Glossary
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Search Engine
A search engine is like a program on a computer.
With a search engine, you can search for information on the internet.
You can search for information on specific topics.
You can also search for images and videos.
There are many different search engines.
Many of them store your data.
Often, your data is shared with other companies that show you advertisements.
These advertisements are tailored to your interests.
The search engines make money this way.
qwant.us is a special search engine.
We do not store your data.
It is important to us to protect your data.
What is a meta-search engine?
qwant.us is a meta-search engine.
A meta-search engine collects results from multiple search engines.
These results are then reorganized.
All the results are shown on one page.
So, with a meta-search engine, you search with many search engines at the same time.
Standard Search Engine
This is the search engine you always use for searching.
It is always selected when you search.
You open your browser.
You enter what you want to search for in the address bar at the top.
Then you search with the standard search engine.
Search Categories
Some things are already sorted in the search engine to make them easier to find.
For example, you can use the search category Products when you want to buy something.
At qwant.us, there are suitable search engines for some search categories.
For example, specialized product search engines.
Filter
A filter is a software.
With it, you can determine what the search engine should display.
For example, only new things.
Or only a specific language.
qwant.us has different filtering options.
You can sort by: date, size, document type, or Safesearch.
URL
A URL is an internet address.
The browser can use it to find a page on the internet.
So, search engines can find URLs.
The URL is shown in the address field of a browser.
Tab
A browser can display multiple pages at the same time.
Each page is then in a tab.
You can click on a tab.
Most browsers use tabs.
Tabs can be grouped.
Some browsers offer anonymous tabs.
Open anonymously
The requested page is passed on to the proxy service at qwant.us.
Proxies prevent your own address from being visible.
A person is anonymous.
So, nobody knows: Who is this person?
There are no clues about who a person is.
On the internet, it is usually about not transmitting your own IP address.
What is anonymity?
You can open a page on the internet anonymously.
Click on the button open anonymously in qwant.us.
Then nobody knows that you have viewed the page.
Safesearch
Safesearch is an English word.
Safesearch is a filter.
With it, you can set whether the search engine should also show things related to sex.
Safesearch follows US law.
What is not suitable for minors according to US law determines the search results.
Several categories between "off" and "strict" are offered.
!Bangs
"!Bangs" refers to a shortcut for faster searching.
With !bangs, you can perform specific searches more quickly.
Cookies
Cookies are software.
The computer writes them itself.
With the cookie, the computer can remember things.
So, the computer remembers settings like the dark mode.
Different types of cookies are distinguished.
Some are used to remember settings.
These are also used by qwant.us.
Others are used to control sessions.
In addition, there are third-party cookies that are written without technical necessity.
Domain
Computers use numbers.
Words are made from them.
These are easier to remember.
All internet pages with a certain name are in a domain.
The Domain Name System is a service.
The short word for it is DNS. The DNS is an information service for computer networks.
The information translates address numbers into address words.
This makes it easier to remember computer addresses.
Browser
A browser is a computer program.
With the browser, you can view pages on the internet.
Browser is an English word.
Pronounced like: "Brauser".
There are different browsers.
The differences are small.
There are browsers for the Onion web, also known as the Dark web.
Tor
What is Tor?
Tor can be explained more easily with a simplified example.
Peter wants to know when Birgit's birthday is.
However, he doesn't want Birgit to know that he wants to know.
What can Peter do?
He asks Lena to inquire about Birgit's birthday.
However, there is a problem.
Lena knows who asked her to find out about Birgit's birthday.
To prevent being identified, Peter does the following:
- Peter gives Lena a sealed envelope.
In this envelope, he asks about Birgit's birthday. - Lena does not open this envelope.
So, Lena does not know what Peter wants to know.
Lena passes this envelope on to Martin. - Martin doesn't know Peter or Birgit.
Martin also does not open the envelope.
He passes the envelope on to Sophie. - Sophie does not know that this envelope is from Peter.
She opens the envelope.
She sees that someone wants to know when Birgit's birthday is.
Sophie asks Birgit about her birthday.
She writes this information on a piece of paper and seals it in an envelope.
She gives this envelope to Martin. - Martin passes the sealed envelope on to Lena.
- Lena returns the sealed envelope to Peter.
Again, Lena does not know what is written in the envelope. - Peter can now open this envelope and knows Birgit's birthday.
Tor-Browser
The Tor Browser provides a fully pre-configured way to use Tor.
A simplified explanation of the Tor network can be found on this page under Tor.
For more information about Tor, visit the Tor website: https://www.torproject.org
App
An app is a program for mobile phones.
To use an app, you need a special type of mobile phone.
These phones are also called smartphones.
Apps require the internet.
Smartphones have internet.
So, you can use apps with smartphones.
