Am I Famous Now…

One of the things which have always disturbed me most in b’land is the level of hypocrisy.

Since years already it has become the most exciting sport for many geeks to bash big players such as Microsoft. Of course, you have to be a minority to play the game, otherwise it would not be fun.

Over the last years, another company has joined the ranks of the preferred bash victims : Google.
Just do a little search for Google & Big Brother and enjoy the results.

But Google always has defended its privacy policy and I do trust Big Brother. Maybe I am naive, but one of the reason why I do trust Google is because they really defend their privacy policy. Thing which can not be said from everyone.

I just received an email from another big player search engine and active advertising company, Yahoo.

Part of what makes MyBlogLog so special is our ability to automatically add you to communities in which you have shown a repeated interest. We have just added you to the following communities:

Positive part of the mail is that I have been added to Anil Dash’s community at MyBlogLog, but I do not remember that MyBlogLog, who sent the email and is now part of Yahoo’s network, warned me as explicitly as Google does. Already today, MyBlogLog ToS is Yahoo’s. When reading MBL’s privacy policy I do recognize that there are options to block MBL’s cookies¹ and tracking service and one can even opt out from the tracking service.

You are always free to decline cookies, but by doing so you may not be able to use certain features on the websites or take full advantage of all the website offerings

But what happens with my details when the Yahoo integration is completed. What happens with my readers details who happen to click on links, adsense links even. Does MBL warn me about all this? Does MBL warn me that in some countries such as Germany, and the UK actually, I have to put up a disclaimer and warn the readers that outgoing links are tracked [by Yahoo]?
Are MBL and Yahoo as straightforward and honest in this matter as Google is?

Actually what happens to my flickr browsing habits? Is Yahoo analyzing all the adult groups² I visit at flickr.com? Can I soon expect to see targeted ads in all these Yahoo services?

Honestly it would improve the user experience at Yahoo, because living in the UK I am strongly annoyed by the multiple Marks & Spencer ads I get served in my yahoo mail account, because I loathe M & S.

But I digressed in this entry. I am no blogosphere A-Lister, so who cares about my ramblings? And the hypocrisy in only worrying about Google’s privacy policy and ignoring the treat Yahoo is.

¹ How many internet surfers do know how to block only certain cookies?
² None.