Cookeville TN is a long way from Cook County IL, but someday it may be an Internet landmark.

Geoff Davidian is editor, publisher and muckraker of Cookevile's Putnam Pit, "Putnam County's watchdog press." At this distance it's impossible to know if his attacks on local government are warranted, or if he just enjoys a good scrap. (See the Putnam Pit.) Davidian is suing Cookeville to make public the "cookie files" from city computers.

He wants them to show whether city staff have been browsing "pornography sites or ones advocating white supremacy or Satanism or worse." (I'd like to have the Web addresses of whatever he considers "worse.") Cookies are files placed on your computer by many Web sites for a variety of reasons, such as to tag your ID for marketing purposes, or to track which links on a site you visit. Claimed benefits include saving your login information so you won't have to enter it manually each time you revisit a site requiring login; and changing ads so you see different ones on each visit.

Who owns cookies, the Web site that sends them, or the owner of the PC on which they're placed? Are cookies on government computers public records, or are they "the equivalent of scratching notes on a yellow pad and at the end of the day throwing them away," as Michael O'mara, Cookeville city attorney says? Experts disagree, and the court case in Cookeville is not settled.

I take the term "personal computer" seriously, and don't appreciate anyone but me placing files on my PC, however good the intention. Fortunately, the latest versions of Web browsers permit you to disable cookies altogether. Or you can regularly delete the "cookies.txt" file ("MagicCookie" on Macs).

It's also a good idea to clear your browser's cache and history files occasionally, as they hold a far more complete record of Web site visits. In Netscape Communicator, Edit Preferences, click Navigator to find history clearing; double-click Advanced for the cache page. You may not be concerned - yet - about the privacy of your computer files. If you're among those who say, "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear," then I presume you never seal your envelopes, or write all your letters on postcards.

Whatever the merits of this case, it may have unforeseen results. Your business or personal Internet files may become admissible evidence in a trial; or may somehow be considered public information.

In Cookeville or the great county of Cook, my advice is the same. Reduce temptation. Keep your cookie jar empty.

If you worry about using your credit card to make purchases on the Internet, how do you feel about calling an 800 number and giving your credit card or Social Security number to a convicted robber, rapist, forger or murderer?

PrimeTime Live, the ABC tv commentary series, recently aired a shocking segment on the hiring of prison inmates as telemarketing clerks for some big companies.

I don't know how long ABC maintains their Web archives, but I found the frightening details at www.abcnews.com/onair/ptl/html_files/transcripts/ptl0218a.html.

• Next column

• Previous column

• Links, Searches & Stuff

• Contents

• Introduction

• Home