Hi all,

I've just come across an interesting (to me anyway) discovery and was wondering if anyone had more information before I stick myself head-first in to my web traffic.

The scenario,

I'm coding a new version of an old web-based app (wanted to be a developer before I saw the light, now I'm responsible for my old apps...). I'm running TamperData under Firefox 3 to fake some of my input to see how the system responds. Up pops a post request I wasn't expecting passing a cookie ID to static.cache.l.google.com.

Now I can't find the referenced cookie on my system to see what info is held, likewise I can't find any information on the web (in hindsight using Google may not be the smartest move I've made today). This request has only been sent once so I can't determine how regularly I am/have been providing this info to Google but it has me slightly miffed. I'm sure that this would have been mentioned in the extensive and readable license agreement I read thoroughly before signing my life away agreeing to the conditions. 

If anyone has any info or knowledge of this I'd be interested to here from you, might save me a few hours that could be put to more productive use (Like Lego Star Wars......)

Thanks in advance,
RR

I haven't come across gzapper before, looking through the site I think you may have hit the nail on the head. The bit that throw me was that I wasn't using google at the time (and hadn't in the current firefox session) so I'm assuming that this is linked through from the integrated search bar.

Panic over (although I may go looking for a new browser....)

Cheers BillV

Tool bars "are the devil" as I say.  I stick to Opera as my browser... and lock that shit down generally.  I actually just broke Opera for the first time, and had to reinstall it.  Kind of cracked me up. 

If your in the infosec field google is great as it tracks everything.

Time to try what is supposed to be the more private google - www.cuil.com

Unfortunately though, despite the huge press splash cuil.com got a month or so ago,  people came quickly to the same conclusion I had when trying it that day:   gee these search results suck! 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/31/inside_cuil/

I agree with those who avoid toolbars like the plague and google desktop.  They know enough about me from search terms and IP address only-- I don't need to be logging in, letting them index all my email, or given them a chance to blithely index my hard drive to tune ad delivery to me.    Minority Report anyone?