Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:00:06 -0700 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Google spyware on FreeBSD Web site? Message-ID: <201212041900.MAA14107@lariat.net>
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Everyone: Today, I received a rather shocking the announcement: The FreeBSD Project's Web developer announced his intent to incorporate corporate spyware into the FreeBSD.org Web site. As you may or may not know, the so-called "Google Analytics" scripts do more than analyze the traffic which goes to a Web site. They also spy on its users, planting cookies in their browsers and tracking their activities on the Web for the exclusive benefit of one corporation: Google. What's more, at least one organization which is paid to lobby for Google in Washington, DC has announced that it does not intend to honor, and does not recommend that Web sites honor, the "Do Not Track" header. So, even if users are knowledgeable enough to cause their browsers to generate this header (most are not), there is no reason to trust Google to honor it. The FreeBSD project should not allow or condone such behavior -- which is a serious security risk and violation of visitors' privacy. Nor should it show favoritism toward a single corporation. I'd like to ask that the FreeBSD project set a good example for others by refusing to incorporate corporate spyware into its Web site. If it is desirable to gather statistics regarding the site, there are ways to do it that do not compromise visitors' privacy or execute invasive spyware on their machines. Sincerely, Brett Glass
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