Virus Guy wrote:

> "Beauregard T. Shagnasty" wrote:
>
>> Each time you encounter that "f" icon at a site where you can click to
>> "Like" the page, Facebook is informed you - yes, you with the Facebook
>> cookies - visited the site.

Addendum: ..and probably even if you didn't click the icon... after all,
the <iframe> was activated and content pulled from Facebook. To read the
Facebook cookies.

>> That "f" icon is in an <iframe> element and displays content directly
>> from the Facebook servers. The Facebook page in the <iframe> reads your
>> cookies and logs you.
>
> So let me get this straight.

Okay...

> Any web-page that has the F icon also has code that causes your browser
> to connect to certain facebook servers where a cookie exchange takes
> place.

So far so good.

> In the case of facebook, of what use would this tracking info be if you
> don't have a facebook account?

None. You wouldn't have facebook cookies; you're immune. Probably.

> This would be no different than any number of web-metrics, ad-servers
> and tracking companies that also have embedded code (usually with no
> visibility to end-users on the rendered page). Yes?

Yes, but much more popular due to Facebook's high number of subscribers.
And remember that ad servers abd tracking companies don't know your name,
but Facebook does.

> Why don't other tracking companies get the same blow-back or attention
> from the media because their tracking URL's also appears on many web
> pages and the same case for "tracking web users" could be made against
> them?

See above. The other companies don't know who you are. You're just a
computer to them.

>> It is in the JavaScript of the page, and reports to a server at
>> connect.facebook.net ...
>
> I have hosts entries for
> [snip]
>
> but no entries for any facebook.net. Are you sure that
> connect.facebook.net is a working domain?

I found that domain name in the cookie code in the JavaScript of a page
with an "f" icon on it. I doubt if there is any HTML page there for you
to look at.

Go ahead, do a whois for: facebook.net

> PS: What does the "ak" indicate or stand for in those FQDN's?

You'll have to ask Zuckerberg...

--
-bts
-This space for rent, but the price is high