Web bugs

[Faqt]

I think the first time I was introduced to the concept of cookies was the first day I used my computer online....you hear about cookies all the time. I quickly began to understand the related concepts (ie security settings, and dumping of cookies)

I just recently read an article about cookies and....WEB BUGS??

The article aroused my curiosity and I decided to download and try the program it mentioned called Bugnosis.
Bugnosis searches sites for web bugs. Here is a sample that I have found.
[QOUTE]
Tiny, Once, Domain http://w.abz.com/all/bullets/dot_clea.gif

Tiny= image is tiny, so is probably not meant to be seen
Once= image is used only once in the document
Domain= image comes from a different domain than the document and manipulates a cookie (third party cookie)
[/QUOTE]

Here's my question...do the owners of a site always know a web bug is present, and should sites with web bugs be avoided as a general rule?
So far I have not read of any way to block them...
Anyone have any web bug wisdom they'd like to share?

Thanks.

[KorpDeath]

Spyblocker is a program that will block them. Single pixel bugs are the mainstay of CNN. If you use spyblocker and go to that site, none of the pictures show up, makes the site useless. I stopped going to CNN.

http://personal.bellsouth.net/mia/k/r/kryp/index.htm

If you're the paranoid type, then block them.

edit - Where's the link to the article you read????

[JRoc]

Yeah, I'd like to see it too!

[Tedob1]

the sites that have web-bugs them have to know. the code on the page loads an image (even if its only1 pixel) from some one elses server, it would not load unless their page tells it to.

[avdven]

I read a similar article a year or so ago in PCWorld (the physical version... would search their database for it, but it's probably outdated by now). I used Bugnosis for a while, but got fed up with all the little bug images that kept appearing on web pages. It wasn't worth it. I've got some good blockers in place, but there's always things that slip through. I'll live with it.

AJ

[Faqt]

lol @ avdven- yes, those annoying little bugs are annoying...I disabled them, then eventually disabled the auto open feature of Bugnosis entirely...now it only tells me web bugs are present if I ask it to.

In regards to the article...I'm sorry, but I don't have a link for it (it may be somewhere, I haven't had time to google for it).
I read the article, titled: How to Regain Privacy on the Net , by Boris Loza , in the Spring 2002 editicon of 2600

[avdven]

Here's a link to the article I read (I'm bored.... lol)

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,62265,00.asp

And here's some info about Bugnosis.

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/fil...d,15783,00.asp

AJ

[Kindred69]

I remembering reading somewhere that they where in general 1 pixel .gif files. Is this right? Is this the only format they come in?

[preacherman481]

[quote]IP Addresses/Clear GIFs
AntiOnline.com may track individual IP addresses and use clear GIFs to help diagnose problems with our service, to administer our site and to gather broad demographic information. User IP address information is used only for our internal purposes. Information gathered through our use of clear GIFs cannot be traced to an individual user and is used only for our internal purposes.[quote]

The site you're on right now uses web bugs. The above quote is from the AO Privacy Statement. clear GIF=web bug. I guess if your browser has an option to not load images that would stop web bugs from loading too, but it will cost some functionality as buttons, etc. won't load either.

[{P²P}Apocalypse]

Bugs? Raid or Black Flag works well, except for the roaches......................<grin>