How to remove Safari 6?

Question

I've installed Mountain Lion but it seems to have put Safari 6 onto my Mac.
Safari 6 doesn't seem to support the fairly universally standard (it has been there since Netscape) 'delete' key to go back to the previous page and seems to be transmitting every webpage I enter to Google one char at a time. I'd rather keep my privacy and not change the way I work.
Any ideas how Safari 6 can be deleted (and ideally replaced with the old version)? Do I need to uninstall Mountain Lion is there another way?
Thanks

Answer 1

Steve, you're going to have to do some research to comprehend how cookies work and how to control them. Here is some related information:
1) Mac OS X 10.8.0 requires Safari as it is used for more than just a web browser by the system. Apple also doesn't want to have users strand themselves without a web browser.
2) As Tuttle pointed out, you cannot go backward to an earlier version of Safari. 10.8 requires Safari 6.x.
3) Every Google search in any browser means data is being sent to Google. Major DUH factor here. But using Google search does not equate to you being tracked via tracking cookies. Tracking cookies are specific to each website. Searching is a generic service not requiring cookies.
4) Use the settings in the Privacy tab of the Safari Preferences. You'll see:
- a) The button 'Remove All Website Data...' that kills off all cookies and tracking data.
- b) The radio button for 'Block cookies From third parties and advertisers. Use it.
- c) The radio button for 'Limit website access to location services....' The most private setting to use is 'Deny without prompting.'
- d) Check ON the box for 'Website tracking: Ask websites not to track me". This is merely a gesture, but some humane websites and advertisers care and won't track you.
- e) As Tuttle pointed out, check ON 'Web search: Prevent search engine from providing suggestions'. I personally don't see the point of worrying about this setting. But there it is.
Here is a list of some security enhancing Safari extensions to use. You will have to do your homework discovering how they work and how to set them up. They can be very annoying to use. But the provide the privacy and security you require:
Ghostery
WOT (Web Of Trust)
Incognito
Do Not Track Plus
AdBlock
SafariCookies (The upgrade to the full Cookie app is well worth the price. It is IMHO the very best app for controlling cookies and other user surveillance data).
ClickToFlash
ClickToPlugin
If you want to delve even deeper into personal web security, check out these Safari add-ons:
JavaScriptBlacklist (which is kind of wimpy)
JavaScript Blocker (which is so excellent that I paid for it. But it is a bit complicated to learn andcan be annoying to use.)
Here is a great website where you can verify that Safari has excellent support for web standards. Compare the results with other web browsers and you'll be surprised:
http://acid3.acidtests.org