Check this article on News.com @ http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-2247960.html about a new way of tracking your surfing called one pixel GIF's or web bugs. They report,
<< Like cookies, Web bugs are electronic tags that help Web sites and advertisers track visitors' whereabouts in cyberspace. But Web bugs are invisible on the page and are much smaller, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
Web bugs can "talk" to existing cookies on a computer if they are both from the same Web site or advertising company, such as DoubleClick, which uses bugs and dominates the online advertising market. >>
Hmmm... I now have a new love for my favorite trick. If you use Netscape, all cookies are stored in a single file, COOKIES.TXT. I simply make it a zero byte, Read-Only file. Now, set your system to allow all cookies. Each site will "think" it has written a cookie to your hard drive, but it just doesn't happen. The lights are on, but nobody is home.
If you like the idea, here's how to do it.
1. Go to the DOS prompt, and go to the directory that has COOKIES.TXT.
2. Enter the command, REM > COOKIES.TXT <Enter>. This overwrites your cookie file with the zero byte file.
3. Enter the command ATTRIB +R COOKIES.TXT <Enter>. This sets the attribute to Read-Only.
The only limitations I have encountered, so far, are that many shopping carts require cookies for online shopping, and your system will not remember passwords that use cookies, so I have to log onto AnandTech manually. If you need to keep some cookie based functions, here are some ways you can do it:
1. Start by deleting your present cookies. This gives you a blank starting point that gets rid of all previous cookies, wanted or not.
2. Make a "Required Cookie" list of the sites where you need a cookie.
3. Go directly to the first site on your list, and let it write the required cookie. Do not dawdle or go anywhere on the site. That will only clutter your cookie list.
4. Go directly to each other site and do the same.
5. Immediately after you arrive at the last site on your list, set COOKIES.TXT as Read-Only. You now have a cookie file that can
6. When you find a new site that you want to add to your list, all you have to do is go to any other url, unlock the file (remove the Read-Only attribute), and go directly to the specific site. Once you are there, re-lock the file.
Now, the only problem is that you still have a cookie file that others can read. You can overcome this, too. Assuming you already have the cookie file you want:
1. Make a reference copy of your current COOKIES.TXT file with the required cookies, and rename it COOKIES.REF or any other name of your choice.
2. Create the zero byte Read-Only file, as above.
3. For passwords, etc., surf with the locked file until you need your required cookies. Then, simply swap file names, temporarily making your reference file COOKIES.TXT. Except when you are intentionally adding new cookies, always keep your "Required Cookies" file set as Read-Only.
4. For shopping, simply use an unlocked copy of the zero byte file as long as you are using the shopping cart. A shopping site doesn't need to know your AnandTech password or anything about where you have been surfing or shopping.
5. In either case, once you are through, reset everything.
The worst that can happen is that something you try that requires cookies will not work, so you will have to unlock your cookies and try again. However, YOU are now in control of who reads what cookies on your hard drive.
A final warning -- Always keep a reference copy of your last known good cookie file in case you pick up one you don't want. Cookie files are ASCII text. You can read them to see what is in them.
<< Like cookies, Web bugs are electronic tags that help Web sites and advertisers track visitors' whereabouts in cyberspace. But Web bugs are invisible on the page and are much smaller, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.
Web bugs can "talk" to existing cookies on a computer if they are both from the same Web site or advertising company, such as DoubleClick, which uses bugs and dominates the online advertising market. >>
Hmmm... I now have a new love for my favorite trick. If you use Netscape, all cookies are stored in a single file, COOKIES.TXT. I simply make it a zero byte, Read-Only file. Now, set your system to allow all cookies. Each site will "think" it has written a cookie to your hard drive, but it just doesn't happen. The lights are on, but nobody is home.
If you like the idea, here's how to do it.
1. Go to the DOS prompt, and go to the directory that has COOKIES.TXT.
2. Enter the command, REM > COOKIES.TXT <Enter>. This overwrites your cookie file with the zero byte file.
3. Enter the command ATTRIB +R COOKIES.TXT <Enter>. This sets the attribute to Read-Only.
The only limitations I have encountered, so far, are that many shopping carts require cookies for online shopping, and your system will not remember passwords that use cookies, so I have to log onto AnandTech manually. If you need to keep some cookie based functions, here are some ways you can do it:
1. Start by deleting your present cookies. This gives you a blank starting point that gets rid of all previous cookies, wanted or not.
2. Make a "Required Cookie" list of the sites where you need a cookie.
3. Go directly to the first site on your list, and let it write the required cookie. Do not dawdle or go anywhere on the site. That will only clutter your cookie list.
4. Go directly to each other site and do the same.
5. Immediately after you arrive at the last site on your list, set COOKIES.TXT as Read-Only. You now have a cookie file that can
6. When you find a new site that you want to add to your list, all you have to do is go to any other url, unlock the file (remove the Read-Only attribute), and go directly to the specific site. Once you are there, re-lock the file.
Now, the only problem is that you still have a cookie file that others can read. You can overcome this, too. Assuming you already have the cookie file you want:
1. Make a reference copy of your current COOKIES.TXT file with the required cookies, and rename it COOKIES.REF or any other name of your choice.
2. Create the zero byte Read-Only file, as above.
3. For passwords, etc., surf with the locked file until you need your required cookies. Then, simply swap file names, temporarily making your reference file COOKIES.TXT. Except when you are intentionally adding new cookies, always keep your "Required Cookies" file set as Read-Only.
4. For shopping, simply use an unlocked copy of the zero byte file as long as you are using the shopping cart. A shopping site doesn't need to know your AnandTech password or anything about where you have been surfing or shopping.
5. In either case, once you are through, reset everything.
The worst that can happen is that something you try that requires cookies will not work, so you will have to unlock your cookies and try again. However, YOU are now in control of who reads what cookies on your hard drive.
A final warning -- Always keep a reference copy of your last known good cookie file in case you pick up one you don't want. Cookie files are ASCII text. You can read them to see what is in them.
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