Microsoft will make an Apple or dedicated Linux user out of me yet.
HTML5 is the future and Flash is a abuser of users privacy.
What if there was a type of cookie that could:
Stay on your computer for an unlimited amount of time
Store 100 kb of data by default, with an unlimited max
Couldn’t be deleted by your browser
Send previous visit information and history, by default, without your permission
This type of cookie exists on 98% of global computers, across all operating systems. it’s the Adobe Flash Player.
Thanks for sharing
Microsoft never cease to amaze me ???
It’s obvious how much Adobe values the data these LSO’s gather by looking at how convoluted the settings are to configure flash.
The sooner we leave flash behind the better, I see it as nothing more than an afront to privacy and very often security.
Firefox now deals with Flash cookies the same as any other cookie :-TU Chromium should follow suit IMO.
Running the browser virtually also deals with these and any other persistent/ever cookies effectively.
I have no problems with Flash. It has made the web a much more enjoyable and entertaining experience. I get continually frustrated using my Android tablet when a site needs Flash and it can’t be installed. Microsoft, and everybody else, should back it as long as it remains in such widespread use.
I think the issue is not what it does in plain sight ie play video etc, it’s more about what it does behind the scenes ie it can identify you/your computer and accurately log where you visit online, making your very own specific profile, whats more it does this surreptitiously, this is digital gold for ad agencies or other parties that have an interest in your unique online profile.
Privacy is a right and any entity that secretly correlates information on me therefore abusing my rights needs to be on our radars.
If this isn’t the definition of spyware I don’t know what is.
Don’t like a dictatorship? Just move.
Don’t like how things happen in you society? Kill yourself.
Don’t like how things are? Just avoid them and ignore them.
What progress can we ever make using the same logic as you just presented? So many women not having any rights, so many slaves working for nothing in return.
If you don’t like something, then you don’t just bend down and accept it, you stand up for your opinions and actually strive for a better future, where spyware like flash isn’t a base for making webpages work.
The fact is that you are tracked from the second you log on to your computer. Your ISP, your OS, just about every piece of software you use, every web page you visit, etc., etc. Not to mention the Government. Everybody does it and actually, without it, the free internet would not be possible. It’s not going away either and bears no resemblance to any of the other things mentioned. It’s just the way it is and complaining about one piece of software doing it is like yelling in a vacuum. It’s useless.
I would like to see Flash disappear. But it will take some more time, partly because some browser-vendors still refuse to include support for open media-formats that are needed to eliminate videoplayer-plugins, and also because outdated versions of a certain browser are still in use.
That is why I am taking pre-cautions, for example everything my ISP handles is encrypted, my hard-drive is encrypted, I only allow programs to do what they are supposed to do (with the use of HIPS and firewall).
And just because many of the softwares actually do spy on you, are you just supposed to allow it? Go “F**k it, no use” and give up? That’s weak.
Please tell me why the free Internet wouldn’t be possible without the spying? As someone studying for CCNA I can’t think of one reason.
Getting away one of these spywares is still better than just allowing it, and not useless as you seem to think.
Also, things just making logs are not the same of actual tracking, for example I wouldn’t call the BSOD dump a way of tracking.
I agree with SanyaIV, if everyone had your attitude I dread to think where humanity would be now, because something is hard to achieve we should just capitulate as you suggest… don’t think so.
Privacy and anonymity can be achieved online, it’s not easy and it can be very involved but it is attainable, to what degree you pursue this a personal choice. They are many many open source OS’s and software available, Tor and VPN’s can protect you from your ISP, software leaks can be prevented with a correctly configured Firewall, they are countless browser add ons to prevent tracking, etc etc it all depends how deep down the rabbit hole you wish to travel.
Everyone needs to decide where to draw the line, take me for example, I’m quite happy with letting Comodo upload data from my pc and I use real name Emails with certain accounts - Ebay, shopping etc
I am not however comfortable with nameless organizations secretly tracking and compiling databases with the intent of profiling me for what ever reason., and even more so if they attempt to hide there dirty work behind a arguably essential app on the present day internet.
The suggestion that a free internet is not possible without this tracking is nonsensical, the internet is not going to cease to be because Governments, companies and who knows who else can’t track us. some of the corporate funding may be lost, in all honesty I feel this would be no great loss.
Like it or not, the internet is funded to a very large degree by advertising. Without that funding it could very well become a paid service.
Personally, I’m not that concerned with privacy. I use Google search, I have a gmail account, (it’s not my main one, GMX is), I don’t visit Facebook much at all but I do check out Twitter. Some of the things mentioned in Chiron’s articles I already do but there are some I would never do, like use a VPN. I do block third party cookies and I do have IE set to delete data on exit. The other user here gets very upset if her browser history and typed in URL’s get deleted so hers is retained. I also use CCleaner at least once a day and it is set to clear Flash content but I retain certain login cookies for convenience. I use a tracking protection list from privacyfix.com in IE as well and it blocks pretty much all ads but the ones in Google searches which I chose to have display.
I think I may have misunderstood you on the part about free Internet, I thought you were talking about free Internet as in everyone is allowed to use it etc, not in the sense of money.
With the part that says “the internet is funded to a very large degree by advertising.” Do you mean web-sites or the actual link to the Internet? I don’t know about you but I pay monthly for my access to the Internet.
Yes web-sites are often funded by advertising, however it’s possible for those not to look into my private information, they can check if I’ve been to a site by the sole usage of an IP-address, they don’t have to use tracking and actually identify me as a person. Sadly that is what is happening and which is why I use things like ad-block and NotScript. (I use them both to stop scripts that break my privacy, and to stop rogue advertising and bad scripts)
I don’t have a problem with ads. I have a problem with tracking. There is a subtle, but very important, difference there as yes, there are ads that track you, but the tracking is not necessary in order for websites to make money from the ads. Thus, funding does not need to be tied to privacy intrusions.
+1 / Like / :-TU / I don’t know, what does one use to show support of a comment?
(It would be nice with a “like” or a “+1” button on this forum, doesn’t really feel right devoting a whole post to a “+1” as it takes space without very little information, just saying.)
But tracking does serve to offer up ads that will likely be of the most interest to the individual viewer. The site only makes money from ads that are actually clicked on.
I believe most people pay for their internet connection.
Around here, the “free” (ad supported) services are limited to dial-up and only allow ten hours of connection time per month. I don’t think that is very useful for most people.
If you’re talking about ads supporting websites, it’s not up to me to pay for someone to run a website.
I’m always amused by the “If you block my ads, I may not be able to continue to publish content…”, type comments. I’m doing you the service of reading what you’ve written. My time is valuable. If you truly feel that what you’re writing is worth money to people, by all means, switch to a subscription service and see how many people feel your writing is worth paying for.
Of course I meant not only the individual web sites but by extension the entire framework of the web. I certainly didn’t mean the fee you pay to your provider. I mean we could easily wind up paying other fees on top of that. It’s like basic cable TV vs paid for premium channels. Web sites might start charging access fees.
It would be good if a site told you when you visit it that it is ad supported and needs you to enable third party cookies to enter you can then decide on a per site basis. there would be no need for the underhand tactics by companies like Adobe.
What’s much more worrying and more pervasive is the Goverment and three letter agency interests in us the public. This cannot be illustrated any better than looking in the Utah desert at the $2billion NSA data centre The NSA Is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say) | WIRED
The highly-classified project will be responsible for intercepting, storing and analyzing intelligence data as it zips through both domestic and international networks. The data may come in all forms: private e-mails, cell phone calls, Google searches – even parking lot tickets or shop purchases.
“This is more than just a data center,” an official source close to the project told the online magazine Wired.com. The source says the center will actually focus on deciphering the accumulated data, essentially code-breaking.
This means not only exposing Facebook activities or Wikipedia requests, but compromising “the invisible” Internet, or the “deepnet.” Legal and business deals, financial transactions, password-protected files and inter-governmental communications will all become vulnerable.
Once communication data is stored, a process known as data-mining will begin. Everything a person does – from traveling to buying groceries – is to be displayed on a graph, allowing the NSA to paint a detailed picture of any given individual’s life.
Exactly, and good luck trying to block that. It isn’t possible when your OS purposely leaves the door open for such things and they all do. Given that context, doesn’t worrying about receiving targeted ads seem a little foolish?
