Things to Know

I received the following email:

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I just noticed that Firefox has a new add-on. It's called Browser Highlighter. It highlights words on your website, and when you mouse over it, it pops up a window with advertising in it. When you click on the ad, it takes you to the website of the advertiser; it takes the viewer to a page off your site. In other words, it hijacks your viewer and makes it look like it is part of your site.

I find this not only wrong, but highly unethical to the extreme. I found it wrong years ago when someone else did it, at which time many website owners were screaming to the high heavens about it. I haven't heard anyone complaining about it yet, but believe it is only because it is not been brought to anyone's attention.

What are your beliefs about this?

Robert Morris
www.edmmarketing.com
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First, although I thoroughly dislike this type of thing, there's a difference in this and what they were doing a few years ago. Technically, this one is permission-based. The other wasn't.

I asked my partner in iCop Hosting, Chuck Mattice, if he knew anything about it. Turns out, Chuck had fallen heir to this through Skype. He wrote:

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Yeah, didn't know how I got it until I read:

http://thebrowserhighlighter.com/help.jsp

I have removed it, It originally hit my browser when I added the Skype add-on.

It can be disabled by going to "Tools" - “Add-ons” - scrolling to it, then, disabling it. It can also be removed. Firefox does not add this; it has to be downloaded.

Chuck
www.authentic-empowerment.net
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Net Neutrality

The subject of Net Neutrality has been around for a while. But, it's coming close to a decision by our U.S. Congress.

This will decide whether the big ISPs can control what is seen in the browsers of their customers. Of course, the lobbyists for AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are going crazy with it.

They do not want the public to keep control of their browsers! And, right now, they seems to be winning!

Worst case scenario is ...

If we don't get Net Neutrality, the day may come where you will have to pay these giants to have your web site shown at all! That's in addition to them telling you what you can, and cannot view.

As with anything that's been around for a while, lots of myths have arisen around the subject.

I STRONGLY suggest every reader become familiar with these 10 myths - and the reality. It is all well explained here:

www.freepress.net/files/dejavu.pdf