Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net

Networking specialist Sitecom has announced an extension of the security software running on its top-end router models, adding support for the Do Not Track flag to all client devices.

Introduced in the latest version of desktop browsers, and slowly making its way to mobile devices, Do Not Track is a flag which tells sites that the user does not wish to be tracked between visits. Privacy fans claim its an important step in improving the state of the web, while advertisers have decried the technology by claiming it will limit the availability and diversity of Internet content and services for consumers.

via Sitecom adds Do Not Track to its routers | bit-tech.net.

Use of Tracking Cookies on the Rise as Advertisers Seek More Data From Web Surfers | Digital – Advertising Age

Nothing new here – The number of cookies dropped by websites is growing.

The number of third-party cookies — little pieces of software set on users’ machines to track web users for ad targeting or site analytics purposes — rose from 1,887 on the home pages of the most-popular 100 websites in May to 2,324 in October, according to research from the University of California at Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. That’s a 23% leap.

via Use of Tracking Cookies on the Rise as Advertisers Seek More Data From Web Surfers | Digital – Advertising Age.

Messages chatroom window won’t go away: Apple Support Communities

I’ve had an annoying chatroom that opened every time I started messages despite not using it in months. I unchecked the autojoin option in the chat window and closed it, checked the autojoin and closed it but it always came back. It turns out that the autojoin checkbox in the chat window doesn’t seem to b econnected to anything and you have to do it via an obscure menu.

File > Go to Chat Room > Deselect “auto join” in the chat room list window.

via chatroom window won’t go away: Apple Support Communities.

Data cops: Facebook privacy plans must be ‘modified’ • The Register

Facebook remains tied to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement that “prohibits the company from changing privacy settings without the affirmative consent of users or misrepresenting the privacy or security of users’ personal information”.

Indeed, as of November 2011, Facebook agreed to bi-annual privacy audits for two decades as part of its deal with the FTC. At the time the US watchdog said Facebook must be clear about changes to its website, including providing a “prominent notice” to users.

The social network was told it should obtain “express consent” before a user’s information is shared beyond any privacy settings already established by an individual connected to Facebook.

Arguably then, Facebook is failing to honour at least part of its agreement with the FTC: the website did inform all of its users of the plans in an email outlining the proposed tweaks. But it may have fallen down on the requirement to seek “express consent” for sharing data beyond the limits set in place by users. That said, the stateside regulator is yet to publicly express any disquiet about the company’s incoming privacy policy overhaul.

In contrast, here in Europe, the office of Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner confirmed late last week that it was seeking “urgent clarification” from Facebook – whose European headquarters are in Dublin – about the changes.

via Data cops: Facebook privacy plans must be ‘modified’ • The Register.

Facebook Remains Gaping Hole in Advertising Industrys Privacy Program | Digital – Advertising Age

Can you have industry self-regulation if one of the biggest players isnt following the guidelines?Thats the challenge for online advertising in the face of mounting privacy concerns, and the source is one of the webs biggest ad sellers: Facebook.The social-media giant is running behaviorally targeted ads on its site that dont include the little triangular icons that are the public face of the industrys push to be more transparent about targeting.

via Facebook Remains Gaping Hole in Advertising Industrys Privacy Program | Digital – Advertising Age.

It’s Not Viewability, but Noticeability, That Really Counts | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology – Advertising Age

A viewable impression in a cluttered environment is unlikely ever to be noticed. Many of today’s pages are a hot mess of links, content, graphics, skins, unrequested video and floating banners. They are an assault on the senses, and one sense in particular — our vision — does some quick filtering to skip through the obstacles and find what we came for. If the cognitive dissonance is too strong, we’re gone. The ads we skipped counted as viewable, but we never noticed them.

via It’s Not Viewability, but Noticeability, That Really Counts | DigitalNext: A Blog on Emerging Media and Technology – Advertising Age.

Facebook to Help Brands Track Ad-Driven Sales | Adweek

I’m amazed that Facebook are only just doing this now – Advertising.com have done it for years as have most other networks.

Here’s how the self-serve tool works. Marketers add a piece of code from Facebook to whichever site pages they want to measure conversions on, be it a checkout page or an email newsletter sign-up page. When users click on a Facebook ad that leads them to that page, Facebook will see that the page loaded and count it as a conversion in the marketer’s Ads Manager dashboard.The real key is that the tool can unlock the full path to conversion from a Facebook ad.

via Facebook to Help Brands Track Ad-Driven Sales | Adweek.

Why would anyone apply for a job on Facebook?

The Facebook Job Board Is Here: Recruiting Will Never Look The Same – Forbes

Facebook announced its long-awaited job board this morning, ushering in a new era of online recruiting and, eventually, what’s likely to be an important new source of revenue for the company. After a yearlong “Social Jobs Partnership” with the U.S. Department of Labor and other government agencies, the company released the Social Jobs Partnership application today, an interactive job board that aggregates 1.7 million openings from recruiting companies already working on the platform, including Work4 Labs, BranchOut, Jobvite, DirectEmployers and Monster.com.

I don’t think it’s much of an issue to be fair – jobvite is scary asking for facebook details (plus it never worked very well) and really most people are friends on facebook with work colleagues. You’d want ot be very careful that apps and boards didn’t publicise your activity and we all know how Facebook treat privacy controls…

via The Facebook Job Board Is Here: Recruiting Will Never Look The Same – Forbes.

Backlash against Amazon tax in the UK

So two things strike me as odd about the Amazon sweepstakes.

1. We don’t have Black Friday in the UK as we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving so it’s an odd promotion for the UK.

2. They don’t seem to have engaged anyone about the broadly negative comments about their tax avoidance schemes in the UK.

Such as

Felicitas Aga Are you kidding, Marco? Amazon doesn`t pay tax in uk!!!

Annina Eales i won’t be buying anything from you again unless you start paying tax

via Timeline Photos.