Re: Cleardot

From: Sean Dillon <sean_at_telegraph.co.uk>
Date: Mon 29 Apr 2002 16:27:55 -0600

> Does anyone know about the Cleardot program? I have
> heard only bits and pieces, but cant find anything
> about it on the web. Maybe its just a Bill Gates
> will give you a dollar for forwarding this email type
> of urban legend, but from what I gather it really is
> some sort of tracking program (one of those insideous
> stealth ones I believe) that somehow uses images
> labeled cleardot.gif, which is also a popular
> labeling term that web developers use to create
> spacing on web pages. (My guess is that is why this
> particular term was chosen- it is common to many
> sites).
>
> Ive noticed a slew of errors in our logs that are
> requests for cleardot.gif images on pages where they
> dont exist. I would hate to be an unwitting violator
> of privacy, just because we have a cleardot on a page.
> Does anyone out there know anything about this or
> where I can find more info on it?


I'm presuming you're referring to the use of 1x1
transparent images commonly used to track users through
sites. Some 'clever' young soul once refred to these as
'web-bugs' and thus a whole new level of misinformed
hyperbole is born on the net.... again!

You said "one of those insideous stealth ones I believe" when
referring to a tracking mechanism. This is typical of the
complete lack of understanding from even informed marketers
like yourself of what this technology allows us. Insidious
would infer an aspect of harm being done, I see no harm in
publisher knowing what their user base is, and 'stealth',
well, it's simply an image call or cookie placement, do
you really want to have to vet each image call or
cookie placement whenever you visit a site?.


Using this technique to place an image or cookie from a site
is a perfectly valid form of user tracking. A publisher has
a perfect right to know who (ie: repeat user, first time
visitor, country of origin etc...) is visiting a site and to
learn what browser/OS/etc... they are using and track where
they go in that site. In other industries it's called 'market
research'.

P3P goes someway to address the issue of an image being called
from a different domain to the current website which is the
only possible issue someone may have against this technique
tht I can see. Even then, this will be detrimental to 3rd party
tracking systems and log analysers.

Please lets not propogate a rumour which is founded on
half-truths and misunderstandings. There are enough gullible
people already taken in by most of what they read on the net,
let's not add to it.

Sean





Received on Mon Apr 29 2002 - 17:27:55 CDT