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On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:28:03 +0100 Simon Avery <digdilem@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > An alternative view; > > Surely the provider of the service you want to use has the right to > demand anything they like in return for providing it? > > If you deem it's a bad deal for you, you have the obvious option of > not using it - this is at least a somewhat more up-front method of > data mining than tracking cookies and background profiling, which you > don't get much say in (without making an effort to set up blocking > software) You could drop out, you could send a > polite/information/ranting email to them explaining why you did not > choose to opt in (being aware that you're submitting personal info at > the time) > > If enough people opt not to sign up and thus cannot use the service, > the provider will either change practice or stop (or be forced to > stop) their business. If enough provide it to serve their needs, > they'll keep it going. There's not /many/ things on the internet that > you can't get elsewhere (there's a few, certainly). > > They want something back from you in return. It's just business. Good > or bad business, time will tell. > > (Although the only time I think I've been asked for DOB as mandatory > to progress on a random site is american hosted computer game sites > who are required by law to include these pointless and annoying age > checks - but it's not the content provider's fault) > Thanks, I go along with most of that. I do accept that sometimes a DOB is important and/or necessary. Where I get cross is where it seems to me to be completely irrelevant and yet it is a required field. Then I do as you suggest and go elsewhere or else put in wrong data. Sometimes all I want is a quick look around a site. Should I really need to register for that? In fact, once I see that registration is needed for that I go away. A recent example was when I was looking to order a sim card for a new phone.To do that I had to provide my address details, of course, so that they knew where to send it. I also had to pay for it, again of course. But they also wanted my date of birth. Why, for heaven's sake. What on earth did they need that for? I gave up and went elsewhere. Neil -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq