Re: Question about Spyware.

Post #98,511 by kmself 4/24/03 11:18:32 AM Reply	Re: Question about Spyware. [link\|http://www.debian.org/\|Switch to an operating system that respects your privacy.] \r\n\r\n Cookies. Yes, they're SOP. Some sites (Washington Post comes to mind) fail to work at all if you deny them. Unfortunately, [link\|http://galeon.sourceforge.net/\|my preferred browser] doesn't allow me to set a "session cookie" preference (allowing state tracking over a single browsing session, but not between sessions). Galeon does provide cookie control (as do Mozilla and Firebird nee Phoenix), and in a two week old configuration I already have 223 sites on my ban list. First time the site tries to set a cookie, I state my preference, from there on out I don't worry about it. First week or so is busy but traffic trends down after that. \r\n\r\n Spyware. See my first suggestion. Legacy MS Windows basically has few tools to allow you to see what your system's doing, and does an awful lot behind your back. Get that monkey off your back. Yes, there are tools you can buy (that don't tell you what they are doing, and which do an awful lot behind your back) to address this issue. Still nothing like 'ps' and being able to root around in /proc. \r\n\r\n Passwords: not practicable on most sites, but for things you do want to keep secure, one-time passwords aren't a bad idea. --\r\n Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com]\r\n [link\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]\r\n What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?\r\n [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/\|TWikIWETHEY] -- an experiment in collective intelligence. Stupidity. Whatever.\r\n \r\n Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.\r\n[link\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html]\r\n
Post #98,518 by cwbrenn 4/24/03 11:39:02 AM Reply	It's not my machine I'm worried about I mean, I am, but that's easily solvable. However, not everyone who reads my comic is going to be using a "safer" operating system. Especially if they happen to be at work (and I know many read my comic from work). I thought it was distasteful moving into the realm of banner ads in the first place, but Keenspot needs to pay for its server fees somehow. I thought it was distasteful for them to start using Sonar, but at least they had specific information that they did user tracking, and I could post information on how to keep that from happening. And I sort of knew that most banner advertisers were using cookies to keep track of what ads you clicked on what ads you didn't -- but these are cookies that keep track of every freaking site you go to. And apparently all the big banner ad companies are engaged in this practice! Only Doubleclick got static for it, but after that died down apparently all the other companies quietly adopted the practice... only they don't even offer "opt-out" options. So I'm kinda pissed, because the efforts I've made to reduce the intrusiveness of ads on my site (like not allowing popups and the like) are FLIMSY and USELESS in comparison to the things I can't do anything about. "We are all born originals -- why is it so many of us die copies?" - Edward Young
Post #98,642 by kmself 4/24/03 11:18:57 PM Reply	I see one obvious positive measure you can take. ICUSS: IC UberSoft Storyline ;-) --\r\n Karsten M. Self [link\|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com\|kmself@ix.netcom.com]\r\n [link\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/\|http://kmself.home.netcom.com/]\r\n What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?\r\n [link\|http://twiki.iwethey.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/\|TWikIWETHEY] -- an experiment in collective intelligence. Stupidity. Whatever.\r\n \r\n Keep software free. Oppose the CBDTPA. Kill S.2048 dead.\r\n[link\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html\|http://www.eff.org/alerts/20020322_eff_cbdtpa_alert.html]\r\n

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