NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Cookies (the demise thereof)
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Cookies (the demise thereof)
Alan Ferguson (alan_at_5line.com)
Wed, 3 Sep 1997 15:50:15 -0700
MODERATOR's NOTE:
Here is a post that came in last week that I meant to send through. I just
discovered I forgot to.
thanks, -- richard
On Fri, 29 Aug 97 15:44 Mark Dolley, mark_at_zapworks.com added more ingredients:
>Mark Dolley,mark_at_zapworks.com wrote on 7/14/97 11:20:
>
>>Rick Bruner,rick_at_bruner.net wrote on 7/12/97 7:58 PM:
>>
>>>RE: Cookies, Mark Dolley wrote in issue # 110:
>>>>Folk are wrong to assume that cookies will endure. Check out the new
>>>>Navigator in Communicator or the new Explorer - both of them will allow
>>>>you to refuse cookies as a default. What the browser maker giveth, the
>>>>browser-maker taketh away (so it looks like Doubleclick got that new
>>>>round of funding just in the nick of time).
>>>
>>>This is absolutely wrong.
>><snip>
>
>I wrote at the time:
>
>>given that changing one's preferences is markedly easier
>>than downloading special software and setting it up, we should be ready
>>for ever-growing numbers of people refusing cookies.
>
>Disabling cookies in browsers and removing them from hard drives just
>made it to the cover of Time magazine, as part of their report on the
>erosion of privacy.
>
>http://www.pathfinder.com/time/reports/privacy/cover1.html
>
>And for the part on cookies:
>
>http://www.pathfinder.com/time/reports/privacy/cover6.html
On 6/16/97 I wrote on this list:
>My take on the next big thing on Web sites will be: We Don't Use Cookies
>Here! It will probably be in the 60x468 format banners, and they'll FLASH.
>Estimated time frame to adoption = <90 days.
Let's see, we're getting close to the 90 days, let's have an update.
The new browsers will/won't refuse cookies by default: looks like will is
winning.
GeoCities is opting not to use cookies according to this article
http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/print/970721/inwk0051.html but rather rely on
click-stream data. Same with Flycast, they're also using click-stream data
for a more "one-to-one" experience. They are correct that real-time
tracking with temporary, non-invasive tokens actually provides more usable
and pertinent information than the recently deceased persistant cookie
(maybe too much).
I commend these decisions as appropriate given the climate of continued
concern over privacy protection on the Net, and as Mark pointed out above,
it doesn't appear to be changing any time soon (use sunscreen).
Sites that continue to assault your eyes and hard drive are also missing
another very anti-commerce result of setting cookies that has nothing to do
with privacy. Has anyone noticed how slow http://www.clickz.com has become
since they adopted their new sponsors? It takes a while to make that -all
important- cookie connection and then read it, check it, send it, retrieve
it, show it, just so it will flash in the corner of your eye while you try
to read.
The irony here is that the publisher of ClickZ, Andy Bourland, has stated
that he has his browser set to refuse cookies. He has also stated freely
that he is a hypocrite so I won't belabor it. But me'tinks his attitude
seems to prevail in the minds of a lot OAers, we love cookies (but don't
use 'em).
This is that line: Cookies? ...we don't need no stinking cookies!
Back to the shadows --
Alan
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Alan Ferguson
5line Communications
http://5line.com
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