» The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy

The key point here is most analytics are used by publishers to show readership numbers, most advertising networks are used as a revenue source and unclicked social widgets are used to promote content.

So is this the death of the web as we know it?

Beta versions of the Firefox browser will limit tracking by ad networks. Safari has long done the same, but Safari desktop market share is about 8%, Firefox has around 20% of the browser share, creating a serious dent in the ability of ad companies to track and therefore monetise consumers.

Without advertising revenues, accurate visitor numbers or promotional opportunities many website would struggle I feel. Anyway read more below and at the original article.

 

“If a user does not seem to have intentionally interacted with your content, or if you’re uncertain, you should ask for permission before setting cookies. Most analytics services, advertising networks, and unclicked social widgets would come within this category.

In sum, working around the policy’s technical limits may be reasonable in certain cases, but undermining the policy’s privacy purpose is never acceptable.”

via » The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy. Also worth reading the Mozilla blog post.

Freakonomics » An Economist on the Oscars

“We don’t think our customers are smart enough to tell us which of our products are good. So we created a ceremony to correct our customers.”

Movies are not a product made just for the members the academy. These ventures are primarily made for the general public. And yet, when it comes time to decide which picture is “best,” the opinion of the general public seems to be ignored. Essentially the Oscars are an industry statement to their customers that says: “We don’t think our customers are smart enough to tell us which of our products are good. So we created a ceremony to correct our customers.”
The Oscars are hardly alone in the entertainment industry. We see something similar in the sports industry. The fans are not generally asked to choose the “best” player in each sport. Instead, experts (i.e. sports writers) often tell us who is the “Most Valuable Player,” who is an “All-Star,” or who is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

However, what if we asked the customers?

via Freakonomics » An Economist on the Oscars.