Rule number one is be prepared for disaster. Write down all of your usernames and passwords in a notebook (yes, on paper). No, really. You need to do this because computers sometimes die, and when they do it's at worst possible time. You may not even have a backup, and if you loose all of your passwords you could lose a lot.

Keep this notebook safe, perhaps locked in a drawer. It's probably a good idea to keep a copy in your safe deposit box - so someone can get to your accounts after you die, perhaps, or if you are in hospital or something else happens.

Now keep a computer record also, which you will maintain more up-to-date. I like using a program called Password Tracker, although you could just as easily use Excel or even notepad. The idea is to record all of your account information as you create or change it. Password Tracker is great because it also gives you tools to enter data for you.

A product to avoid is Gator (I use both Password Tracker). This program is handy for saving passwords and filling in forms, but it is spyware and transmits details of your surfing habits to a corporate database.

Be sure and keep backups of Password Tracker database ... believe me, you don't want to lose this information if you can avoid it.

By way, I've learned to avoid automatic account and password features of Internet Explorer. Why? Because there is no way to save, print out or get to information. Thus, if computer dies I lose my passwords with no way to recover. I don't use Netscape much, but I would guess same thing applies.

To conclude, use different account names and passwords for your various web sites. Record them on paper and store that somewhere safe. In addition, you can use programs link Excel, Gator and Password Tracker to save all of this information for you. Finally, and very importantly, be very prepared for disaster.

Cookies can be set to last until browser exits, or they can be set to expire (be deleted) far into future. Various advertising companies actively abuse this feature - and this has led to public backlash against cookies.

You see, cookies can be created and read when any object is loaded from a web server. This includes banners and web bugs (small graphics designed to help advertisers track who is looking at their ads).

The advertising companies take advantage of this feature to set cookies on your computer so they can build up a picture of what sites you've been looking at. The banners effectively ask "have I seen this person (computer system) before?" If answer is "yes" (a cookie exists), then a notation is made in your profile on advertisers computer system.

Believe me, it does not take long for an advertising agency to build up a very nice understanding of exactly what you do on internet. Why do they want to do this? To make more money, of course.

How does this work? An advertising agency sells eyeballs. The theory they operate on is simple. The more qualified eyeballs, more likely that banners are to be clicked, and more likely that sales are to be made. Thus, if you typically surf, say, Star Trek sites, you may be interested in seeing advertisements about Science Fiction movies, and theoretically you will be more likely to purchase tickets.

Okay, why is this a problem? Do you really want an advertising agency knowing everything about your web surfing habits? Do you trust them? Do you think they will keep this information private?

Or to put it another way, these companies are making money (lots of money) based upon your eyeballs. They are not sharing that money with you - in fact, they never even asked your permission to gather information about you.

As an analogy, suppose you were reading a magazine on a park bench and someone was hiding in tree over your head, recording every page that you looked at in a notebook. How long would you put up with this behavior?

Thus, public is simply objecting to unethical use of cookies to track their movements through internet. And as you can see, a very useful tool has been corrupted by companies whose motives are suspect, to say least.