#934 – What is a Digital Fingerprint?

Resistance seems futile

Unless you take extreme and annoying measures, your activity online will be tracked. There's really no way around it.

The good news is that, as I often say, you as an individual just aren't that interesting. No one is tracking you, specifically. However as a consumer, tracking "people like you" is what drives the online advertising market.

For every tracking method we might turn off or block, another technique takes its place. This week's example: digital fingerprinting.

This week's featured article, What is a Digital Fingerprint? dives into the details.

Also this week:

• So. Much. Spam.
• Windows visual tweaks.
• Picking the right protection tool.

As always, links below.

TEH Podcast

One more week of hiatus. I'm back from my travels, and we hope to record a new episode this week.

Take care,

Featured Article

What is a Digital Fingerprint?
Another way to track you, sort of.

Digital fingerprints are another way that websites might track you, should they want to. What can you do? Should you be worried?

https://askleo.com/148742

Also This Week on Ask Leo!

I'm Drowning in Spam. What Can I Do? You can't stop spam, but you can manage it.
Sometimes it seems like spam is a tidal wave of junk that threatens to make email completely unusable. While you can't stop spam, you can manage it with a good spam filter. https://askleo.com/13576

Controlling Windows Visual Effects Change Windows settings for performance or just to make it better for you.
Windows has long had settings to control certain aspects of the user interface. I'll guide you to a couple of them and explain what the most common settings do. https://askleo.com/148765

How Do I Pick the Right Tools to Protect Windows? So many choices.
There are many software programs that protect your system. I'll review how I make my decisions and give you my advice. https://askleo.com/3224

Ask Leo! on YouTube

Subscribe to Ask Leo! on YouTube to get the latest on YouTube.com. Your subscription (and "Likes") help others find Ask Leo!, and the the answers they're looking for.

How Do I Pick the Right Tools to Protect Windows? There are many software programs that protect your system. I'll review how I make my decisions and give you my advice. https://youtu.be/LYSfaoVWciI

Controlling Windows Visual Effects Windows has long had settings to control certain aspects of the user interface. I'll guide you to a couple of them and explain what the most common settings do. https://youtu.be/2t44lMwFCVM

What is a Digital Fingerprint? Digital fingerprints are another way that websites might track you, should they want to. What can you do? Should you be worried? https://youtu.be/DUqP1a6DXr4

I'm Drowning in Spam. What Can I Do? Sometimes it seems like we're drowning in a tidal wave of junk that threatens to make email completely unusable. While you can't stop spam, you can manage it with a good spam filter. https://youtu.be/iHaYI6iFFpE

Support Ask Leo!

Ask Leo! is supported in part by people just like you! For as little as $2/month you can help, and view askleo.com without ads. For $5/month you'll also get the The Ask Leo! Tip of the Day

Here are examples of tips published this week:

• Tip of the Day: Most Laptops Can Handle External Monitors
• Tip of the Day: Add Another Microsoft Log-in Account to Windows 10
• Tip of the Day: the Clock Has a Calendar
• Tip of the Day: Use a Mouse
• Tip of the Day: Try Right-Clicking on a Tile

Support Ask Leo! and become a patron for these and other exclusive benefits and discounts!

Other ways to support Ask Leo!.

Share Confident Computing!

Share the confidence: forward this (without your unsubscribe link at the bottom) to your friends! They'll thank you! (And so will I!)

Did someone forward this to you?

to get your own copy each week. It's FREE!

Become a Patron
Ask Leo! Books

Social & more!

✓ Facebook
✓ Twitter
✓ YouTube
More..

Other Projects....

Not All News Is Bad - Each day I look for one story in the current news of the day with a positive bent. Just one. And I share it.

HeroicStories Since 1999, HeroicStories brings diverse, international voices to the world ' reminding us that people are good, that individuals and individual action matter. Stories - new and old - are published twice a week.

7 Takeaways - I've resolved to read something of substance each day and identify one idea to "take away". Once a week I post the takeaways I've collected for the week.

leo.notenboom.org - My personal blog. Part writing exercise, part ranting platform, it's where I write about anything and everything and nothing at all.