You have no idea what they know

Much has been said in various media about the growing lack of privacy in our society, particularly in that nebulous otherworld called the Internet. Some of it's sensationalist hype, and some of it's true. The more I see, the more I worry that this time, the yellow journalists may have it right.

This article by the Wall Street Journal, On the Web's Cutting Edge, Anonymity in Name Only , gives an unsettling peek backstage, describing how one company, [x+1] Inc., can determine a whole lot more about you in just one visit to a website than you might feel comfortable with. Within the article there is a link to another WSJ website, What they know, which correlates content websites with tracking websites.

The article makes me think of this clever and unsettling flash animation done by one of our neighbors up in Canada. Dang if this is less far-fetched than I'd like to think...

Fighting back.

The WSJ links to an that provides some strategies for fighting back - most of the recommendations have to do with tweaking settings in your browser to clear all your cookies and block the installation of new ones. Browser defaults, however, are neither intuitive nor very efficient. Firefox has a host of add-ins which can be custom-tailored to keep your browsing experience more to your liking - I personally use Adblocker Plus, Ghostery, and NoScript. The latter two require constant tweaking, but once the initial customization process is complete, it's fairly low-maintenance.

Sadly, safe computing techniques require a certain amount of savoir-faire to implement properly. If you're not a power-user or don't have a good consultant, some day you may just find your auto mechanic recommending a good psychiatrist.

Gaddy said it.

QFT.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The head of the national Interfaith Alliance says people of faith should engage in civil dialogue about gay marriage, but government should rely on the U.S. Constitution -- not religion -- in deciding who can marry.

The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy says marriage is a legal issue in the United States and only government can grant a marriage license.

Gaddy spoke Friday at Sunstone, an annual forum for Mormon culture and academic study in Salt Lake City.

Gaddy commended church goers who support gay marriage, but remain active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church opposes gay marriage and has worked against marriage equality legislation nationwide.

Gaddy says laws legalizing gay marriage doesn't prohibit churches from practicing their beliefs.

Original article here.