Review Request: GUI configuration for the 'Do Not Track'?feature...

[Oswald Buddenhagen]

On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 03:52:39PM -0400, Dawit Alemayehu wrote:
> First, the idea that DNT affects most sites lively hood is something
> that has already been dispelled. For most sites, there is no reason to
> track your browsing habits to provide reasonable advertising on their
> pages.
>
indeed. but not everybody is google. smaller sites use the services of
dedicated data miners. the latter's own advertising actually sounds a
lot like the eff's "scare pamphlets", except that they present it as
something good.

> The sites that want to ignore that header will ignore it anyhow
> regardless.
>
it's reasonable to assume that there is a significant number of sites
which will ignore it only if it has a non-trivial financial impact on
them.

> > do you realize that most people honestly couldn't care less? and they
> > don't deserve better. let them enjoy their "free" internet.
> 
> Well that seems like the perfect argument why the OPT-OUT should be
> the default.
>
uhm, no. the header is meant as an explicit statement of the user.
defaulting it to opt-out takes the concept ad absurdum, because it makes
the ones who actually thought about the issue and the consequences
indistinguishable from the mass, it entirely dilutes the meaning.

> For the life of me, I cannot imagine of a single person that would
> voluntarily opt-in to be tracked online.
>
and you think the data miners don't know that? what's the point of
telling them with every HTTP request? just for good measure? symbolism?

if you think that this is a matter worth pursuing, engage politically,
or help others to do so.