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Trying to understand Ghostery
#19526 12/08/11 05:59 AM
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The nice folks who've given us Ghostery gratis are not nice enough to respond to e-mails, sooo...

I've got Ghostery configured like so

Code:
Blocking Options

 Enable bug blocking

Blocking all bugs.

and I know it's doing something, because I no longer see Google Analytics, i.e. utm_ cookies.

On the other hand, though, even though "Blocking all bugs." extends to "DoubleClick," I'm still finding items in Safari> Prefs > Privacy > Details identified as doubleclick.net (Cache) and doubleclick.net (Cookies). (DoubleClick is not unique, but it's the one on which I've focused.)

Can anybody clarify this apparent anomaly?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
artie505 #19545 12/09/11 04:54 AM
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i don't think "blocking bugs" necessarily equates to "preventing cookie creation".

what may be the case (just guessing) is that Ghostery blocks those beacons from receiving any data. [i.e., requesting some file be created and actually accessing that file are two different deals.]

if e-mails don't work try posting on their facebook page. smile

Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Hal Itosis #19548 12/09/11 06:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
i don't think "blocking bugs" necessarily equates to "preventing cookie creation".

what may be the case (just guessing) is that Ghostery blocks those beacons from receiving any data. [i.e., requesting some file be created and actually accessing that file are two different deals.]

if e-mails don't work try posting on their facebook page. smile

Thanks; that sounds like a good guess.

(I don't do Facebook... Oh, well.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
artie505 #19552 12/09/11 07:39 AM
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if/when i have time, i'll try to post your query there.

Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Hal Itosis #19553 12/09/11 07:42 AM
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Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
if/when i have time, i'll try to post your query there.

Thanks; it will be appreciated. smile


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Hal Itosis #19554 12/09/11 07:56 AM
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I find the word "bugs" unsettling; it's obscurity and the dearth of information on Ghostery's home page leave me cold.

Originally Posted By: Ghostery/About
Ghostery allows zero-tolerance blocking of anything ad related, [....]

I think "zero-tolerance blocking" needs, very badly, to be clarified in view of Safari > Prefs > Privacy.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
artie505 #19555 12/09/11 03:43 PM
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I believe Ghostery is referring to a "Web Bug"

Good reading there on Wikipedia


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Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
artie505 #19562 12/09/11 06:50 PM
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Hi Artie,

Thanks for using Ghostery. Your email slipped through the cracks in my Gmail filters, pardon me for the delay in response,

Ghostery for Safari does not clear regular cookies, nor does it prevent them from being written. What it does do is render them useless by preventing them from "calling home." So you'll still see some cookies stored.

In Ghostery for Firefox, we do have another option you can select that flat-out blocks some cookies from ever being written. This is just an added layer and is not always necessary because our regular blocking gets the job done for the most part, but we still like to give people the option.

Regarding our usage of the term "bug," we are changing this in an upcoming release. A new term we've developed is "3pe," or 3rd party page element, and this encompasses all of the different tracking elements that Ghostery sees load into a page including pixels/beacons, widgets, ads, etc.

Hope this answers your questions!

Adam

Last edited by Ghostery_adam; 12/09/11 06:50 PM.
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Ghostery_adam #19569 12/10/11 01:38 AM
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Thanks Adam.

Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Hal Itosis #19571 12/10/11 06:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: Hal Itosis
Thanks Adam.

And, I assume, thanks, Hal.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
Ghostery_adam #19572 12/10/11 06:59 AM
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Thanks for your post, Adam, but it left one question unanswered and spawned another...

First is you didn't explain how, if at all, Ghostery interacts with, by way of example, doubleclick.net (Cache) as opposed to its rendering doubleclick.net (Cookie) "useless by preventing [it] from 'calling home.'"

And second, if "Ghostery for Safari does not clear regular cookies, nor does it prevent them from being written," why am I no longer seeing the Google Analytics, i.e. utm_, cookies I used to see included in cookie "packages?" Is there perhaps some pref I've set within Google that I don't remember having set?

Thanks again.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Trying to understand Ghostery
artie505 #19573 12/10/11 05:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
And, I assume, thanks, Hal.

nope, sorry... i was surprised myself. [no idea how ghostery found this place]


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