UNSAFE AT ANY MOUSE CLICK

If my blogs seem to stray from writing, which is the stated theme, keep in mind that writing covers a lot of territory, including support, attempts to publish, our Netwest writers' group, along with the increasing use of the Internet and Internet security. Hey, I may have invented an oxymoron with that last one. Besides our own popular Netwest Yahoo group, I also belong to one our barbershop harmony district uses for the same purpose, as in to keep members informed. The quoted information below comes from that group.

You will now be given two choices. The first is to exit this blog site immediately and go curl up with a good book (though the 'curl up' concept has never made any sense, unless you're a bear hibernating in a dark cave) and feel safe and secure. The second will be to read the following and accept the fact your gray hair just got a little grayer. Read on:

"Yahoo is Tracking Group Members! If you belong to ANY Yahoo Groups - be aware that Yahoo is now using "Web Beacons" to track every Yahoo Group user. It's similar to cookies, but allows Yahoo to record every website and every group you visit, even when you're not connected to Yahoo. Look at their updated privacy statement athttp://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/details.html (Click on this link -- or copy and paste into your browser)About half-way down the page, in the section on cookies, you will see a link that says WEB BEACONS. Click on the phrase "Web Beacons." On the page that opens, on the left find a box entitled "Opt-Out.". In that section find "opt-out of interest-matched advertising" link that will let you "opt-out" of their snooping. Click it and then click the opt-out button on the next page. Note that Yahoo's invasion of your privacy - and your ability to opt-out of it - is not user-specific. It is MACHINE specific. That means you will have to opt-out on every computer (and browser) you use.Please forward this to your other groups.You might complain, too, but I'm not sure if anyone is listening. I remember when they signed all users up to get spam and we had to opt out of that a few years ago. Please send this to anyone or any group you would like." (Name withheld for author's privacy)

Still with us? You obviously have nerves of granite and have probably watched every "Halloween" movie produced -- some possibly even with your eyes open. Regardless, as long as you've come this far, read the next one, too. Be warned, however, that you'll never view your mouse as that innocent little cyber-creature again. The next group post is a response to the one above.

" I'm sure the recent message to (other group)-Members concerns all of us who want our privacy to be respected.However, in this day and time, real privacy is a very scarce commodity. ANYTIME we get on the Internet for ANY reason, our privacy is compromised to some extent - Also any time we pick up our phone, use our credit card, debit card, grocery discount card, own a home, .... etc, etc.About the best we can hope for is that the info won't be used maliciously. To the best of my knowledge, yahoo isn't doing anything "worse" than they and others in the "industry" have been doing for some time.I hear many more complaints about Google and Microsoft (for example), than I do about yahoo. I've been using yahoo e-mail and yahoo groups for many years.Sure I get more spam that I really need, but little or none that I suspect originates with them.(If you get a spam msg, it is VERY likely that the e-mail id you see in the FROM field, is probably NOT the real sender. Spammers are very good at "spoofing" their FROM addresses. Some even look like they're from YOU!) *see more below Yahoo provides us with free services. In exchange for those services, we are subjected to some advertising. (Similar to broadcast TV vs Pay channels)Cookies and web beacons have been around quite a while.If you'd like more info, check out -http://networkadvertising.org/managing/DonDIX Communications Team*PS - Many services ask you to report spam to them "to improve their filters".That sounds like a good idea, but many of these services are not real sophisticated. They don't distinguish between the "spoofed" address and the real source, and consequently "blacklist" a valid e-ddress that a spammer "spoofed" (maybe your own).So please be cautious about reporting spam." (Name withheld for author's privacy)

My thoughts favpr the last writer. I've never seen spam or any other evidence that Yahoo has misused or abused my privacy. I have been a user of their 'free' services for years and plan to continue. Yes, there's a possibility that while logged on to one of their services, they call up a cookie or some data collected from this web beacon and offer some ads at what they feel are my preferences, but since there's an on/off switch in my brain that activates to turn ads off, including TV commercials, I'll never know. Or care.

I've been aware about 'Cookies' for some time and have learned to reluctantly accept their useful properties, although my antivirus software informs me about one in particular every time it runs a scan. I'll admit, however, the term 'Web Beacon' is new to me, though it's apparently been around for years. There are probably other tools designed for Internet users that inform 'big brother' what's going on -- plus little sister, aunt, uncle and maybe even a few of the neighbors. Come to think of it, isn't the ability of this blog site to track visitors and their location bordering on sneaky?

Hmm, I wonder if cable and dish companies are able to monitor our TV viewing habits and... Nah, that could never happen. Could it?