Re: Klaus\'s Sig ?
Klaus, I don't personally have a problem with leaving that information at web-sites I visit, I know it is going to happen, etc.
I've used that sort of information (in fact still do at two of my sites) to figure out where my visitors come from and what software they are using to view my stuff. It helps me in making sure that I meet my visitors needs (the reason I added some Japanese to one of them, for example).
What might bother people is when that information is siphoned off to
a site they did not visit for purposes unknown.
Of course this happens all the time with ads and counters grabbing the info and, since they appear on so many sites, being able to track one's surfing.
That's why most of the ad companies set a cookie the first time you see any of their banner ads then read it every time you hit another one. It allows them to assemble a very good list of all the sites "user 4829072" has visited, and often how long they stayed and how many pages they looked at.
Eventually many of those users hit some site where they give up some information (name, address, phone number, e-mail address, whatever) and that can finally be attached to their collected information.
Even if a user never gives up any info, the ad company can still begin shaping an ad strategy depending on their browsing history, and even just that is valuable in selling their services.
I had one client who used this sort of data to track visitors to various adult sites where she had banners, and when she finally got an e-mail address she'd proposition them to visit her pay site. Surprisingly, it worked fairly well, but I always felt like washing my hands after working on her site.
She eventually had money problems (drugs) and left behind a bill of over $6000 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif
I told my marketing person to never go after an account like that again even if we starved.
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Bottom line, I don't mind that Danasoft knows I visit CPF, but some might.