Seeing the Problem Yourself

You can duplicate the following work on your own computer or simply follow along as we demonstrate. Avoiding the frustration of working with the command prompt may better preserve the message.

We need some data to work with. In a new subdirectory under Favorites which we call "Temporary" we will (after looking them up on Google) save links to the following sites:

• The CBS TV Network
• Citibank
• National Geographic
• The GAP
• The Chicago Cubs' Official Site

Now we will open Windows Explorer. The links are files. We can use the native file management program to work with them, right? No. If we try to right click on any of these .url files to "edit" them (so we can see what is inside), we are not given that option. If we try to "rename" each file (from .url to .txt) so we can edit them, we are prevented from doing so. The user is allowed to change the wording of .url files, but not the type.

Windows Explorer does not help but you have another option. You can use the operating system's command prompt to get at the file contents. From the Start button, click All Programs, then Accessories, then scroll down until you can click on Command Prompt. Navigate to your newly-created Temporary subdirectory and type the following command:

We are asking the system to create a list of the .url files in this subdirectory, display them in alphabetical order, include the 8+3 alternate filename for each and place the results in a file called "dirlist.txt". If you open this file with NotePad (or a similar text editor), you will see the following:

We will make copies of each of these .url files while changing their types so we can access them. From the command prompt, type:

Repeat for the other other four files. Now just for ease of viewing, merge all of the text files into a new file called "LOOKATME.TXT" by using one last copy command:

You can now close your command prompt and open the "LOOKATME.TXT" file using your preferred text editor. Please note that each .url file begins with the "[DEFAULT]" identifier.

Would it surprise you to know that to access these five sites, all you need are the following?:

Go ahead. Copy and paste a link into your browser's address bar to confirm. So the question becomes, what is all of the rest of this stuff doing?

Well, at CBS, bluekai is recording your visit to the site. What kind of information is contained in that never ending string of characters? And if their servers are slow, too bad. You'll just have to wait until their "business" is concluded.

Citibank has presented a clean .URL. Not surprising since you'll need to log in to do any business with them. And they are unlikely to place adverts on their page since they already have your money.

National Geographic is in league with DoubleClick who will be recording your visit. Perhaps the next site you visit will have an ad from National Geographic. And you gotta love the multitude of Facebook links.

The GAP presents a clean .URL.

Then the Cubs. Facebook, bluekai and twitter links. Look for Chicago Cubs adverts to be following you around in future. "Like" the Cubs? Facebook records that choice and hands it off to their marketing partners. That's what they do.

In short, the typical .URL file can be filled with all sorts of information and links which have nothing to do with where you desire to go. And next time you click on that saved link, the server at the other end has access to every bit of it. So much easier to track you that way.

Now open each .txt file and edit them so each looks like my example above with "[InternetShortcut]" above a single address line then save them as .url files. Double click on each of these edited links to open up each destination.

We are almost done. Close all browser windows and again convert each .URL to a .TXT file. You remember what they looked like, right? No,no...look again.

Even after we cleaned house, the browser has decided that we longed for the missing favorites icons and added that information back. The takeaway for us was that we, the user, are not in complete control of what our browser does.

But the tracking does not end there. More and more, the base "URL=" statement includes some form of tracking method because (1) this line is essential information if the browser is to reconnect with the site, and (2) even if you have a program that "sanitizes" your links, it is unlikely to modify this entry. That takes a human eye and some judgment.

So when we designed our Mall we thought it would be a good idea to take that next step and review each "URL=" statement for unwelcome tag-alongs. We clean each of them up before we go any further.

To assure that our edited links could never be altered during future browsing sessions we sequester the links in a fixed format - a PDF file - and that is how we deliver them to you. No third party access to the information contained within the PDF means no tracking information being added back without your consent and no unwelcome, pestering ads that stalk you for the rest of your days.

We see you raising your hands with questions. Press on dear readers.