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A Web Site Mysteriously Knows Who I Am & Details About My Last Visit. Scary!
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<blockquote data-quote="PGB1" data-source="post: 1835876" data-attributes="member: 76746"><p>Crazy Stuff!</p><p></p><p>Thanks KRS for mentioning Brave Browser. I'll try it out. </p><p>I do think Safari clears cookies with history since I have to (and don't mind) re-entering my user name & ID when I return to a site, such as this one or a bank. However, who knows how much data is gathered while at the site when cookies are accepted. </p><p></p><p>My habit, when I am at any site requiring my name or a user name, is to clear history & cache, then close the browser before going elsewhere. I learned that the hard way by logging out of eBay and going somewhere else. Next time I logged into eBay, they had waiting for me the books that I looked at on Barnes & Noble (without being logging in to B & N). </p><p>I wonder if there are permanent cookies on my computer somewhere that don't get nuked.</p><p></p><p>You mentioned Humana getting my name from a doctor or somewhere. That makes perfect sense since many medical places I use probably accept Humana. It amazes me what lengths companies go to in order to get your name so they can act all friendly and sell you something. I never realized it until you all explained. All Humana did was make me uneasy about dealing with them. (As if the other insurance companies are innocent angels...)</p><p></p><p>Thanks Jake for the mention of a password generator. That's a very good idea, as long as the master password is safe from hacking. </p><p>I do change passwords frequently for money & health places and use long, goofy ones. For benign sites, like this one, I am lazy about long passwords & changing them.</p><p></p><p>You were spot-on right about some VPN browsers tracking, at least as far as Opera. I asked them today and they said they do track where I am located and the sites to which I travel, but not the data I send. They sent me the privacy statement and it explains in good detail what, where, when & why. </p><p></p><p>I often work with a paranoid (but fun paranoid) guy who is about as far off the grid as one can get & still live in a city. He works with cash only. Paid by cash. No bank accounts, does not take his social security, won't go to doctors, has a pay-as-you-go phone in a fake name & pays cash everywhere. He's got a fake name on utility accounts and lives in a no lease-no name house rental (common around here). He's got a fake name on driver license & plates. (It's super easy to buy fake ID of any sort here.) Back-of-the-van car insurance & more goofy stuff. And the names are various. He's got a dozen of them. But, he's still on camera everywhere, so what is the point?</p><p></p><p>My wife internet searches us once in a while. It's kind of cool. </p><p>Her name is not common, so there are few results. Mine is not too common in the U.S., but is very, very common in Germany, so she gets a zillion search hits for me. </p><p>I once did it and a page showed I am a police officer in Detroit & precinct union steward. I left there in the 1980's, so somehow even pre-internet data gets out there. All I can figure is that it's from a union, pension fund or Blue Cross leak.</p><p></p><p>I wonder how many search hits one would get if one's name were Mohammed or Lee (The most common first and surnames on the planet.) </p><p></p><p>Technology makes so very many things possible and quite easy, but I learned here today that the cost is privacy. Personally, I like the convenience of technology. When I was in school- even college- there were not yet personal computers, ATM cards or cell phones. How did we survive? Oh yeah- Libraries, cash, pay phones and stores made out of bricks. (And record players, too.)</p><p></p><p>And life will go on!</p><p></p><p>Thank You All once again for the great education and for some very helpful ideas. I really enjoy learning things on this forum's thousands of pages of helpful information!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PGB1, post: 1835876, member: 76746"] Crazy Stuff! Thanks KRS for mentioning Brave Browser. I'll try it out. I do think Safari clears cookies with history since I have to (and don't mind) re-entering my user name & ID when I return to a site, such as this one or a bank. However, who knows how much data is gathered while at the site when cookies are accepted. My habit, when I am at any site requiring my name or a user name, is to clear history & cache, then close the browser before going elsewhere. I learned that the hard way by logging out of eBay and going somewhere else. Next time I logged into eBay, they had waiting for me the books that I looked at on Barnes & Noble (without being logging in to B & N). I wonder if there are permanent cookies on my computer somewhere that don't get nuked. You mentioned Humana getting my name from a doctor or somewhere. That makes perfect sense since many medical places I use probably accept Humana. It amazes me what lengths companies go to in order to get your name so they can act all friendly and sell you something. I never realized it until you all explained. All Humana did was make me uneasy about dealing with them. (As if the other insurance companies are innocent angels...) Thanks Jake for the mention of a password generator. That's a very good idea, as long as the master password is safe from hacking. I do change passwords frequently for money & health places and use long, goofy ones. For benign sites, like this one, I am lazy about long passwords & changing them. You were spot-on right about some VPN browsers tracking, at least as far as Opera. I asked them today and they said they do track where I am located and the sites to which I travel, but not the data I send. They sent me the privacy statement and it explains in good detail what, where, when & why. I often work with a paranoid (but fun paranoid) guy who is about as far off the grid as one can get & still live in a city. He works with cash only. Paid by cash. No bank accounts, does not take his social security, won't go to doctors, has a pay-as-you-go phone in a fake name & pays cash everywhere. He's got a fake name on utility accounts and lives in a no lease-no name house rental (common around here). He's got a fake name on driver license & plates. (It's super easy to buy fake ID of any sort here.) Back-of-the-van car insurance & more goofy stuff. And the names are various. He's got a dozen of them. But, he's still on camera everywhere, so what is the point? My wife internet searches us once in a while. It's kind of cool. Her name is not common, so there are few results. Mine is not too common in the U.S., but is very, very common in Germany, so she gets a zillion search hits for me. I once did it and a page showed I am a police officer in Detroit & precinct union steward. I left there in the 1980's, so somehow even pre-internet data gets out there. All I can figure is that it's from a union, pension fund or Blue Cross leak. I wonder how many search hits one would get if one's name were Mohammed or Lee (The most common first and surnames on the planet.) Technology makes so very many things possible and quite easy, but I learned here today that the cost is privacy. Personally, I like the convenience of technology. When I was in school- even college- there were not yet personal computers, ATM cards or cell phones. How did we survive? Oh yeah- Libraries, cash, pay phones and stores made out of bricks. (And record players, too.) And life will go on! Thank You All once again for the great education and for some very helpful ideas. I really enjoy learning things on this forum's thousands of pages of helpful information! [/QUOTE]
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A Web Site Mysteriously Knows Who I Am & Details About My Last Visit. Scary!
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