Blue Apples, privacy, and Web Bugs at FR

5/10/2004 | self

[tpaine]

tacticalogic wrote:

Doesn't Cinfla claim to have a program that does the same thing, only better, and pre-dates yours?

______________________________________


Cinfla is well known to claim ANYthing, just for effect.

But the point does have legs, considering this threads basic obvious hypocrisy.

[Libertina]

Play nice. Be happy. LOLOL

[William Terrell]

If you have dark suspicions of the many faces of MrLeRoy, then don't you request that I run charts of those names you think are reincarnations of him? Will be happy to email them to you.

If you don't, why do you mention it?

If the information is useless, why do you worry about it?

Paranoia ill becomes you, my friend, especially ill thought out paranoia.

[William Terrell]

He says I got the idea from him, and his is better. Do you reckon that if he had posted the output from his FL_engineer would have gone off the deep end with him?

[tacticalogic]

If he claims you got the idea from him, he must have posted something for you to get the idea from. Unless you have some kind of miraculous psychic idea-stealing abilities.

[Sabertooth]

I personally think apples, sabertooth tigers, snakes, and whatnot decorating posts are distracting. I'm thinking about opening a "header" and "footer" HTML area that will automatically bracket all posts with these personal decorations. (Some people like them, and they do add character to a post.) I would then provide a configuration option to allow others to disable this added fluff.

Eh. To each their own.

I like avatars, and wish more on FR had them. Makes scrolling through posts, many of them fluffy and graphic-free, much easier.

It's no longer a DOS-based world, after all. Graphics are everywhere because they're more intuitive.

How about some software where I can create my own icons for posters who lack them? Now that would be fun.

[tpaine]

One of the problems I have with your cat pic on the side, tooth..

-- It makes rest of your reply string out less than the width of a newspaper column.

Distracting, and hard to read, imo.

[Sabertooth]

-- It makes rest of your reply string out less than the width of a newspaper column.

One other person has mentioned that problem. Not sure why that is, as I have the HTML for the text set at 600 pixels, which should span about as wide as the text on an 8 x 11 sheet of paper. At the time I asked a few folks to check some posts, and all saw them as I posted them.

I've got five different browsers on my Mac and my posts show up at 600 wide on each of them. Maybe there's something going on with your browser settings? I dunno.

[supercat]

All but maybe WebTV and those stuck with restricted environments allow you to configure the browser to prevent images from being downloaded. And sophisticated browsers are capable of blocking only third party images (those not hosted on the site you are currently reading.)

A better option, though I don't know which programs support it (IE in its default configuration does not) would be to eliminate most of the data from third-party GET requests (including the Referer: field and some bits of the last update time) except for sites to which the user authorized the transmission of such information. I don't want to go into a level of detail that would give anyone ideas, but someone who planted a web bug could easily identify the IP associated with any particular user (unless such blocking software was in use) and determine whenever that user viewed a 'tagged' post, even if the user changed IP addresses).

[Future Useless Eater]

>>All third party images would have to be assumed to be web bugs

Thank you John, for your recognition and acknowledgement that all 3rd party images could be potential 'web-bugs'. I'm glad you are aware of this and no doubt will be watchful for it's abuse.

You and Jim run a great discussion site for Conservatives, and I'm happy to support you.

As for the completely separate, 2nd issue:

[robertpaulsen ->post 30...]
...I believe it was his intent to be intimidating,
to have a chilling effect, and to silence the competition.
This could be seen as abusive and wasteful of F.R.'s CPU time or bandwidth...
[...and post 32...]
The information I want people to know about me is posted on my Profile page.
You'll note that my posting pattern is not there.

Although FR keeps track of all posters, I think you were out of line
to selectively single out people with whom you disagree and post
that information. Are you the type who tracks down publicly available
information on your neighbors (like divorce records) and publish that
information in the local newspapers? Hey, it's legal!

Thank you also Robert, for confirmation from another freeper, that those unrequested compilations, and surprise postings of other freepers' detailed posting-patterns feels abusive. I further felt it was a bullying and intimidating tactic EVEN to OTHERS who hadn't YET posted, but wanted to.

I find it ironic that the dishonest "legalize-all-drugs" crowd, for lack of a better title, are saying [Oh, those charts take so long, 20 minutes to generate, and they're not worth the effort ] but meanwhile they are giddy when one of their charts seems to show something potentially damaging of one of their critics.

And all the while they KNOW they've been soliciting help (posts 948, 949, 1015, 1016) for automating that task, to make it more simple and quick for them. Up until today, they didn't know how, but with the new tips, that's now their next challenge.

>> ...using a participant's contributions to FreeRepublic against him must be discouraged for the better of the site. A typical goal of a site is to grow participation. Misuse of such data could be detrimental to that goal.

I appreciate and read John's remarks in post 33 as allowing for an 'abuse-button-offense' if those unrequested compilations of other peoples' posting-patterns continues.
Otherwise, John may end up having to reprogram the F.R site to take coutermeasures like stripping-out the time-of-day timestamps from all posts older than a day or so.

Thank you everyone, for helping to keep F.R. the Number ONE Conservative forum!

[Future Useless Eater]

scroll up for management's answers at #33

[floriduh voter]

Yes but consider this. A new screen name posted only one post at Fr, pinged some freepers including you know who and the newbie's post was deleted and he was ZOTTED without explanation.

Is that because we live in a litigious society? In the case of Terri, those among us who are pro-euthanasia or working for that "side", are proponents of mind control for one thing. HINO'S attorney is on the record in the St. Peterburg Times stating that he can use his mind to crash airplanes and can look into people's eyes and tell if they want to die or not.

Terri is the standard bearer for FORCED EXIT. She's their Kash Kow and the industry that would have us believe this is about people's wishes will never admit that this is about millions, billions and trillions of dollars for PAST AND THE NEXT TERRI'S. They are here to undermine through disruption, dissension but it won't work.

It may not be the apple but the program may kick in if you post back to the blue apple. IGNORE THE BLUE APPLE POSTS.

Terri Schindler-Schiavo, God bless you.

Disability Groups file friend of the Court Briefs in support of Terri JUST THIS WEEK at least 12 groups, maybe 20. They're afraid because they also need nourishment=feeding tubes. FEEDING TUBES ARE NOT MEDICAL TREATMENT OR LIFE SUPPORT no more than your spoon or fork is "life support".

THANK YOU FOR THIS THREAD but let's remember that Terri's Not a Tomato. (from a sign - I am not freaking out).

Visit www.terrisfight.org. Join Terri's Million Eaters March.

[floriduh voter]

(original photo by floriduh voter... Not a BLUE APPLE.)

[amdgmary]

It may be best for everyone to ignore William Terrell's messages. He seems to be trying to disrupt the Terri Thread. If we all ignore his messages, he may go away.

[floriduh voter]

Please read my last post which is just my opinion, take it or leave it. Consider the MONEY involved in the guardianship case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo whose tale is well documented here at free republic.

Even Governor Bush is tied up in litigation with the forced exit lobby with ACLU sitting at counsel's table in the case of Michael Schiavo v. Jeb Bush for Terri's Law. If Jeb exhausts ALL of his appeals, an American will be killed by starvation and dehydration without a Living Will. She will then be really dead in the earthly realm before her time and there will be FUTURE TERRI'S. Terri's case affects FORCED EXITS of the future. Let it end in Florida...

[T'wit]

No offense, but a thought for you. Unlike an illustration for an article or verse, or an editorial cartoon, your little tiger is merely a signature and conveys no message. To me, that's an intrusion and it gets old right away. So, the second time I see such graphics, I almost automatically skip over such posts and don't read them. For this reader, your message goes a-begging.

[floriduh voter]

It may be a tactic so we'll burn out or lose interest in helping Terri. That will never happen.

[TigersEye]

It may be best for everyone to ignore William Terrell's messages. He seems to be trying to disrupt the Terri Thread. If we all ignore his messages, he may go away.

Is that what this thread is about, FL-engineer?

I don't agree with WT's views on Terri either. In fact I challenged him quite provocatively to stand up or back down from his POV recently and he chose not to respond. That's his prerogative.

Our exchange stands as a record of our respective views and our ability and/or willingness to defend and articulate them. That's what this forum is about.

I'm not stewing about his nonresponse or following him around demanding an answer or otherwise holding a grudge because he holds a differing opinion. WT is certainly no troll and is often quite conservative in his views and rather articulate about it.

FL, you have done a lot, more than most, to carry the water on the Schiavo issue but if this is payback for being Contreras on the Terri threads I don't think you do yourself or the cause justice by it.

amdgmary, a quick look at WT's recent postings on Terri threads doesn't paint him to be a disruptor. If I have missed an ongoing habit of his I apologize in advance but there is a difference between voicing an opposing view and disrupting however emotionally unsettling that opposing view may be.

Ignoring him (or anyone) is fine, it is a great tactic and highly appropriate at times, but conducting vendettas and setting traps for posters you disagree with is counterproductive to advancing an issue or this site IMO. That is what this thread looks like.

[TigersEye]

Contreras = contrarian

I didn't make that typo. I guess the spell check did. Weird!

[William Terrell]

The truth is, there were so many responses to me on that thread, it was taking up too much time. I was saying the same thing over and over to different people, which would come back saying the same thing as somebody else said.

I realized it was futile, I couldn't keep up and dropped the thread. Then was forced back on it by this controversy.

Sorry for the hard feelings for my nonresponse. Post or refer to a link to your response and I'll respond to it.

By the by, I posted a challenge to Mr. engineer twice to address his accusations and concerns to me, and have yet to hear from him.