Slashdot Mirror
MS Wants To Identify All Web Surfers
Moochman writes "New Scientist reports on a technology Microsoft is developing to identify users based on their browsing habits. Quote: 'The software could get its raw information from a number of sources, including a new type of 'cookie' program that records the pages visited. Alternatively, it could use your PC's own cache of web pages, or proxy servers could maintain records of sites visited. So far it can only guess gender and age with any accuracy,' but the aim is to be able to identify name, occupation and location as well. On a related note, The Inquirer reports on Microsoft's plans to widen the use of its identity-verification technology CardSpace, which is built into Windows Vista and available as an add-on to XP. It's being envisioned as an identity solution for the entire internet: says Kim Cameron, pioneer of the technology, 'We feel it has to solve all use cases.' (Aha, so the anonymous use cases, too, eh?) One might ask, with all of this user-ID information on hand, how long will it be until the Feds come knocking on Microsoft's door asking for help? They already have."
The computing giant is developing software that could accurately guess your name, age, gender and potentially even your location, by analysing telltale patterns in your web browsing history.
Uh, wouldn't location be the easiest thing to figure out? Yes. The answer is yes.
We have found that 5% of Internet user are identifiable by there browsing habits, all the other 95% do is surf for porn making it hard to narrow down.
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
Microsoft, you can have my identity when you pry it from my cold dead Anonymous hands.
with this story, that bill gates icon with the borg visor has never been more appropriate
"resistance is futile, you will be assimilated"
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Finally! I had been wondering how Bill Gates was going to share his fortune! This sounds like the technology that can make it happen!
Slashdot's first reaction to VMware
Bill Gates is going to give everyone who participates a trip to Disneyland at his own expense.
This sig is false.
Have they identified the goatse guy yet?
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"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Your profile?
You are a British male and a liberal geek whose job is a programmer, most likely in Java language, and you change your jobs often. You use a Mac and obviously have a strong dislike of Microsoft. You are a heavy coffee drinker who happens to like artsy stuff. You are a strong supporter of multiculturalism and you hate George Bush though you are not exactly anti-American. Despite having a blog, you don't pay much attention to your hobby.
How close am I?
So you're saying they can see you when you're sleeping? And they know when you're awake??
If the masses can keep you down, you're not the Ubermensch.
TFA said they'll be making a list. who knows if they'll be checking it twice or not.
lookup of Anonymous Coward:
network statistics
IP address: 127.0.0.1
subnet mask: 255.0.0.0
hostname: linuxboxen
MAC address: BE:EF:BA:BE
gender: mostly male
location: parents' basement
surfing profile: looking for free pr0n
The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy, but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness.
Oh, come on. Everyone knows who you are. You must post more comments on Slashdot than anyone else in the world! There's so much data that identifying you will be easy.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.