The Web Ad Wars Continue: Will the Real Darth Vader, Please Stand Up?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Karl Auerbach <karl () cavebear com>
Date: December 1, 2009 3:05:21 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Re: [IP] The Web Ad Wars Continue: Will the Real Darth Vader, Please Stand Up?
Reply-To: karl () cavebear com

On 11/30/2009 11:28 PM, David Farber wrote:

> From: Lauren Weinstein<lauren () vortex com>
> Date: November 30, 2009 9:47:39 PM EST
> Subject: The Web Ad Wars Continue: Will the Real Darth Vader, Please Stand Up?

>    The Web Ad Wars Continue: Will the Real Darth Vader, Please Stand Up?

> This brings up another pertinent point.  How often have you had a Web
> page freeze up completely during loading

I have found the following useful (in addition to the usual things such as Adblock Plus):

I modify my machines' hosts file so that it does the following name mappings:

127.0.0.1       www.google-analytics.com
127.0.0.1       ssl.google-analytics.com

This has the effect of causing my browser to do a loopback connect (which fails instantly) for all of those Google 
urchin tracking 1x1 invisible images and the associated javascript, you know the script that sends information about 
your machine back to Google, gives 'em a cookie hook, and let's 'em build cross-page and cross-site tracking data about 
me (and you.)

In addition to the privacy enhancement it also tends to make web surfing faster because my browser doesn't have to wait 
for Google.  Yes, Google is usually very fast, but not always.  But I am always impatient, especially when the reason 
why I'm forced to wait is to allow someone to data mine me.

The wikipedia has an article that shows where to find the hosts file on various operating systems.

                --karl--




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