This weblog entry on privacy conscious users leaves me thinking: so what. So the search engines track my activity. Isn’t it possible that there is not a nefarious purpose for these search engine vendors tracking browser types and search terms? I mean, some internal reason to make their product better? I don’t think it is Orwellian at all, but rather data they can use to make a better product. And since these search engines are free to the end user, what is the big problem with allowing them to store some cookies and track search terms? Unless of course someone is searching for things they shouldn’t be searching for (illegal activity for instance) and then I don’t care if Google is helping law enforcement rid the net of these users. I know, I know, I sound like a privacy advocate’s nightmare, and I’m not saying we should give up our freedoms, but are these cookies really, really that intrusive? So let them track what browser I’m using so they can customize their software to work best with the most browser users. Privacy freaks please take notes: quit looking for the shooter on the grassy knoll, Oliver Stone has already left the building.