bits.blogs.nytimes.com — Rep. Rick Boucher, the chairman of the House subcommittee that looks after the Internet, wants a new privacy law that might impede online advertising based on where people surf. ?Internet users should be able to know what information is collected about them and have the opportunity to opt out,? he said.
Mar 13, 2009 View in Crawl 4
bapawMar 14, 2009
Argggg, a trap!!!! How will we ever escape?
kocurejdMar 14, 2009
No, it isn't.
kocurejdMar 14, 2009
Can I just put a cork in my internet tube? That ought to stop those pesky buggers.
kreatre2007Mar 14, 2009
I can agree with this. I've never liked the idea of websites mining my computer for information about my location, and then showing ads to me based upon that location. Advertisers don't have an absolute right to push their message on web surfers. If I have the ability to opt out and block my information, I would like that much better. As our society becomes more technologically advanced, our privacy will be a big casualty if we don't do something about it now.
randumbusernameMar 14, 2009
good one.the best though is when a legislator takes taxpayer dollars for a building, etc just to plaster his/her name all over it. don't give the taxpayers any credit.
frostekMar 15, 2009
Good ones do.
jeffiekMar 15, 2009
Are you serious????"private internets can decide to charge a fee to access "Absolutely. Now just what idiots would pay those fees unless the private internets delivered something of value? Are YOU in the habit of paying for things of no value?"cartel of private internets merge force to crush the other little private internets,"Give me some of what you're smoking. Please.Where does this cartel come from? Under your bed? Because that's the only known place that monsters live. Think a little. How would the "crush" the other little ones? Buy undercharging? Thus LOSING money? I believe that's called a price war. Gas stations have been doing it forever. There are still plenty of gas stations. Price wars never work, they just give the consumer a little break."http is a public protocol created and funded by the government."Yes and no. The original ARPANET certainly was. It gets a bit murky when Vinton Cerf wrote the basic internet protocol in 1974 (RFC 675) as an assistant professor at Standord University. We still aren't at http yet. That didn't come until later. Until 1991 the internet was nothing more than a scientific research tool. It wasn't until '91 that Tim Berners-Lee designed http at CERN (okay-that's a government funded organization - EUROPEAN) that the world wide web took off.Let's not neglect business involvement. The "World Wide Web Consortium" is a made of private businesses that promote standards - ROYALTY FREE.Yes, the initial work was US government funded. As a way for scientists to share info. They had NO idea what it would become. That took private interests. You think libertarians don't acknowledge that some of the money spent by government is beneficial? Of course it is. Piss all over the world and sooner or later you're bound to water a flower.
jeffiekMar 15, 2009
You might have a good idea. Notice I said "might".Get some investors. Start up a web site that doesn't "invade privacy" (however you define it). You can either charge users or fund via non-invasive advertising or whatever you like.IF you're right AND users agree THEN you'll get rich (or at least survive).That's the civilized way to get your way. The voluntary cooperation of others. The uncivilized way is to get a gang to force other people to behave the way you want.<a class="user" href="http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=gang" rel="nofollow">http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define= ...</a>2 [n] an organized group of workmen Congress is organized, they're a group, and they work. That's a gang. They write laws that force people to do/not do things. Don't blame me, I didn't invent the English language.
ryan1249Mar 31, 2009
The real answer is to protect yourself using technology and common sense precautions. I's rather they not get my data in the first place than having to trust that they will not use it once they have it.<a class="user" href="http://www.eff.org/wp/effs-top-12-ways-protect-your-online-privacy" rel="nofollow">http://www.eff.org/wp/effs-top-12-ways-protect-you ...</a><a class="user" href="http://www.surfbouncer.com/personal_vpn_faq.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.surfbouncer.com/personal_vpn_faq.htm</a>