(ok so my typing skills aren't so hot today.. )
Right and wrong.. I already said you didn't have to have cookies.. =) Cookies just ties things together.. it helps.. it makes your information a lot more valueable.. Your shopping habbits on a single site might be worth money, but your shopping habbits across a LOT of sites.. now that is some serious information...
What I am saying is that an outside company that provides 'metrics' software to other websites tracks you.. they can track you across multiple sites, and THEY can sell your info..
I'm not saying that you go shop at walmart.com and then walmart sells your information.. I'm saying that you go shop at walmart, then 10 other sites.. and the outside company who has their product on all of these sites tracks you..
-they- know a lot more about you than any single web site... They know that you like to buy candy from walmart.com, and cars from cars.com and tools from home depot etc etc.. That might not bother -you- personally (I know it doesn't bother me) but it -does- bother some people.. I mean.. that tracking company probably knows more about your shopping habbits than you do...
And none of that is made up either.. heh.. the company I use to work for does it.. That's how I know.. They are legit, they don't sell your info, but if they really wanted too......... they could.. period.. if a hacker gets their database they will know A LOT about you..
once again.. I am -pro- cookies, but I do understand why people turn them off.... Using them CAN be a security risk, although it's probably not likely for the most part...
If all of the web apps on the internet used cookies like w3t does (or did? haven't looked lately) I could go around getting peoples info left and right..
It might not be the cookies fault that the information is there, but it IS the cookies fault that I am able to GET that information!!!!!
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Jeremy 'PeelBoy' Amberg<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by PeelBoy on 10/19/00 02:31 PM.</EM></FONT>
