http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:39:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-14 Sun, 29 May 2005 21:42:35 +0000 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-14 IE seems to be odd man out here, because the options are difficult to set and there is no specific option to delete cookies at end of session. The default is "automatic cookie management" and they don't tell you much about what it does. The settings are under Tools, Internet Options, Privacy, Advanced. Mozilla offers a greater level of control. The problem is, many sites require that cookies be enabled for legitimate purposes, such as shopping cart systems. So the "safe" surfer will turn cookies on only when needed for a specific site, and only if they know the purpose and nature of the cookies. We think Yahoo! is a bit unscrupulous in this regard-- few of their services can be used without enabling cookies (and java script), and the cookies have no other purpose than tracking for their data collection purposes. Mozilla seems to offer the most security against privacy threats and nuisance advertizing like pop-ups, and it seems to be the easiest to control. Use it intelligently, and back it up with good adware and spyware removal tools, and you're reasonably safe, but when it comes to web sites you don't know, you should heed Mulder's advice and Trust No-one. IE seems to be odd man out here, because the options are difficult to set and there is no specific option to delete cookies at end of session. The default is “automatic cookie management” and they don’t tell you much about what it does. The settings are under Tools, Internet Options, Privacy, Advanced. Mozilla offers a greater level of control. The problem is, many sites require that cookies be enabled for legitimate purposes, such as shopping cart systems. So the “safe” surfer will turn cookies on only when needed for a specific site, and only if they know the purpose and nature of the cookies. We think Yahoo! is a bit unscrupulous in this regard– few of their services can be used without enabling cookies (and java script), and the cookies have no other purpose than tracking for their data collection purposes. Mozilla seems to offer the most security against privacy threats and nuisance advertizing like pop-ups, and it seems to be the easiest to control. Use it intelligently, and back it up with good adware and spyware removal tools, and you’re reasonably safe, but when it comes to web sites you don’t know, you should heed Mulder’s advice and Trust No-one.

]]> http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-13 Sun, 29 May 2005 21:40:07 +0000 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-13 Interesting. Some browsers have the ability to allow the user to refuse to accept cookies. Some allow the user to specify that cookies will be deleted on exit from the browser. Would either of these be of some value in detering these nasty pests? Interesting. Some browsers have the ability to allow the user to refuse to accept cookies. Some allow the user to specify that cookies will be deleted on exit from the browser. Would either of these be of some value in detering these nasty pests?

]]> http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-12 Sun, 29 May 2005 21:39:15 +0000 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-12 Yeah, Don! Take THAT!!! Yeah, Don! Take THAT!!!

]]> http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-11 Sun, 29 May 2005 21:37:49 +0000 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-11 Can't see where we got anything wrong, although our focus was on Yahoo!'s USE of web beacons and the deliberate obfuscation in their privacy policy. If you are suggesting that web beacons are not a privacy issue or threat, note the separate treatment of e-mail web beacons in the Wikipedia entry which starts with "Email web beacons are a ubiquitous technology with privacy implications that are not widely appreciated." Even Wikipedia glosses over the the real problem that is implied by Yahoo!'s privacy statements, namely, that personal information can be stored in cookies which can be retrieved by third parties. For anyone interested in reading the Wikipedia entry, the direct link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_beacon Can’t see where we got anything wrong, although our focus was on Yahoo!’s USE of web beacons and the deliberate obfuscation in their privacy policy. If you are suggesting that web beacons are not a privacy issue or threat, note the separate treatment of e-mail web beacons in the Wikipedia entry which starts with “Email web beacons are a ubiquitous technology with privacy implications that are not widely appreciated.” Even Wikipedia glosses over the the real problem that is implied by Yahoo!’s privacy statements, namely, that personal information can be stored in cookies which can be retrieved by third parties. For anyone interested in reading the Wikipedia entry, the direct link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_beacon

]]> http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-10 Sun, 29 May 2005 21:32:53 +0000 http://stengazette.org/wordpress/2005/05/22/web-beacons/#comment-10 I don't think you understand how web beacons work. Try looking up "web beacons" in wikipedia. I don’t think you understand how web beacons work. Try looking up “web beacons” in wikipedia.

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