IP: just do it yourself doubleclick opt_out

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 16:29:23 -0800
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: Mark Laubach <laubach () inconvenient net>
> Subject: just do it yourself doubleclick opt_out
>
> [Verified direction.  Use this one from inconvenient.net.]
>
> I just surfed www.doubleclick.net and descended down to the opt out
> option and it seemed to work ok.  Maybe they changed the link so
> people would have to go diving at their site?
>
> Anyway, you can opt out of doubleclick with your text editor.  Follow
> these directions to edit your cookie file.
>
> I did the opt out from doubleclick earlier this week.  Here's the replaced
> line in my Netscape 4.7 cookie file from my Powerbook:
>
> .doubleclick.net        TRUE    /       FALSE   1920499172      id 
> OPT_OUT
>
> Notes:
>
> 1) The cookie file on a MAC or PC is just a text file.  You can manually
> edit the file and replace the doubleclick references with above line.  One
> you open the file, search for doubleclick and paste the above line over the
> exisiting line if it doesn't say "OPT_OUT".  Quite netscape first before
> editing the cookie file.  When you locate your cookie file by one of the
> methods below, make a copy of it first in case there's an "oops" later one.
> You don't want to loose all your cookie marbles.
>
> a) For Netscape under Win(loose)9x, the cookie file is called
> "cookies.txt".  Use Window Explorer's find to locate the file and then just
> doubleclick on it to open the text editor.
>
> b) For netscape on the MAC, the file is called "MagicCookie" and it should
> be found in your user profile folder that Netscape created.  You can use
> Sherlock to find the file.  If you have several file of the same name, find
> the one with the most recent modify date.  Editing is a bit more difficult
> because SimpleText can't see the file.  Don't use MSWORD it reformats the
> text lines!  Other editors should have a "all files" button on their open
> window which you'll need to click to see the cookie file's name.  For
> example, I use the Alpha text editor, it is able too see the file.
> Important: you must answer "no" to the pop-up "Convert from paragraph
> format?"  question when using Alpha.  BBEDIT can see the file when you
> select "any file" option in the file open box.
>
> c) For netscape on versions of UNIX, find the cookie file under your
> home directory and just edit it.  Again, when netscape isn't running.
>
> 2) The white space between the tokens should be a single TAB, not SPACEs.
> If you cut and paste the above line, make sure the TABs were not turned
> into SPACEs.  MACs and PCs follow the same format of using TAB delimiters.
>
> 3) MAC files designate "type" and "creator" and you may have to reset the
> both using resedit or a utility such as snitch.  Type sould be "COOK" and
> creator "MOSS".  I have tried running netscape with different type and
> creator and netscape doesn't appear to mind.  If it does mind, you have to
> reset both.  Both Alpha and BBEDIT preserved COOK/MOSS on save.  Your
> mileage may vary with other editors.  On the PC, it doesn't matter as it's
> the ".txt" extension that makes the difference.
>
> 4) I have no idea how IE keeps cookies.  Might be the same mechanism,
> however likely a different format.
>
> 5) If doubleclick doesn't follow their own opt out plans in the future,
> the above cookie could always be replaced by them at any time.
>
> Mark