Toolbar lets TNT know whenever you are on the internet

[brainyiscool]

now isn't it you that's being naive? i believe, with no evidence, that neopets doesn't use, or possibly use, the info gathered by the toolbar for any harmful means. you too believe, with no evidence, that they do keep the evidence, and possibly that it is used for harmful means. let's just let our opinions stand until we see what TNT is really doing.

http://wwwneopets.com/privacy.phtml

I. The Information We Collect
...
Additionally, when visitors come to our site, we automatically collect some non-personally identifiable "computer" information, such as the type of computer operating system (e.g., Windows 95 or Mac OS), the user's "IP Address", the web browser (e.g., Netscape, Internet Explorer) being used, and information regarding the Internet service provider.
...

The "Such As" implies there is more data collected

II. How We Use the Information
...
We also use visitor's personal information to track usage and to ensure user are following the site's Terms and Conditions.
...

I find it funny that "Usage" is never defined before as Neopets site or General internet usage.

Interpret it as you will, but they admit to logging site access and using it, and each request by the toolbar is an "access" to the site.

[psyco_chick32]

I. The Information We Collect
...
Additionally, when visitors come to our site, we automatically collect some non-personally identifiable "computer" information, such as the type of computer operating system (e.g., Windows 95 or Mac OS), the user's "IP Address", the web browser (e.g., Netscape, Internet Explorer) being used, and information regarding the Internet service provider.
...

The "Such As" implies there is more data collected

II. How We Use the Information
...
We also use visitor's personal information to track usage and to ensure user are following the site's Terms and Conditions.
...

I find it funny that "Usage" is never defined before as Neopets site or General internet usage.

Interpret it as you will, but they admit to logging site access and using it, and each request by the toolbar is an "access" to the site.

Seriously, if you don't like it... don't use it. But I really don't see what so horrific about all this. So they have the ability to see some information. So what? There's nothing here that I see frightning at all.
Oh noes, they know what browser I use, or what version toolbar I have. Please, please tell me what's so bad about that.
Like matchbox, I'm going to assume the positive (not necessarily "naive" as you say, but just assuming the positive) and assume that they don't have the staff to sit there and monitor the hundreds of thousands of neopians on at one time.

And as I stated earlier, I'd rather they were able to find out stuff like where I logged in from. I lost a previous account to a hacker in California. I live in Michigan. Know what? I bet this information would be useful to them in proving that that really wasn't me spamming on my account.

[darkfire]

I know this is probably not anything in the way of serious but, well, this is just the kind of thing to get my paranoia up.

After I installed the toolbar I suddenly noticed that instead of showing me the "Page cannot be found" pages etc. it redirects my browser to search.myway.com. Now a lot of you may even think of this as a add on, to me it smack of spyware/adware. So with my battle flag flying I set out to demolish previously mentioned invader. And lo and behold, what do I find? None other than that this is part of the Neopets Toolbar experience.

Being the type of person that gets annoyed by programs hijacking my browser without my permission, I uninstalled the toolbar.

What I do find ironic is that everywhere you turn you see "NO SPYWARE" pasted all over everything that has to do with the toolbar.

Either way, this is just a heads up to those who were perhaps wondering about that strange search engine that suddenly appeared.

[Teelie]

I knew they were up to something, but not to this depth. I guess it's a good thing I've all but given up using it and have disabled it for weeks. Never worked right in the first place anyways.

[benladesh]

i haven't gotten the Toolbar because I've never trusted any toolbar. They all have catches behind them, well most of them do anyways. Even neopets can't be trusted today. Its sad but its a reality. Its hard to trust a big website nowadays.

[Q]

I know this is probably not anything in the way of serious but, well, this is just the kind of thing to get my paranoia up.

After I installed the toolbar I suddenly noticed that instead of showing me the "Page cannot be found" pages etc. it redirects my browser to search.myway.com. Now a lot of you may even think of this as a add on, to me it smack of spyware/adware. So with my battle flag flying I set out to demolish previously mentioned invader. And lo and behold, what do I find? None other than that this is part of the Neopets Toolbar experience.

Being the type of person that gets annoyed by programs hijacking my browser without my permission, I uninstalled the toolbar.

What I do find ironic is that everywhere you turn you see "NO SPYWARE" pasted all over everything that has to do with the toolbar.

Either way, this is just a heads up to those who were perhaps wondering about that strange search engine that suddenly appeared.

That's not spyware, it's a toolbar option. Uncheck that you don't want it to try and help you when you mistype a URL.

[PTP]

Im just glad I got rid of it. I don't like the feeling of my privacy being violated, even if it is Neopets.

[darkfire]

I know this is probably not anything in the way of serious but, well, this is just the kind of thing to get my paranoia up.

After I installed the toolbar I suddenly noticed that instead of showing me the "Page cannot be found" pages etc. it redirects my browser to search.myway.com. Now a lot of you may even think of this as a add on, to me it smack of spyware/adware. So with my battle flag flying I set out to demolish previously mentioned invader. And lo and behold, what do I find? None other than that this is part of the Neopets Toolbar experience.

Being the type of person that gets annoyed by programs hijacking my browser without my permission, I uninstalled the toolbar.

What I do find ironic is that everywhere you turn you see "NO SPYWARE" pasted all over everything that has to do with the toolbar.

Either way, this is just a heads up to those who were perhaps wondering about that strange search engine that suddenly appeared.

That's not spyware, it's a toolbar option. Uncheck that you don't want it to try and help you when you mistype a URL.

Ah I see, my bad.

[mazil]

I can understand it needs to check for give-aways, but does it need the session data for that? No. It could just check if there is a give-away happening at the moment and lead you there. When you click the link you could send your sennion information.

(Sorry to resurrect this from the previous page..) ... Ok, so it doesn't need session data for that, but what is the problem with sending session data anyway? As I said in my previous post, isn't it just as "bad" as your neopets session cookie? I'm guessing it means you don't have to log into Neopets every time you want to grab your freebies. That's not a bad thing.

And I also don't see what the problem is with sending any of that other information. I guess people are getting worried because they think, "I didn't know Neopets was sending that! If they're sending that, they could be sending anything!!" ... but that's simply not true!

As brainyiscool said, you can download a Firefox extention to see what data is being sent. If Neopets was sending information about the sites you were visiting, then it would have been uncovered and announced in this thead.

[Christopher]

Since the warehouse thing never worked for me, I'll just go kill the toolbar now...

[psyco_chick32]

This could be a positive thing, for those of us who keep it...
less of the Tarla items means they'll be worth more..

*plots* GO SPREAD THE WORD!
(*rubs hands together* hehehe... eeexxelllentt....)

Sorry, I've got a weird sense of humor today.

But yeah, seriously? Unless you're doing things you probably shouldn't be doing (cheating and stuff), I don't see the point in getting rid of the toolbar.

[polomoche]

I think it's a given that the entire Neopets site is tracking players for "marketing purposes". The toolbar is just a slightly more aggressive way for them to track your activities, not just on Neopets but anywhere else.

It's the "anywhere else" aspect that creeps me out a little. But otherwise it should really come as no surprise that the toolbar is for marketing. I mean, it's not like it really does anything useful...for crying out loud, they have to bribe us with prizes to get us to use it.

[Ric]

Just as we speak:

You won a prize:
Gatekeeper Stamp

I've decided I really don't care. If they want to track all the sites I go to, fair enough. I only use Firefox for restocking, and everything else I use Avant. So all they're seeing is the stamp shop being refreshed.

[bgryph]

I uninstalled the toolbar because it's highly annoying.

However, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it tracks your Internet usage. This is a marketing site, after all.

How you feel about that is up to you. I don't go anyplace exciting (Neopets fan forums, cat forums, knitting forums, LJ, my bank, insurance, and investment websites -- OK, that might be exciting) but IMO it's none of Neopets business no matter how unexciting.

Your mileage may vary.

[Asthaloth]

Welcome to the internet, where your every movement is tracked.

Next thing you'll tell me that you didnt know that phone calls are monitored.