This is an unauthorized copy, created in violation of international copyright law. Absent express permission, repeated attempts to copy this page into a cache, into memory or onto a disk will result in legal action. Andrews is a former freelance writer and Internet consultant based in Omaha, Nebraska. The vast resource that provides reporters with instant access to 13,000 topics of conversation and millions of participants could also make them vulnerable to spying.
Reporters join in, often seeking sources and background material.
The newsmagazine's staff recently has begun taking measures to circumvent search-engine spies. They try to locate consumers who participate in certain activities, such as scuba diving, or people who've had good and bad experiences with certain products. In less than a minute, the newsmagazine's research topics are laid out for competitors or corporate public relations people. Growing caution about privacy in cyberspace may be increasing proportionately to the growing number of search engines. At the moment the most widely known Usenet search engine is called DejaNews .