MENOTICE - HEADS UP

BLOGVILLAGERS... ALERT!

A few of you will have seen my mini quibble at the end of the previous post today about the cookies notifications which are now appearing on blogs.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPORTANT DUE TO E.U. LAW.

Being my usual inquisitive YAMarazzi self, I figured there had to be something which prompted Google into such a radical change.  Most folk, I think, would be aware that the E.U. has had a law for some time that all sites which are domained in Europe, and all sites elsewhere which have visitor traffic from Europe (which is pretty much everywhere), must provide a notification to users that their use of the site will be tracked for purposes of assessing the type of viewing taking place.

There is some deadline approaching where that law is being enforced, it having until now been considered 'a trial period'. As of the 28th, then, Google has been rolling out these notices on behalf of all their users. If they didn't, each and every one of us would have to create our own notification, with a suitable prompt for acceptance from the user.  Whilst we are all working through the turnstile of Google here at Blogger, it is imperative to understand that each blog is an individual website and therefore must comply with this regulation.

Actually, there was advice from a cookie law site that the notifications ought now to be more user interactive for two reasons; one is that more is being done to integrate cross-device tracking of an individual (privacy implications) and the second is that E.U. thinks folk ought to be able to have the choice as to whether they are tracked, or if so, to what extent. Not all cookies are bad. Lack of choice is.

The Google notifications don't offer this - as yet. One thing is for sure though; they are here to stay.

IT IS NOT AN IMPOSITION BY GOOGLE. IT IS INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATION. THOSE WHO WORK THROUGH WORDPRESS, WEEBLY & 'WHATSERVERMACALLIT' et al WILL ALL HAVE TO FOLLOW SUIT. What may happen there is that each blogger will have to write up and activate their own notices.  Bloggers under Google may opt out of the standard notice and write their own if they wish and Google have set up a separate help site for this.

Read the general info and links to other helpful bits on this link.

What you will notice is that it is mentioned there is supposed to be an alert/advance notice to all bloggers via the dashboard... In this they failed! Like much round here, it will be arrive after the fact.

The thing is, unless a blog is specifically geared up for commercial attraction, it is really only the 'turnstile' holder of the websites (blogs) who is gaining from the insight the cookies provide as to reader behaviour. However, as each blog is effectively a stand-alone website, compliance is required. There was lots of reading and discussion around the search engine... I leave it to you all to follow up as you see fit, though I did find
this site very informative. Some interesting statistics here also.

All this comes about because more and more commercial sites are seeking to corner the market in Zetal Meta Esoles or Widgety-wrangly-brackets or even just simple Napkin Holding Tie Pins. It is early-onset artificial intelligence (AI); software which takes all the info and works out who you are and what you like to watch/eat/drink/ play... a few moments ago, even as I have been composing this, my local grocery store sent out an email, addressed to me personally (you know it, you've received such things!).

It contained offers for the next couple of weeks which are specifically products I have bought regularly in the past. Vegetarian options.  Good ones. I'll be shopping. Mr C over the road who shops there too, no doubt received offers for the alcohols he prefers and Mrs B with the half dozen kids is likely to appreciate the offers on nappies and tattie crisps that Overseer C.O.Okie has arranged for her.

Yup. The horse has bolted.