NFR Controlling Spam

[Bruce Baker]

Eh, I'm pretty sure it's higher than that. When Chrome and Chrome-based browsers (Edge, Brave, and plenty more) come with most machines by default, that can skew the numbers. I view browsing data on a number of websites that I manage, and Firefox makes up a pretty significant chunk on average. That said, it's harder to get good data on the browsers that block trackers, which Firefox is.

Edit: Also, numbers are heavily moved by Mobile vs Desktop browsing these days, and it's hard to differentiate between them. Firefox is hardly used on Mobile, but heavily used on desktop. Since mobile makes up for the bulk of internet traffic these days, its numbers in the big picture seem smaller than they are when you consider just desktop.

I personally use Firefox as my primary and Vivaldi as my secondary browsers. I use DuckDuckGo as my primary search engine. Firefox and Vivaldi both are set up nicely for ad blocking and tracker blocking. Chrome browsers allow trackers and at some point here soon (if not already) will be disabling all ad-blockers (though I'm sure some crafty folks will find workarounds).

If you run an ad-blocker, run Ublock Origin. Norton, and god forbid... McAfee... are useless. Your built-in firewall/defender and smart browser usage are far, far more effective.

As much as I dislike Google overall, Gmail is very, very hard to beat for spam sorting. It is remarkably good it. But any more official/sensitive type email, I use Protonmail. It's an excellent, fully encrypted service. Just not as feature-rich as Gmail.

Have you tried Vivaldi Mail or heard anything pro con about it?

 

[Otter]

Take what follows with a grain of salt, since I'm not a computer pro at all. This is just stuff that has helped me make some decisions (or more accurately, guesses). I do err on the side of caution, so I've changed a few things on my computer over the past few years, and I get next to no spam, and I've only had to bring my computer in to the shop for virus removal once in the past 10 or 15 years.

Here's my computer setup (computer only; I'm afraid to touch any settings on my iPhone, but I mostly use it just for ...... phoning! (Also for texting.....aren't I a real modern old fart?):

Internet security: I only use Windows Security, as recommended by my genius computer guru as all that is needed. Oh, and I still have AdAware virus protection (free version), but I can't remember when I last used it.
Browser: Firefox
Search: Google
OS: Windows
Email: Gmail
Plus: Proton email, just to sign up with Facebook......which makes me puke to even join, due to the fact that they exist solely to extract people's personal info, which they sell. But I joined as the only way to connect with an old pal, who lives quite far away, and who uses only Facebook and telephone to connect with people.

I chose Proton (based in Switzerland) after reading articles which explain how other countries have much stricter privacy laws than USA, Canada, and other "Five Eyes" countries. Remember when the Patriot Act was quickly written, right after Sept.11, 2001? That is one law that the US government uses to read citizens' emails, telephone calls, banking info, etc They can also legally compel other people and companies to give the government info on citizens, plus prevent them from telling customers that they are doing so.

Anyway, here's a few articles that I found useful, although I understand very little of all the computer jargon:

Surveillance Under the Patriot Act

Hastily passed 45 days after 9/11 in the name of national security, the Patriot Act was the first of many changes to surveillance laws that made it easier for the government to spy on ordinary Americans by expanding the authority to monitor phone and email communications, collect bank and credit...

www.aclu.org

Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, 14 Eyes (What to Avoid in 2026)

The terms "Five Eyes", "Nine Eyes", and "14 Eyes" are important to understand. This guide shows you what to avoid to stay safe online.

restoreprivacy.com

10 Best Gmail Alternatives for Private, Secure Email in 2026

Discover the best Gmail alternatives for privacy. Compare secure email providers, features, and pricing to find your perfect inbox.

restoreprivacy.com

 

[Evan B]

Have you tried Vivaldi Mail or heard anything pro con about it?

As far as I know, it isn't its own service. It's just an app of sorts to check your email with. Kind of like Microsoft Outlook or other email client.

Vivaldi Mail - An email client built into your browser

Vivaldi’s built-in email client manages emails from multiple accounts, mailing lists and feeds in once place. Try the beta version of Vivaldi Mail now.

vivaldi.com

 

[Otter]

P.S. The Five Eyes are: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. They gather and share "intelligence data."

I think I'll try an alternate search engine from Google, based on this info I've copied from my second reference above:

Private search engines outside Five Eyes​

Most of the big search engines, such as Google, record all your search queries and then link this to your identity and data profile, so you can be hit with targeted ads. Unless you want to give Google and its partners all your search activities, consider using alternatives.

Here are some private search engines you may want to consider:

1. Searx (open source, no jurisdiction)
2. MetaGer (Germany)
3. Swisscows (Switzerland)
4. Qwant (France)

There are a few search engines based in Five Eyes countries that we still recommend. These include:

• DuckDuckGo (United States)
• Mojeek (United Kingdom)
• Brave Search (United States)