What's all hubbub about? In United States, we have chosen (our legislature, which is really controlled by big business and special interests) to allow businesses to send spam, junk mail and collect marketing data (among other things) about people unless those people have opted-out. This means that once you will receive unwanted items, and you must take time to tell each individual company that you don't want them.

On other hand, European Union has set a very different standard: spam and other marketing related items cannot be sent to people unless they specifically ask for it. This is a much higher standard for businesses, as they must now convince people to sign up for their literature and promotions instead of handling few who bother to say no thanks.

In United States, opting out applies to just about everything. Even credit bureaus can sell your marketing information (remember those credit card applications you received out of blue in your mailbox?) to anyone they want, as long as you have not told them it's not okay. Doubleclick and other agencies can build profiles of your surfing information, unless, of course, you tell them to knock it off.

Because of laws in United States, most marketing companies are now providing a way to opt-out from their profiling, pop-up (and under) ads, and sometimes even banners. Usually this method consists of setting a cookie which tells their ad server you have opted out. I know it seems strange to set a cookie to prevent a service from using cookies, but that's way it works.

Links to opt-out pages for some of larger and more common annoyances are listed below. Click link and follow instructions. If, after clicking link, you are asked by your browser or cookie software about a cookie, say YES to save it. Note that if you have disabled cookies (either altogether or for one of these specific sites) then these will not work.

If applicable, you might also read privacy policies and other propaganda presented by these sites. They are very entertaining as they try very hard to make you understand how all of this is for your benefit.

Advertising.Com http://servedby.advertising.com/optout A large advertiser. Opting out will prevent profiling.

Be Free Inc http://www.yourcontrolpanel.com/mypage/pcp.html One of larger internet marketing companies. "Be Free will be prevented from tracking any additional data in future and will result in curtailing delivery of personalized content to your desktop."

4 Tips to Avoid Internet Scams

If you are new to internet you will come across numerous programs offering promises of riches. You may know about people who have become rich on Net but you have also heard about scams.

How do you distinquish between genuine and con men? Here are a few points to keep in mind when assessing any opportunity.

1 ) How do you recognise a Scam?

Usually a scam offers a lot of money in a short space of time for a small fee. You must must pay something to make hundreds of thousands. The job that you will be offered will be easy, not requiring any previous internet experience and it will require a maximum of only two hours work a day.

You will be given descriptions of glamorous lifestyle you will lead in a short time. Exotic foreign holidays will be yours , and expensive cars, a bigger house, and a permanent end to hated day job.

This income will be achieved usually through recruiting other unsuspecting people into program as your sub- affiliates , who will generate passive income for you.

2) Are there any genuine Internet jobs?

Nobody wants an employee by their computer in another part of world performing routine tasks such as placing advertisements, typing etc. when you can get someone who is local just as offline businesses do.