Only the Paranoid Survive

Thanks for the excellent article on privacy ("We Know Where You Live, Work, Shop, Bank, Play" March). It was right on target. As a consumer fraud editor for 30 years, I've been warning readers not to part with their Social Security numbers—ever. Imagine my surprise when I was signing up for a cruise and the cruise line asked for my Social Security number. "Not on your tintype," I said.
—Irene Gardner

The only constitutional right we have to privacy ("We Know Where You Live") is the one that prevents the government from making unreasonable searches and seizures. There is nothing in the Constitution prohibiting private individuals from snooping. Otherwise there would be no historians or genealogists (or back fences).
– Pat Hamel

The section on health-care data in your privacy special report ("We Know Where You Live") is interesting but doesn't tell the whole story. The regulations on security and privacy from the Department of Health and Human Services are not final. Draft regulations were issued last fall for public comment. These, and almost certainly the final regulations, will severely restrict the release of data from health-care organizations to anyone, including insurance companies.
– Lewis Lorton

"We Know Where You Live" mentions opting out of various sites to protect your privacy. My solution is simpler. I have a link to Netscape's cookies.txt file on my desktop. At the end of every session, I clear the disk and memory cache, the title bar, and the history files. Then I open the cookies.txt file and whack the contents. Since Netscape generates this file every time it's launched, there's nothing lost. I'll even occasionally clear out the file midsession with no ill effects.
– Kevin Pyle

View the article online at – We Know Where You Live, Work, Shop, Bank, Play...

Hands on Microsoft

In an issue about businesses snooping on employees and customers, it's ironic that Paul Somerson attacks the government ("Hands Off," March). He notes, "Too many users struggle with their systems every day." There wouldn't be struggling users if Microsoft were more concerned with its customers and less consumed with squashing competition. The Justice Department is helping consumers and businesses alike by putting Microsoft on notice.
– Paul D. Lyon

View the article online at – Hands Off!

IPO Watch

In "Dirty Little Secret" (March), Taylor & Jerome mention that hundreds of Web sites now alert small-change investors to a company that's about to go public. Can you recommend some of these Web sites?
– Russell J. Matheson

EDITOR'S REPLY: One of the most popular is Hoover's Online IPOCentral (www.ipocentral.hoovers.com). View the article online at –
Dirty Little Secret

New Rules

Jennifer Powell's "Lessons from the Browser War (1995–2000)" (March) reminded me of the old Steve Martin routine, "You too can be a millionaire!" The comedian would declare that with his plan, anyone could be a millionaire. Then he would explain it: "First . . . get a million dollars." Competing with Microsoft is about as easy as Martin's plan. If one thing is axiomatic in the software industry, it's this: If you want to do anything that Microsoft wants to do, you can forget it.
– David G. Imber

View the article online at – Lessons from the Browser Wars (1995-2000)

Reply to Letters

Frank Fleischer claims in his letter to the editor that "no one quarrels with our need for one standard operating system" ("Letters," March). I seriously quarrel with it, as do most computer professionals who understand the situation. What we need is not one operating system but rather one API (application program interface). If someone like the ANSI committee would define a standard API, it would not matter which operating system a user ran.
– Richard Dinning

In his letter to the editor, David Ray Whitfield says, "We cannot determine whether there is a clear risk associated with cell phones until the World Health Organization completes its study in 2005" ("Letters," February). That's like saying, "Let people die until we can prove they will die." There is reason to believe that cell phones are dangerous, and appropriate legislation should be passed to safeguard us from these dangers.
– Titus C.R. Mendell

Patently Insane

In his editorial ("Touch of Evil," February), Paul Somerson writes: "The real disgrace is that the same Clinton administration that pummels Micro soft for supposedly slowing down innovation is gleefully letting these insane patents glide through." The reason for this, of course, is that the Clinton administration promotes opportunities for lawyers to make money. After all, lawyers form one of the largest groups of contributors to the Clinton (and other Democratic) campaigns.
– Steven J. Schiff

I agree 100 percent with Paul Somerson's "Touch of Evil" editorial. Under today's rules, Robert Stephenson could have patented the idea of traveling from one city to another rather than just patenting the railway locomotive. Ford and General Motors would have had to either pay Stephenson a royalty for each automobile sold, or change cars so they couldn't be used for intercity travel. Stephenson's lawyers could well have intimidated horse breeders into paying up, although intercity travel by horse predates the locomotive.
– Keith Tarrant

Paul Somerson presents a disturbing picture of our legal system in "Touch of Evil." While the average user has little or no recourse for legitimate complaints, a handful of shysters can bilk billions out of businesses for problems that don't even exist! I own two trouble-free Toshiba notebooks, for which I am entitled to about $700 in cash and coupons as a result of a class-action lawsuit. The only thing I see fit to do is accept the settlement and send the money right back to Toshiba.
– C.P. Colombo

View the article online –
Touch of Evil

Responsible Recycling

I read the article "Where Computers Go to Die" (February) several times to see if there was any mention of the responsibility of computer manufacturers to recycle their products. Nowadays many industries, from auto manufacturers to beer companies, recycle their wares. When will computer manufacturers?
– Rassool Ahadi

View the article online – Where Computers Go to Die

Get Away

I love the Escape feature! I usually read it first. Marty Jerome and Wendy Taylor's description of the Corvette's "wriggly-rump antics" made me laugh ("Vroom!" February). So did Chris Null's question, "Where's he gonna sit?" about the first "perp" he encountered ("Bad Boys," March).
– Kim Pupke

View the article online at –
Escape: Bad Boys & Escape:Vroom!

I-POLL: WINDOWS 2000 Watch

Unlike earlier versions, Microsoft Windows 2000 will run for months without a crash, comes loaded with usability improvements, and supports a raft of new hardware (Windows 2000: Worth the Wait?" March). Despite these features, most companies are taking a cautious approach to the upgrade.

Do you have Windows 2000 installed?

• No – 75%

• Yes – 24%

If not, when do you plan to install it?

• Immediately – 4%

• Six months – 18%

• One year – 26%

• Later than one year – 21%

• Never – 17%

• Don't know – 14%

SOURCE: Ziff Davis Smart Business Reader Poll1

For the Record

Bigstep.com provides members with 12MB of storage space for photos, but the number of Web pages on members' sites is unlimited ("Free Market," February). Members need to sign up for a merchant account through Cardservice International only if they wish to sell products and accept credit card payments on their sites.

Adding TrainingNet to your company's intranet and integrating its courses with your own costs about $5,000 for setup and $5,000 a year in maintenance fees, regardless of the number of courses you offer ("Get All Your Work Done in Half the Time, Be the Office Hero, and Go Home Early," March, page 128).

Electric WebMail is a service of the Electric Mail Company ("Drop Your E-Mail . . . ," April).

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