jdMorgan - 9:29 pm on Jun 26, 2006 (gmt 0)

> why should search engines be allowed in without asking permission?

Because it is part and parcel of connecting a server to the Web. You may join this community (the Web) only if you agree to leave your front door open at all times, and to post your own guards where you deen appropriate.

Google (and almost all other search engines) comply with the Standard for Robots Exclusion, a document that was published and became the de-facto standard well before Google even existed. So like it or not, the policy for the current Web is opt-opt, and you agree to those terms the minute you open your firewall to Web traffic.

It's also a sad fact that should the Web switch to an opt-in model, almost all old resources --and maybe even almost all old sites-- would vanish from search, because they neither opt-in nor opt-out.

Google and the other SEs would be wise to create a 'filter' for nnn-nn-nnnn -formatted numbers, and an absolute exclusion for pages where such numbers occur in conjunction with either "SSN" or "Social Security Number" or any similar or derivative phrases.

But *anyone* who allows Social Security Numbers, or credit card numbers, or any such personal data to be exposed or to leave a secure computing environment should be put in jail, IMO. I'm not willing to have my personal info put on some idiot's laptop for the sake of corporate convenience. I think we need a law requiring that each piece of personal info be stored on a *separate* secure server, and be 'correlated' only by an encrypted key. And I don't care one whit if it 'inconveniences' the financial industry -- they make plenty off me already.

Sorry, I come down against the school on this one -- If you want to get on the 'information superhighway,' then learn to drive first.

Jim