[LINK] Third party tracking

[Anthony Healy]

> the same story from the same edition of Ping but
> with a different URL....so that's pretty clear
> that it does encode the userid in the URL.

Excellent.

Re using different email addresses - people might be horrified to know that
there are at least three ways for third party trackers to determine your
true identity even if you do use false email addresses.

Also, this type of tracking data can be and is matched to people as
individuals. One company operating in Australia has records for three to
five million of us, including probably most of the people reading this list,
by virtue of our demographic characteristics. This data would allow such a
firm to determine the web viewing preferences and email click selections of
people by name or company. Such as, say, Richard Alston, Senator.

Recently we saw that the NSW Parliament suddenly realised what its
"Cybercrime Bill" really meant, when evidence emerged of covert information
gathering from and by parliamentary computers. I think we will eventually
see some sort of similar educational experience impacting our politicans
with regards to data matching.


Regards, Tony Healy

--------

To the Bear, there was nothing so beautiful as a formation landing of
helicopters - not only for the physical beauty of the formation's geometric
order, but for the determination and purpose they showed, driving downward
into whatever might lay ahead. There was no need for them to be so close,
and yet, because they were, they were a beautiful sight, those ten ships
driving down as one. The diamonds glistened, as the sun caught the rotor
blades, like the patterns on a snake's back. Adapted from William Holland:
Let a Soldier Die