This and any other web site can get your correct E_Mail address and other information from your hard drive if you do not have a secure proxy, java and java script unchecked and your cookies file checked as read only. I'm sure the experts here will agree.

-- CIA (Anon@anonnn.com), February 18, 1999

Answers

Always practice safe surf

http://www.davecentral.com/cgi-bin/search.pl?query=cookies

-- TAZ (taz@no.yr), February 18, 1999.

Oh well. Guess they can't read either.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 18, 1999.

so what! I dont care!

-- ed (edrider007@aol.com), February 18, 1999.

Try this. Click on ENV.TEST. You may be surprised at the results. SECURITY TEST

-- Vision (ddeeffccoomm@world.com), February 18, 1999.

Sorry Try Again: Click on ENV.TEST at the link. SECURITY TEST or if the hot link doesn't work type http://cavency.virtualave.net/proxy/ in URL.

-- Vision (ddeeffccoomm@world.com), February 18, 1999.

Cook ie cleaning programs website refered by Taz

Click on ENV.TEST in the menu, then click on Security Test

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), February 18, 1999.

Thanks Chris. I typed "herf" instead of "href"

-- Vision (ddeeffccoomm@world.com), February 18, 1999.

I have nothing to hide except body odor. :)

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 19, 1999.

OH NO! I'm shaking in my boots, well mukluks, actually. Like Robert, I very rarely (once, I think) post anonymously. I really don't worry too much about what the general populace thinks of me, 'cause they pro'ly don't! :-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 19, 1999.

Stand up and be counted I say!

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), February 19, 1999.

Or sit down and be misspelled.....

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 19, 1999.

Clearly, Mr. Greenspun knows his chops. That doesnt make him evil, and this forum would not exist without his expertise and generousity. But it is important to remember whats going on behind the scenes as one wanders the web.

Chapter 9: User Tracking from Phil and Alexs Guide to Web Publishing

Case Studies Conclusions

snip

Web users have no privacy and haven't had any ever since late 1994 when the Netscape Magic Cookie protocol came out.

Vital information for most Web publishers, such as number of click-throughs, is unobtainable from standard server logs and traditional linking practices.

With a little bit of RDBMS programming or a visit to http://photo.net/philg/services.html, you're on your way to collecting the information that you need.

endsnip

-- Ned Ludd (th@ts.progress), February 19, 1999.

Simple fix, dump your cookies after entering any personal info to a web page. The problem Greenspun talks about is based on different websites sharing cookies of another site unknown to you--they keep the cookie ID and personal info at a database they all can reach. Banner ads are big offenders, I never accept cookies from outfits like doubleclick.com. Don't tell your browser your email address and it can't send it to anyone, although I don't think it does anyway. After that they're just getting your IP address. If you're on dialup it changes every time you log on, if you're at work you're probably going through a proxy. The website can find out what company you work at or what ISP you use, but that's as far as it goes without a court order to hand over the logs.

Now, if you buy a Pentium III which has the cute little ID number in each chip, you have new problem. I'll be an AMD man.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), February 19, 1999.

Just to clarify, you'd have to dump cookies after visiting (or not accept cookies from) any site which you log in to, every time you log in. If you identify yourself, they can share your identity through cookies.

It's really irritating that Internet Explorer makes you delete each cookie individually, and asks if you're sure for each one.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), February 19, 1999.

Control-a (from explorer NT 4.0) -> [delete] button works for me.

Somebody check me on this: assume you want to purge this knid of information:

c:\winnt\history directory - has files that should be cleaned.

c:\winnt\temporary internet directory - has files " " "

c:\winnt\cookies directory -> has files " " "

Anywhere else? Different if Win95?

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 19, 1999.