But try telling users that. When browsers first gained the ability to warn when a Web site sends a user a cookie, it generated a lot of hysteria. In response, I wrote a tech view describing how cookies work and how they could not be used as some sort of Orwellian tool for tracking users across the Net. To this day, I get E-mail from readers who simply do not believe me. What OPS will do is make users conscious of what information they are providing to sites.
Users then control what site gets what information.
OPS will, however, make it easier to give out this information to those who ask. For OPS to enhance privacy on the Internet, it will have to encourage Web publishers to provide better assurances that private information will not be used in ways that the user did not intend. It is hoped that OPS will encourage users to look for such assurances before passing on private information. Be careful of snake oil. 1997 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company.