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Date:	Thu, 3 Apr 2003 12:03:30 PST8
From:	"J. R. Fox" <jr_fox@pacbell.net >
Reply-To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Help: Re: New, not necessarily improved SBC DSL

Content Type: text/plain

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Harry wrote:

> For my taste the standard Windows system is setup to be pretty intrusive. For example,
> the Internet Explorer has cookies that are hard to find and deactivate. The same is true
> with the browsing history.

MS-IE also (at least as of the last version I had) offers NO provision for turning off or limiting JavaScript,
so you can forget about things like blocking Pop-Up ads, absent some add-on utility. I think it does
give you control over Active-X, though. Mozilla, which is of course also available for Win-32, seems to
cover all the bases you might want, customization wise.

> Also, Windows has those infamous Index.dat files that contain
> data on your browsing, but cannot be deleted or modified. Finally, standard installation
> of most Windows programs fixes the program files to the "Program Files" directory,
> places a copy of the program icon in the desktop tray, or the startup folder, or places
> an entry in the registry such that it starts the program each time you start Windows. I find
> all of that pretty bad! Here's what I do about the Internet stuff:
>
> 1. I have a *.cmd file in the Windows Startup folder. This file deletes all instances
> of the Index.dat files. It does so before Windows loads and locks these files. Windows
> then loads and rebuilds all instances of Index.dat in default format and nothing in them
>
> 2. The *.cmd file also deletes all cookie.txt files anywhere on the hard disk
>
> 3. Finally, I open IE via a batch file. The batch file deletes all instances of
> cookie.txt files each time IE opens

I spend little time in W2K, and almost none of that in IE, but I'd like to obtain your above
described solution, if nothing else than for use on a relative's machine.

This reminds me of an unanswered follow-up question I sent to Tony, back in the original
thread. I remain concerned about any forced, non-reversible changes to browsing or mail
(in OS/2), should I allow SBC to "upgrade" my account. Tony mentioned some slowdown,
changes to Look & Feel of the 'Net access (even if your access software does not change),
and obvious tracking behavior by SBC. I want no part of this. I also don't want to have to set
it up via IE. If that's the deal, they can stuff it. If they reach a point where this "upgrade" is
no longer optional, I will go looking for another broadband provider. I'm already on the verge
of telling them not to send me any more "upgrade reminders."

If you can pick up where Tony left off on this issue, I'd be glad to have the info.

Jordan

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