They just did a bit on where certain companies track all your internet travels, and keep it in history file, forever. This supposedly lets them "serve" us better by knowing our "interests". Never mind that email where you blasted your Brother. Please, Computer Guru's, is there anything I can do on my keyboard to stop Big Brother and Commerce from following me? Thank you

-- Private Self (getmoreparanoid@allthetime.com), November 28, 1999

Answers

Yes, Private. I saw the article as well. One thing you can do is disable the ablility to automatically accept cookies on your browser.

Not that this will do much, IMHO. If you use debit/credit cards regularly and go to a store where they scan goods for prices, I'm sure that they've compiled enough information about you and your families spending behavior to create a basic demographic profile...which in turn may be sold to outside companies wishing to send you more junk mail ;-)

Sort of ironic. I'm a computer programmer, and I use cash if possible, prefer check over direct deposit. I did some consulting for a telemarketing firm regarding gathering leads and tracking behaviours, and that really hit home...especially when I found my name in one of their databases, LOL.

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), November 28, 1999.

Dear Mr. Tim, Thank You for an answer. But I am more "computer stoopid" than you can imagine. How do I "disable the cookie thing?". I kind of know that "cookies" work like "bookmarks. Thank You, again.

-- Private Self (getmoreparanoid@allthetime.com), November 28, 1999.

It depends on the browser and the version. Visit http://www.yahoo.com...

enter disabling cookies for your keywords, and you will likely find what you seek.

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), November 28, 1999.

I am sure they no me and everyone of my aliases and everything else to which I say phooey on the them. Whoever they are.

The movie THE NET was interesting. With the exception of not having someone to physically identify her it made me think that at some point "they" could make up anything in the world about a person.

Weird how this wired world will affect us one and all.

-- the Virginian (1@1.com), November 28, 1999.

You can also get a computer program called "Guard Dog". It does several things: screens out viruses, erases the tracks you leave on the Net (makes it hard to track who you are, and where you have been). Not very expensive (was $40 last year), and well worthwhile.

Also, definitely disable cookie use, and don't allow Java scripts to be written.

-- Bill (billclo@msgbox.com), November 28, 1999.

No Cookies in Netscape Edit to Prefeences to Advanced to Do Not Accept Cookies

-- INever (inevercheckmy@onebox.com), November 28, 1999.

Target marketing. Nothing more. Nothing less. Intelligent upsell. Intelligent cross-sell. Customer-relationship management.

Companies who have taken the Internet bull by the horns understand that better demographic and interest data means more sales. The Internet provides an incredible opportunity to gather that kind of data both passively and actively. Hold on to your hats because such efforts are going increase in the near furture (if the creek don't rise)

Let's take an example of one such company that 'tracks' you - amazon.com When I go to Amazon, it remembers who I am and what I like. Each time I go there, the web site makes book recommendation based on my previous purchases. I usually stop into the recommendations section because I know that I will see books on programming and not romance novels.

Amazon is also one of the very few companies whose spam email I will read. Why? First, they don't flood my inbox - maybe 2-3 a month. Next they let me customize the email so that I typically get email about things I might be interested in.

So in a way, I guess you could call it more service, but clearly the real reason here is to increase sales. I can think of a lot worse ways to promote increased sales. All I really know is that I enjoy the way Amazon is set up and over the past couple of years they have gotten nearly all of my book business.

To those who feel this technology would be extremely easy to abuse, you are absolutely correct. There have been and will continue to be abuses. You are more than justified in keeping your guard up.

If, for example, if my ISP began tracking my travels and selling my name on a list without my permission, I would seek an alternative ISP.

The key words here are without my permission.

I have no problem with the Amazon model primarily because it is voluntary. I read a lot. I'm a regular customer at Amazon. They make it easy. I get what I want (books). They get what they want ($). We're both happy.

I think the voluntary model works well. But I take serious issue with a great many of the marketing practices currently being 'test-flown' on the Internet. Maybe it's just me...I don't like door-to-door salespeople either.

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), November 29, 1999.

What I hate is the websites that crash your browser when you don't accept their cookies!! I keep Netscape set to bring up a box which politely asks you if you wish to allow the cookie to be set. Amazon is one of the few that I do allow to set cookies. Some sites will "give up" when you don't let them set cookies but some have very nasty responses such as repeatedly trying to set cookies so rapidly that you can't get to back button fast enough to get out of the loop. Aarrgghhh!

-- Evelyn (equus@barn.now), November 29, 1999.

Get Guard Dog, and during the interview process you are asked to set cookie policy. The default is prompt for cookies from sites not visited directly, and automatically accept cookies from sites you visit directly, in your case, Amazon. I suggest that you select to be prompted for ALL cookies. Guard Dog stops the flow of cookies and will not allow the "cookie flood" technique to overwhelm you.

All in all, I would NOT surf The Web without Guard Dog!!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), November 29, 1999.

Hi All,

I don't know about Guard Dog, but I've been using @Guard (at-guard) for over a year and it does the cookie thing, and also blocks spammy-type ads on the WWW.

EVERYONE should visit www.spinrite.com to run their test of your computer. They (Steve Gibson) has a test that will tell you how easy it is for anyone to get into your computer while you're on the 'net. This isn't about cookies, it's about other people (hackers, ad agencies, etc.) actually getting into your computer and looking around without any indication they might be there. Steve has a FREE fix for most of the problems the test uncovers.

-- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moines (dtmiller@midiowa.net), November 29, 1999.

Howdy--

Regarding cookies--you can also go directly to the cookies file and delete any cookie (i.e., line of code) that you don't like. Just click start...find files...enter "cookies" and you can examine the file. It says "Do not edit!" But it's never done my system any harm.

This avoids the problem of web sites that insist on setting an cookie and those tiresome "will you accept" messages.

Let 'em set 'em. Then delete.

Have a great morning,

-- William in Dallas (bcheek@onramp.net), November 29, 1999.

To optimize your security, if you are using internet explorer 5.0

1. go to my computer, control panel, network, identification. In the boxes that requests computer name and computer description type in 'anonymous'.

2. Go to tools, internet options, security, click on 'trusted sites' and go down to 'sites' to list all addresses you use that need cookies. All other sites will be excluded.

3. go to tools, internet options, security, click on 'custom level' and go down to cookies and java. Fully disable both buttons.

For customization questions, email me at the above address.

-- C Deitchman (cdeitchman@bigfoot.com), November 29, 1999.