Re: [projectvrm] DNT question

[John Wunderlich < >]

Jim;

I think the DNT question is less technical and more political. The issue at 
hand is whether DNT should be turned on by default. As currently proposed, if 
I understand it correctly, DNT is a notice to the web site that activity 
should not be tracked. It doesn't actually implement any technical blocks. 
But by turning it on by default, Microsoft is implementing what might be 
called a form of 'Privacy by Design'. Since so much of the 'free' Internet 
depends on users being the product, with advertisors and data aggregators as 
customers, this challenges the business model of a number of companies, not 
least of which is Google. One therefore assumes that the Chrome browser will 
not take the same approach, and this might lead to an interesting market test 
of peoples' interest in privacy.




On 2012-08-08, at 11:30 AM, Jim Bursch wrote:

> I haven't been paying close attention to the DNT discussion, so this may be 
> a dumb question. It's also more of a technical question.
> 
> Isn't tracking a function of cookies? So, killing cookies will kill 
> tracking. Am I wrong?
> 
> If I routinely and frequently delete cookies, I am performing my own DNT -- 
> is that correct?
> 
> I have started doing that, but it is inconvenient mainly because of the 
> poor choices for cookie management, which is a browser problem.
> 
> Again, if I am correct that tracking is a cookie management problem, here 
> is what I would want in a cookie management system:
> 
> 1. Clear, standard descriptions of the purpose of a given cookie. I want to 
> know if it is a tracking cookie, or an authentication cookie, or a data 
> storage cookie, etc. Right now I can only guess at the purpose of a cookie, 
> given its content.
> 
> 2. I want to be able to flag cookies that I would like to keep (e.g. 
> authentication so I don't have to repeat login), and flag cookies that I 
> don't want (e.g. tracking cookies).
> 
> 3. I want to be able to create different rules for how different cookies 
> are handled, based on their function/purpose -- e.g. keep cookies I like, 
> delete cookies I don't want automatically.
> 
> It seems to me that the cookie management system would be a simple browser 
> plugin in the short term. The problem would be establishing a protocol for 
> cookie meta data (type, function, purpose, etc.)
> 
> Am I over-simplifying?
> 
> 
> Jim Bursch
> 310-869-5340
> 
 
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