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Re: cookies and privacy
Jacob Rose wrote:
>
> I don't know if privacy is important, but if you feel it is, that's how to
> keep it, I think. If you're running someone else's software (eg,
> Netscape, Internet Explorer, Windows 95) on a computer on a network,
> you are trusting the software to do only what you want with your personal
> information. You never know what it could be saying about you to *anyone*
> on planet Earth.
You raised an interesting point, when I use someone elses browser
and their .netscape directory contains a matured cookie file
which they do not want me to erase, and I register with some
they visited, then THEIR profile is now merged with mine. If
unknown to me they visited sites which I would NEVER visit and
gained a rather spicy profile, this could now allow marketers to
develop a profile on me based on someone elses web clicing habits.
This thought is troubling because if we don't have control on
preventing a profile developed on us, at the very LEAST we
should want that profile to be ``sterling'' and not blemished
with the habits of someone else. What if they visited sites
that contain outright illegal network activities?
I think what I will do for the time being if I am ever using
someone elses Netscape is to temporarily rename their cookie.txt
file, then rename it back to its original name after I'm through
using Netscape. I could even create a batch file or script
(depending which platform) to accomplish this easily.
Gene
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