be a setting, but I would have to dig some to see what and where.
Better option - download Google Chrome - 100% better, more secure and has way less security flaws.
That scans your hard drive in background as well as reports all of your browsing activity to Google, the largest repository of personal information on the planet.
Chrome and Google's US version of their search engine can't be used in the EEU - it violates their privacy laws. Google has been fighting both in the world court and has poured millions of Euros into their lawsuit, trying to get the privacy laws declared null and void. Why? Because they will make billions if not trillions of Euros off of collecting personal data and selling it to the highest bidder, just like here in the good ole US of A......
Mozilla, Chromium, Torch
Anything but IE.
You can use Chrome in Incognito mode as well.
As for Google's collecting of your info, you can do the following:
1. Log into your Google email account in a browser.
2. Click on the little app squares at the top right. When it opens, scroll down to My Account. Click it.
3. Scroll down to My Activity. Click Go To My Activity. - there it will list all of your browsing and searching activities, from the dawn of time to today.
4. See those three white vertical dots at the top right? Click it, then click Delete Activity By - then make your choices of what you want deleted. There is a selection to delete it all.
5. Using your browser back button, go back to the My Activity page. Scroll down to Manage Your Google Activity, click it. Scroll down and turn everything OFF. (particularly Activity Controls)
A better option, when using Chrome, is to NOT log into chrome. Just use incognito mode by itself...
And dont forget to use a crap cleaner to clean up all the schtuff left behind in your browsers... ccleaner is one.
Don't use IE. Use chrome or opera or another browser to view the site.