Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 03:56:28 +0000
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
From: Bob Rankin
Subject: TOURBUS - 05 Sep 2000 - Homework Help / Amazon Privacy
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TOURBUS Volume 6, Number 15 -- 05 Sep 2000
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[ Tip: Use a monospace font like Courier when reading this message ]
_________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _
/ | / | | / | \
| PRINT REAL COUPONS FROM YOUR COMPUTER / | \
|__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/_____| \
/ |----\
| Save hundreds of dollars at your favorite stores, online |////|
| merchants, restaurants and travel companies. CoolSavings |////|
| coupons are free, and your privacy is 100% guaranteed. |////|
| |////|
| CLICK HERE AND SAVE! |////|
\_______________________________________________________________|____|
/ \ / \ / \
\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
FIVE YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !!
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Homework Help / Amazon Privacy
Welcome riders, as the Bus pulls into September. Today we'll tour a
site that'll help both parents and students with homework, and explore
the controversy around Amazon.com's new privacy policy. Is it good or
evil? Read on!
+----------------------- GET A NEW COMPUTER ---------------------+
For as little as $24.95 a month you can get a NEW brand
name computer, unlimited Internet access, 24/7 service,
and lots more from PeoplePC!
CLICK HERE!
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------- FREE CONFERENCE - VirtualBanking2000 -------------+
VirtualBanking2000 is the world's first free online banking &
finance conference & exhibition. Featuring speeches, case studies
and presentations from 100+ industry experts it will help you
discover the future of banking. Delegates can view information,
post questions & share business experiences in live chat-room
debate with colleagues & experts from the online community.
CLICK HERE
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
Please visit our sponsors to say thanks for keeping Tourbus on the
move. They make this free newsletter possible!
===============
HOMEWORK SPOT
===============
With kids heading back to school at this time of year, homework comes
back into the spotlight. So our featured site will be a boon to both
students and parents looking for a little help.
HomeworkSpot, a free "homework portal" created by teachers, librarians
and journalists, is a great new resource that provides easy access to
the best online homework helpers for a variety of subjects including
math, science, social studies, art, music, language, health and more.
The site is nicely organized into categories for elementary, middle &
high school, and offers access to reference tools including subject
experts, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, libraries and more.
HomeworkSpot.com also takes students on virtual field trips to an
elephant sanctuary, Mt. Everest and beyond. Topical themes cover
dinosaurs, the human body, outer space and more. Kids will also enjoy
the Study Break sections, which point to games, activities and other
age-appropriate sites they can explore.
http://www.homeworkspot.com
============================
AMAZON PRIVACY POLICY FLAP
============================
A few days ago I saw a TV news reporter saying that Amazon.com, the
well-known web bookstore, had adopted a sinister new privacy policy.
"Be afraid!" they said, "Amazon will sell your personal data, even
your credit card number, to other companies."
This immediately rang my "Too Stupid To Be True" bell, so I went
online to check things out for myself. Here's what I learned:
- Amazon did in fact update their privacy policy.
- The level of disclosure is very thorough and admirable.
- You don't need to worry about Amazon selling your personal data.
The very first sentence of the new privacy policy says Amazon "knows
that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we
appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly." In
all honesty, most people don't need to read any farther than this.
But they go on to explain in considerable detail exactly what data is
collected when you visit or make purchases from the site, and how that
information is used. I've never seen a commerce site go to such
lengths to spell it out so clearly. There's no evil lurking in the
shadows of the new Amazon privacy policy.
Where's The Beef?
-----------------
So what's all the controversy about? The major change in the policy
was the addition of the explicit notice that "in the unlikely event
that Amazon.com or substantially all of its assets are acquired,
customer information will of course be one of the transferred assets."
Well wouldn't you expect that? Wouldn't you as a consumer WANT that?
If Amazon was purchased by another company, I sure would appreciate if
the new company kept my shipping info, preferences, wish list, reviews
and order history on file so I didn't have to re-enter all that info.
Another item that seems to have attracted some suspicion is the
revelation that Amazon employs "other companies and individuals to
perform functions on our behalf. Examples include fulfilling orders,
delivering packages... processing credit card payments, and providing
customer service."
Just about every large company vendors out some or all of these tasks.
It shouldn't raise any eyebrows that Amazon uses a trusted third party
to process credit cards or deliver packages. When you order a sweater
from L.L. Bean, do you stay up nights worrying that Fedex now has your
street address or phone number? Didn't think so...
Axe To Grind?
-------------
Every time I defend an online company that's been unfairly maligned,
or even mention that I prefer one site over another, people accuse me
of being on that company's payroll. Think what you want, but it just
isn't so. Better yet, read the Amazon privacy policy for yourself and
draw your own conclusions.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/misc/policy/privacy.html
That's all for now, see you next time! --Bob Rankin
=====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]===================
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238
Copyright 1995-2000, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved
Like Tourbus? Recommend It! You could Win $10K or a Sony DVD Player
CLICK HERE
Help the hungry, poor and sick - for free! http://FreeDonation.com
Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the
Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com
=====================================================================
