TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Use of a Mysterious Cookie Irks Some Internet Users

Use of a Mysterious Cookie Irks Some Internet Users

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Sun, 31 Jul 2005 11:03:11 -0400

By DAVID KESMODEL THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE

Earlier this summer, Uno Bloom, a songwriter in Brentwood, Tenn.,
noticed that his home computer appeared to be slowing down. He
searched the files on his hard drive in an effort to uncover clutter,
and found dozens of Internet cookies labeled "2o7.net."

He started monitoring his cookies -- small tracking files that are
automatically downloaded when users visit Web sites -- and realized
some of the suspicious files were coming from Ameritrade.com, where he
trades stocks. He did an Internet search for "2o7," and learned in a
computer forum that cookies bearing the name were maintained by
Omniture Inc., a Web analytics firm. Omniture helps its roster of
high-profile clients, including Ameritrade Inc., eBay Inc., Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. and Expedia Inc., study how people use their Web sites.

Mr. Bloom is one of a number of computer users who grew suspicious
when they discovered the files on their computers, either through
manual searches or by running antispyware programs that flagged
2o7.net for potential deletion. Adding to their concerns: when users
plugged www.2o7.net into a Web browser, they got a blank page. A fair
amount of Web know-how was required for users to discover that
Omniture owned the 2o7.net Web address. Some users have blasted
Omniture and its clients over use of the cookies.

The controversy over the 2o7.net cookies highlights the tension that
exists between marketing companies like Omniture and Web users who are
increasingly aware of, and adverse to, files that are automatically
placed on their computers when they surf the Internet. At a time when
PCs are under assault by viruses and other nefarious software like
never before, users are employing a range of software tools and
tactics to protect themselves. Many users don't distinguish between
cookies, which are small bits of text commonly used by Web sites to
identify users, and malicious software that can steal personal
information or change PC settings. That has put marketers on the
defensive, as they try to get users to spare cookies when wiping
computers clean of potential threats.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB112248279507797567-UgCRBcSJhSZRiUI50YLUeSiF6_g_20060729,00.html

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