What does website know when I browse?

old volunteer wrote:
> When I go to a site, for example, WebMD, what does the site know about me by
> my logging on to the site? It's a question of privacy for example if I'm
> asking a medical question. In general when I log onto a website what do they
> know about me what can they determine from the logon?

They see you when you're sleeping,
They know when you're awake.
They know when you've been bad or good ...

If all you do is surf to a website (i.e., you don't manually enter any
data), code at the website can determine a number of things: your IP
address (which is assigned to you by your ISP and without which you
could not use the Internet at all); a geographic location related to
that IP address (which may or may not be anywhere near where you
actually live, again depending on your how your ISP does things); the
operating system being used by your computer (e.g., Windows XP); the web
browser you are using (e.g., Firefox); perhaps the name of the website
where you clicked on a link to get to the current website; various
details about your last visit to this website; and perhaps some
additional info I've forgotten.

Of course, if you actually *log in* to a web site, then "they" know
everything you entered when you created your UserID.

So...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout ...

And if you want to hide any or all of that info, Google "anonymous surfing"


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
 >> Stay informed about: What does website know when I browse? 

Lem wrote:
> old volunteer wrote:
>> When I go to a site, for example, WebMD, what does the site know
>> about me by my logging on to the site? It's a question of privacy
>> for example if I'm asking a medical question. In general when I log
>> onto a website what do they know about me what can they determine
>> from the logon?
>
> They see you when you're sleeping,
> They know when you're awake.
> They know when you've been bad or good ...
>
> If all you do is surf to a website (i.e., you don't manually enter any
> data), code at the website can determine a number of things: your IP
> address (which is assigned to you by your ISP and without which you
> could not use the Internet at all); a geographic location related to
> that IP address (which may or may not be anywhere near where you
> actually live, again depending on your how your ISP does things); the
> operating system being used by your computer (e.g., Windows XP); the
> web browser you are using (e.g., Firefox); perhaps the name of the
> website where you clicked on a link to get to the current website;
> various details about your last visit to this website; and perhaps some
> additional info I've forgotten.
>

The web site COULD access cookies on your computer put down by other sites
and, from those, discover or deduce a lot more.

But there's good news: If you don't have anything to worry about, you don't
have anything to worry about. If you're a terrorist, we're gonna get you.
And your little dog too.
 >> Stay informed about: What does website know when I browse? 

HeyBub wrote:
> Lem wrote:
>> old volunteer wrote:
>>> When I go to a site, for example, WebMD, what does the site know
>>> about me by my logging on to the site? It's a question of privacy
>>> for example if I'm asking a medical question. In general when I log
>>> onto a website what do they know about me what can they determine
>>> from the logon?
>> They see you when you're sleeping,
>> They know when you're awake.
>> They know when you've been bad or good ...
>>
>> If all you do is surf to a website (i.e., you don't manually enter any
>> data), code at the website can determine a number of things: your IP
>> address (which is assigned to you by your ISP and without which you
>> could not use the Internet at all); a geographic location related to
>> that IP address (which may or may not be anywhere near where you
>> actually live, again depending on your how your ISP does things); the
>> operating system being used by your computer (e.g., Windows XP); the
>> web browser you are using (e.g., Firefox); perhaps the name of the
>> website where you clicked on a link to get to the current website;
>> various details about your last visit to this website; and perhaps some
>> additional info I've forgotten.
>>
>
> The web site COULD access cookies on your computer put down by other sites
> and, from those, discover or deduce a lot more.
>
> But there's good news: If you don't have anything to worry about, you don't
> have anything to worry about. If you're a terrorist, we're gonna get you.
> And your little dog too.
>
>
Plus zap your nuts so all those virgins won't do you any good.
Dave Cohen
 >> Stay informed about: What does website know when I browse?