[SnapperOne]

Found myself frustrated in my attempts to keep snoopware cookies like DoubleClick and Impulse2Buy off my system. Just stumbled across the fact that both are sent to me compliments of my ISP, AT&T Broadband Internet, each time I go to AT&T Home Page.

When I asked that I be told how to stop the downloads, I was told, (and this is an accurate quote) "Well, you don't have to use our home page now do you? Why don't you use another home page." That's when I was introduced, by one of their Supervisors, to Section 8K, "Cookies", of the Subscriber Agreement.

In short it says "......the Customer acknowledges that accessing
Tcertain web sites "through the Service" may result in a (cookie) being entered into the memory of the Customer's browser or stored........". "Through the Service"? How about just using the service.

Two more calls to AT&T, same answer; "Too Bad, So Sad, bye-bye now".

Just thought you'd like to know

SnapperOne (aka Steven)

[three]

couldn't you just use the 'block cookies' function in IE? I just gave it a go and tried out AT&T's site and told it to block cookies from that site and hit 'refresh' and cookies are not loaded.

[SnapperOne]

Three..........

As explained to me by the tech's at AT&T, my understanding is that the IE choices regarding cookies are:

1) You block all cookies

2) You set IE up so that you must cookie-by-cookie approve or deny the download, or

3) That you block all cookies except those that you have preprogramed into IE as being OK to accpet.

If the above are true:

#1 Won't allow you to surf very efficiently
#2 Based upon the number of cookies or cookie-type files most sites throw at you, this is very tedious
#3 Nice idea, as long as you only go to places you know.

My rub isn't so much against DoubleClick and Impulse2Buy (even though I believe it's none of their business where I shop on-line), its that AT&T is (I'm certain based upon a profit motive) downloading files to my PC that have nothing at all to do with improving the functionality of my system or their Home Page. It would simply have been nice if they had asked, or provided a way to opt out.

SnapperOne (aka Steven)

[CUViper]

If you go into the "privacy" tab in internet options, you can set a block or allow status override for individual sites by clicking the edit button at the bottom. So you should be able to put in the relevant sites for DoubleClick and Impulse2Buy to block them from ever setting cookies.

[SnapperOne]

CUViper

Nope........! Entered doubleclick into the <Tools><Internet Options><Security><Restricted sites> area of IE. After doing this, I cleaned all cookies from the system then entered the ATTBI Home Page. Ta Da.....there was the doubleclick cookie!

I'll keep fooling with it. Thanks for the info.

Steven

[CUViper]

That's not quite where I was talking about... Go into <Tools><Internet Options><Privacy> and click the "Edit..." button at the bottom. Type in "doubleclick.net" and click "Block", then type in "impulsebuy.net" and again click "Block". IE will not only prevent those sites from placing cookies, but it will also delete any existing cookies from those sites.

BTW, I believe this option is only available in IE6, so you will need to upgrade if you haven't done so already...

[SnapperOne]

CUViper......

Running IE 5.50.4134. Guess whether I upgrade to IE6 will show how much this issue really bugs me. It seems that dealing with this issue is going to test my longstanding hesitancy to upgrade to new versions of any software, when the version I'm currently using does what I want it to do.

While I appreciate the input I have received from NTC subscribers in finding a way to control the issue from my end, the discussion has unfortunately migrated away from the original culprit; namely, AT&T exploiting the terms of its User Agreement to download un-necessary 3rd party (what I consider to be snoopware) on my PC.

Being someone who believes in following the chain-of-command, I've written a letter to AT&T's Customer Complaint Department. It'll be intersting to see what type, in any response I receive.

Thanks again for the ongoing follow up.

Respectfully........SnapperOne (aka Steven)