re: [ncd,1656] Cookies

[turnbull@example.com (Stephen J. Turnbull)]

Sorry about coming back to an old thread, but I've been offline for a
while.

>>>>> "TMatsumu" == TMatsumu  <TMatsumu@example.com> writes:

    TMatsumu> Form: Reply Text: (9 lines follow) This type of scheme
    TMatsumu> is not new, it's been used by Prodigy and AOL before to
    TMatsumu> get even more info. or profiles about users.

Don't compare the Netscape magic cookie to the Prodigy scam.  Somebody
posted a transcript of a TCP stream showing Prodigy transmitting their
directory tree and various other information, including contents of
*.ini files.  It's one thing when you send information to a site; it's
another when that site turns around and scans your machine.  I don't
*know* that that was true of Prodigy, but I'm fairly sure it was and
they were accused of it by net.personalities I considered reliable at
the time.  (I don't remember that brouhaha very well.)

    TMatsumu> If you don't want to get profiled, don't surf the net.
    TMatsumu> If you don't want to get spammed, don't post to
    TMatsumu> newsgroups.  There is no such thing as being anonymous
    TMatsumu> on the net.

I agree that these are the best short-run strategies for individuals,
but if "transparent" profiling and the like are going to continue,
then some people will start setting up fake net IDs simply to fool the
profilers.  On the other hand, most people *like* being profiled, I
think, compared to the alternative of seeing all the ads.  To prevent
spamming is a little more difficult and definitely more expensive.
Socially, I'd like to see these intrusions kept to a minimum.  "Maybe
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

As for being anonymous on the net, that's pretty easy, at least for
the moment, as long as you don't annoy your provider.

-- 
                           Stephen John Turnbull
University of Tsukuba                                        Yaseppochi-Gumi
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences  http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305 JAPAN                 turnbull@example.com
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