Tracking Cookies 
Autor: Rod M.I am deeply concerened and troubled that Website X5 seems to be planting tracking cookies into websites it creates that have no meaning to ME, the website creator. DoubleClick and Gravatar are the ones I am most troubled about. I have made a website that has both imbedded in them.
Doubleclick is a business owned by Google that makes it money from online advertisers and publishers. This is done by:
- Ad-serving
Online publishers use Doubleclick to display adverts on their websites. - Ad delivery
Doubleclick will let advertisers control how often an ad is shown to a browser, how long it is shown for and how often it will appear. - Behavioural targeting
This comes in two categories:
- Targeting for one website owner: An online publisher can set a Doubleclick cookie to tell them what sections of their sites you are browsing.
- Targeting in advertising networks: ie Adsense
The websits I have made do not use advertising, so why are DoubleClick cookies being inbedded.
Gravatar is a service for providing globally unique avatars who have integrated it into their WordPress.com blogging platform using email addressis in some way.
There are no blogs in my website. I have absolutely no idea why Gravatar is included.
What is most troubling, - Why are these cookies being imbedded into the website by default, especially if there are no advertisements.
If they are being inserted for my benefit, how do I use them?
Moreover, How can they be excluded from being in the websites that I create?
If they cannot be excluded, Why not, and how do I as the web maker benifit from them?
Hello Rod,
Incomedia/WebSite X5 does not do this. Your issue must lie elsewhere.
Is this the website in question?
http://www.cantatedomino.org/
We may be able to help you determine the cause. Prime suspects would be any custom code/plugins which you have added to a page.
For example:
<!-- Piwik --><script type="text/javascript"> var _paq = _paq || []; _paq.push(['trackPageView']); _paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']); (function() { var u="//www.cantatedomino.org/piwik/"; _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'piwik.php']); _paq.push(['setSiteId', 1]); var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'piwik.js'; s[removed].insertBefore(g,s); })();</script><noscript><p><img src="//www.cantatedomino.org/piwik/piwik.php?idsite=1" alt="" /></p></noscript><!-- End Piwik Code -->
Furthermore, you stated that you do not use advertising, yet your source code reveals this custom code which you have added (WebSite X5 has not done this):
function banner() { //5 var ranNum= Math.round(Math.random() * 5); if (ranNum == 0){[removed]('<!-- Start Virtual Sheet Music Code --><A HREF="http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/?af=noteperfect" TITLE="Find Sheet Music plus Audio Files and Mp3 Accompaniments to download instantly">Find Sheet Music plus Audio Files and Mp3 Accompaniments to download instantly at Virtual Sheet Music <SUP>®</SUP></A><!-- End Virtual Sheet Music Code -->'); } // VSM01 if (ranNum == 1){[removed]('<!-- Start Virtual Sheet Music Code --><A HREF="http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/downloads/Indici/PianoSolo.html?af=noteperfect" TITLE="Find high quality piano sheet music ready to download and print">Download piano sheet music instantly!</A><!-- End Virtual Sheet Music Code -->'); } // VSM02 if (ranNum == 2){[removed]('<!-- Start Virtual Sheet Music Code --><A HREF="http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/downloads/Indici/Violin.html?af=noteperfect" TITLE="Find high quality violin sheet music with Mp3 accompaniments ready to download and print">Download violin sheet music with Mp3 accompaniments instantly!</A><!-- End Virtual Sheet Music Code -->'); } // VSM03 if (ranNum == 3){[removed]('<p align="center"><script type="text/javascript"><!--google_ad_client = "pub-0556718833869147";/* 468x60, created 08/09/08 */google_ad_slot = "6871574055";google_ad_width = 468;google_ad_height = 60;//--></script><script type="text/javascript"src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>'); } // google01 if (ranNum == 4){[removed]('<p align="center"><script type="text/javascript"><!--google_ad_client = "pub-0556718833869147";/* 468x60, created 08/09/08 */google_ad_slot = "6871574055";google_ad_width = 468;google_ad_height = 60;//--></script><script type="text/javascript"src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>'); } // google02 if (ranNum == 5){[removed]('<p align="center"><script type="text/javascript"><!--google_ad_client = "pub-0556718833869147";/* 468x60, created 08/09/08 */google_ad_slot = "6871574055";google_ad_width = 468;google_ad_height = 60;//--></script><script type="text/javascript"src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>'); } // google03 }
I have used WebSite X5 for many years and have got to know the company well. I can assure you that Incomedia are an extremely ethical company and uphold the highest standards of customer service. Without question they are not at fault here.
Good luck!
Paul
Autor
Thank you for your extremely detailedreply, it is most appreciated. I think I understand where you are going with this. No that is not the web site. It's www.pinestoastmasters.org - And there is no Piwik code on that, but transposing what you say, it's probably to do with the the inclusion of Google Maps, something that I have no control over. While there is nothing specific in the google map URL as such there is probably something it's underlying code.
Thankyou for helping me clear my thoughts.
Peace
Rod