Cookie conundrum
in [UK Mac]
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From: Woody on 3 Feb 2010 06:18 Sn!pe <snipe(a)spambin.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > Woody <usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk> wrote: > > > Uniqueness itself is not a major problem, it is identifiable uniqueness > > that is the problem. It would be quite a good idea to make an > > applescript or something that just changed your browser ID string > > slightly and then fired up the browser everytime you wanted it. you > > would still be unique, but you would be a different unique every time. > > I think the evaluation prog is b0rked, I've just been testing with > Google Chrome on Mac OS X. For me, repeated re-evaluations result > in steadily (FSVO steadily) decreasing entropy per their calculations. > I suspect that, in this case at least, Panopticlick is treating each > visit as being from a different browser installation, increasing the > number of similar ones it mistakenly sees. This of course means that > the displayed results are less alarming than they should be. E&OE. I would imagine that your enropy should be increasing if you are unique and reducing if you are not. when you retest, other people have looked in the mean time and more people have added to the database, so the sample size is bigger. -- Woody
From: GD on 3 Feb 2010 06:45 On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 10:54:37 +0000, Phil Taylor wrote (in article <030220101054376670%nothere(a)all.invalid>): > On the subject of Flash cookies, does anybody know where they are > stored and how they can be inspected or deleted? They're stored in the Macromedia folder in your user prefs folder. You can inspect and delete them at: http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/sett ings_manager07.html Also, you might want to download an app called Delete Flash Cookies which is linked to from: http://highgear.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/deleting-flash-cookies-mac-os- x/ George -- My email address is geod99 (at) googlemail dot com You know what to do
From: Geoff Berrow on 3 Feb 2010 07:10 On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 09:19:11 +0000, usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk (Woody) wrote: >> That's a good point. What does that value actually mean? Is a large >> number good or bad? Does it mean I am similar to the 500,000 or different. >> >> 'Uniqueness' is such a horrible word. > >It means that in all the browsers they have tested so far you can be >individualy identified. If you want anonymity, go to an Internet cafe. Why is the Internet any different from real life? We are identified everywhere we go on cctv cameras everywhere. Sainsbury's have cameras that display my reg number when I drive onto their car park. Remembering something about a customer can be a good thing. The landlady in the pub remembers me and what I drink (diet coke, before you ask...). The garage attendant know which is my car. I could wear a mask and stop this from happening but the only person that would hurt would be me. -- Geoff Berrow (Put thecat out to email) It's only Usenet, no one dies. My opinions, not the committee's, mine. Simple RFDs www.4theweb.co.uk/rfdmaker
From: Phil Taylor on 3 Feb 2010 07:31 In article <0001HW.C78F124300098075B01029BF(a)nntp.dsl.pipex.com>, GD <real.email(a)signature.below> wrote: > On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 10:54:37 +0000, Phil Taylor wrote > (in article <030220101054376670%nothere(a)all.invalid>): > > > On the subject of Flash cookies, does anybody know where they are > > stored and how they can be inspected or deleted? > > They're stored in the Macromedia folder in your user prefs folder. You > can inspect and delete them at: > > http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/sett > ings_manager07.html > > Also, you might want to download an app called Delete Flash Cookies > which is linked to from: > > http://highgear.wordpress.com/2009/07/25/deleting-flash-cookies-mac-os- > x/ > > > George God, there's hundreds of them. Ta, George Phil Taylor
From: Phil Taylor on 3 Feb 2010 09:32
In article <pcpim51mroudicrbsp9mmjj47kj2214gdp(a)4ax.com>, Geoff Berrow <blthecat(a)ckdog.co.uk> wrote: > On Wed, 3 Feb 2010 09:19:11 +0000, usenet(a)alienrat.co.uk (Woody) > wrote: > > >> That's a good point. What does that value actually mean? Is a large > >> number good or bad? Does it mean I am similar to the 500,000 or different. > >> > >> 'Uniqueness' is such a horrible word. > > > >It means that in all the browsers they have tested so far you can be > >individualy identified. > > If you want anonymity, go to an Internet cafe. > > Why is the Internet any different from real life? We are identified > everywhere we go on cctv cameras everywhere. Sainsbury's have cameras > that display my reg number when I drive onto their car park. > > Remembering something about a customer can be a good thing. The > landlady in the pub remembers me and what I drink (diet coke, before > you ask...). The garage attendant know which is my car. I could wear > a mask and stop this from happening but the only person that would > hurt would be me. I think it's all to do with how well you know the person that controls the information. Obviously, you know the landlady and the garage attendant about as well as they know you, so it's a fair exchange of information, from which you both gain. The cctv system is much less acceptable, but at least if you want to know what's going on you can approach Sainsbury's or your local police to query it, and if it reduces the likelihood of you getting mugged it's a major advantage to you. The internet, however, is much more anonymous, and the thought of being spied upon by people that you don't know and can't find out about is much more scary. Phil Taylor |