Yahoo spying on you?

[Jim Werth]

Got this from a friend !
If you belong to ANY Yahoo Groups - be aware that Yahoo is now

using "Web Beacons" to track every Yahoo Group user. It's similar to
cookies, but allows Yahoo to record every website and every group you
visit, even when you're not connected to Yahoo. Look at their updated
privacy statement at
http://info. yahoo.com/ privacy/us/ yahoo/details. html

About half-way down the page, in the section on *cookies*, you will
see a link that says *WEB BEACONS*.

Click on the phrase "Web Beacons." On the page that opens, on the
left find a box entitled "Opt-Out."

In that section find "opt-out of interest-matched advertising" link
that will let you "opt-out" of their snooping. Click it and then
click the opt-out button on the next page.

Note that Yahoo's invasion of your privacy - and your ability to opt-
out of it - is not user-specific. It is MACHINE specific. <b>That
means you will have to opt-out on every computer (and browser) you use.

Please forward this to your other groups. You might complain, too,
but I'm not sure if anyone is listening. I remember when they signed all users up to get spam and we had to opt out of that a few years
ago. So, to cut to the chase and opt-out of Yahoo shenanigans, just use this
link:

www.tinyurl.com/optoutyahoo

( Here is the long version:
http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yah...g/details.html )

Simply click on the yellow button and OPT-OUT

Don't forget to do it on every computer you use, and share with all those
yahooies you call friends.

[Ron61]

Jim,

Thanks for the link. They have my e-mail so dam full of those adds that there are times I can't get into it. Yahoo has always sucked, but it is the only DSL provider that AT& T will use. So I can go to the satellite which up here is not good as weather knocks the signal off a lot of the time, or back to dial up and they even have adds all over the page. I just got through Opting Out using the link you provided. Thanks.

Ron

[strictlypersonl]

I had the impression that AT&T supplied the hardware (nodes and links to the main trunk lines) and Yahoo was just the front end. I have AT&T DSL and, using a hardware firewall, never have to see Yahoo's ugly face. Never re-installed the Yahoo interface at all after I found it was totally intrusive.

[Ron61]

AT& T does supply the links to the main trunk lines, but they use Yahoo servers and have no control over what Yahoo sticks on them. I talk with the 2nd tire AT & T techs often and they really aren't happy about the service that Yahoo provides but they can't do anything but escalate a trouble ticket to them. Having worked for AT & T I wish they had set up their own servers and everything when they started to provide DSL service but that is expensive. I don't use Yahoo as my home page but the AT & T one which is still filled with crap as Yahoo controls it since it is in their servers. All adds and such are put on by Yahoo and the AT& T techs can't remove them. I use the Yahoo mail as it is convenient, but I also have a couple of G-Mail accounts that I use. I don't use the Yahoo Tool Bar or anything that has Yahoo on it.

Ron

[trularin]

Thanks for the info.

I have an email account, but this user group thing sounds to "big brother".

[RodgerH]

Be aware that if you delete your computer's temporary files, history and cookies (which I do periodically), this tracking software reverts to the default "Opt-In", which means you will need to remember to "Opt-Out" again every time.

[Ron61]

Yes, I do that on a daily basis, plus about once every week or so I empty the prefetch folder. I spent 1 1/2 hours yesterday doing a scan on this computer and found two bad Prefetch files. Nothing that all of the adware/malware or virus scans would pick up.

Edit: I don't delete all the cookies. I leave the Yahoo and CC one in and I just came back onto the computer and went and checked and I am still opted out. I leave the ones in that I go to often so I don't have to log in every time.

Ron

[Don]

I have Earthlink as the ISP with DSL which uses Google on the users home page for internet inquiries, Mail is via the Earthlink server. Earthlink uses Covad at the local offices to connect to the circuits

Are there any similar concerns with the data, tracking software etc etc being saved by Google ?

[Ron61]

Don,

Not if you believe all they say. It is just for keeping track of popular places that you visit and so forth. But since I never put anything of mine on the computer that in any way could be used to get my account numbers and etc. none of that really bothers me to much. Anyone that really wants to get them can do so anyway. There is no such thing as total security and hasn't been for the past 15 years. You can do things to minimize your chances, but just use logic and common sense when doing stuff on the Internet.

Ron