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Bugtraq archives for 4th quarter (Oct-Dec) 1998: Re: Netscape "What's Related"

Re: Netscape "What's Related"

Michael Tomaino (tomainoUNIXG.UBC.CA)
Fri, 23 Oct 1998 18:15:10 -0700 

"Flemming S. Johansen" wrote:
>
> Starting with version 4.06, the Netscape browser has a new "What's
> Related?" button next to the Location: field. After having tried it
> in the new 4.5, I am more than a little worried by the functionality
> behind it.


"Flemming S. Johansen" wrote:
>
> Starting with version 4.06, the Netscape browser has a new "What's
> Related?" button next to the Location: field. After having tried it
> in the new 4.5, I am more than a little worried by the functionality
> behind it.

> The default setting is "Always". So, the unsuspecting user who upgrades
> to the latest Netscape will automatically and unknowingly begin sending
> out a detailed log of pages viewed.
>
> Netscapes privacy statement notwithstanding, I don't like the fact that
> anyone is able to compile a list of every single web page I visit. I
> don't like the fact that someone with a sniffer anywhere on the path
> from here to netscape.com is able to do so either.  And the company I
> work for is not too thrilled about the name of every single document on
> our internal, not-for-public-viewing web server leaking out on the Net,
> once our users begin installing this release on their PCs.
>
> I would like to control this "feature" globally for my LAN, but as far
> as I can see, there are only two ways of doing it: Fascist control of
> Netscape preferences settings on every PC on my LAN, or block
> www-rl.netscape.com in the firewall.
>
> --
>   ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>         Flemming S. Johansen
>         fsjterma.com


An upgrade install of v4.5 over top of v4.07 gave a default of "After
first use" for this setting on my windows 98 install.
I have never touched this setting so I am assuming that v4.5 must set
that as the default.

Which is more acceptable.