Re: Traffic Log-Legitimate Traffic or Data Mining???

From: Dirk Claessens (will.bounce_at_invalid)
Date: 08/08/04 

Date: Sun, 08 Aug 2004 19:14:14 GMT

"Jeff" <jeff@nospam.net> wrote in
news:QwtRc.250317$JR4.100228@attbi_s54:

> So the key question I have is this: is there a legitimate reason why
> my computer should be sending a data packet to adsremote.scripps.com
> (204.78.38.15) when I try to read the daily Dilbert comic
> (65.114.4.69)? Other than the initial request from my browser to
> download the .html file(s) from a website, why should my browser be
> sending anything to anywhere else?
>

Most freely accessible websites run some form of advertisement/banner
service. I guess you will have to live with it. This ad service may is
either run by themselves, or by specialised 3d party companies.

( you'd be amazed where CNN,FoxNews,CBS & al take you to stuff you with
ads!)

This is part of the sourcecode of www.dilbert.com:

<script language="JavaScript1.1"
src="http://adsremote.scripps.com/js.ng/site=DLBT&adtype=SUPERSTITIAL&Pag
ePos=1">
</script>

A simple dig reveals that www.dilbert.com is actually located at
umns1.unitedmedia.com, and that the DNS-servers are ...
ns1/2.scripps.com, belonging to the same domain as adsremote.

C:\dig>dig www.dilbert.com
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.dilbert.com. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.dilbert.com. 3263 IN A 65.114.4.69

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
dilbert.com. 3263 IN NS umns1.unitedmedia.com.
dilbert.com. 3263 IN NS ns1.scripps.com.
dilbert.com. 3263 IN NS ns2.scripps.com.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
umns1.unitedmedia.com. 45917 IN A 65.114.4.10
ns1.scripps.com. 45917 IN A 204.78.32.10
ns2.scripps.com. 45917 IN A 209.215.174.32

Frankly, what you are trying to achieve is a waist of time.
It is perfectly normal/legal that a web page contains links to other
domains, after all that's what the World Wide Web is all about!

It is unfeasable to sift through each and every URL any given webpage may
contain. If you're concerned about your privacy, then use some anonymizer
service.

Finally, if you're really concerned about security, then ditch IE & OE
*now*. Even if you installed the latest patches, it will only be a matter
of time before the next security hole will surface. 

-- 
Dirk.
No trees were killed in the creation of this message;
however, many electrons were terribly inconvenienced. 
http://users.pandora.be/dirk.claessens2

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