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More disturbing is the spyware and usage-tracking cookies used by vendors. In my role as technology editor, I do a lot of research on the Web, bouncing from site to site. Because of the illegal Trojans used by too many sites, I have had to invest in a program called Ad-aware by Lavasoft. It sweeps my system for known spyware and usage-tracking cookies. Take a look at the demo version and run it on your system. You will be appalled.

Some of these infractions are so egregious that my antivirus program picks up on them. The use of such tactics is tantamount to theft of services. I didn't volunteer to give up CPU cycles, memory and disk space to support market research.

And consider this: As our privacy rights melt away in the heat of our patriotic fervor, companies are going to use the FBI's continued efforts to invisibly monitor our cyberactivities as a shield. I can already hear the spin: "Our software is considerably less intrusive than the FBI's Carnivore and Magic Lantern."

Companies are already using the dot-bomb as an excuse to implement ever more intrusive software and practices. They moan and groan that the services they have been providing for free will have to go "pay" if they do not practice the black art of invasive usage tracking. I say, "Fine, I'd rather pay." If the site is truly worthwhile, subscribers will come, and the site will prosper. If not, it wasn't meant to be. Resorting to invasive privacy-destroying tactics will not build confidence and will certainly cost these sites my business.