1\’84Over 80% of Internet users say they are worried about Internet privacy. -Yahoo! Internet Life
Big Brother is watching. Really. Though not to the extent portrayed in George Orwell’s gloomy futuristic book 1\’84, you are – nevertheless – being monitored. It was difficult to avoid the news report that broke several weeks back about how employers are increasingly “spying” on their employee’s Internet usage. Though the gripes of some bosses are legitimate – those being that leisure time on the Net diminishes productivity – others have a more personal stake in it. They have more of a problem with where your surf to as opposed to how much you surf. This poses unique legal and privacy issues that are just now being explored. Couple this with having an unsupportive spouse and impressionable kids at home, and you can see that every mouse click you make could be highly scrutinized. This is not only bad for the average Internet user, but also for adult webmasters who may have noticed a drop off in traffic during business hours after this story broke. What can you, as an adult webmaster, do to fight back?
Oscar Wilde (1856-1\’00), a British poet and dramatist, once said: Education is a process which makes one rogue cleverer than another. The point that Mr. Wilde so eloquently made for me is that we must educate our potential customers on how to protect their privacy on the Internet so that they don’t feel spied on everytime they see a little T & A! The knowledge we must present to Internet users ranges from the simple to the complex, and the free to the pricey. It will also serve as useful content for your site. Teach your customers how to protect their privacy and they’ll be back again!
Cleaning Your Computer
One simple method to teach is clearing a computer’s history, recent documents, and temporary Internet files. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know how to do this! Putting simple instructions and advice on your website, like the following, could mean all the difference when making sales: “From the menu bar above, choose “Tools,” then from the choices given select “Internet Options.” A small window will open with several tabs. Select “General” and look for “History.” You are given two options there – “Days to keep pages in history” and “Clear History.” Select “Clear History” and answer “OK” in the confirmation box. You should do this each time your surf for pages that you want to keep private.
Another area that will need a surfer’s attention is the “Documents” listing. In the left bottom corner of your screen, select “Start” then choose “Documents.” Listed here are the last 15 or so documents viewed. They could be pictures that have been downloaded, saved e-mail, collected stories, or anything else that could spell disaster if an employer or other closed-minded individual ran across them. Deleting that list is simple! From “Start,” choose “Settings” then “Taskbar.” A small window will open with two tabs at the top. Select “Start Menu Programs” then press the “Clear” button in the “Documents Menu” section. Piece of Cake! However, if you think you could forget to do this simple yet vital function, here’s a handy dandy piece of software that will clear the documents for you at set time intervals. Its called Killdocs.
Then from the “Edit” menu, choose “Select All.” All the documents should highlight. Then from the “File” menu simply choose “Delete.” OK! You’ve just eliminated the three major “history collecting” areas on your computer!
Privacy Software
But wait, you’re saying, isn’t there a way that a computer professional (i.e., a company’s IT guy) can still retrieve that info? The answer is yes. So, for added security, offer your surfers a link to BCWipe. This program (free for 30 days) is a shell extender for Windows \’5/\’8/ME/NT/2000, intended to securely delete your files. It supports U.S. Department of Defense recommendations (DoD 5200.28-STD). Heavy duty stuff here! Surf by there and take a look at the specs yourself. Of course, there is Evidence Eliminator, the affiliate program that made the rounds last year. It does essentially the same thing.
By giving customers at your site options and instructions to retain their privacy, you not only gain their trust but also their business. Those two items are the key to your success.
J. Edwards is a veteran member of The ADULTWEBMASTER writing staff, and he currently lives in the magnificent city of Atlanta, Georgia.
