3 ms·

That my news reader tells you nothing about me is a feature, not a bug.

• natrius 19y ago
  If you're using a web-based feed reader, as most subscribers do, it's telling sites almost as much about you as visiting the site itself would. The problem the author refers to is the same problem any site has to deal with when they offer content without requiring authentication. The solution is cookies. If the subscriber is using a web-based feed reader, any images embedded in the feed will send the same cookie that viewing the page itself would. Any data you've collected about registered users can be associated with feed subscribers until the cookie expires. The other option is to use a third-party ad service that has a super-cookie on file for your readers already, like DoubleClick. Almost all of the user-tracking strategies available to you on a regular web page are still available from feeds. The linked article is what happens when people who don't actually build things try to prognosticate.