Archive for the ‘Internet Security’ Category

I got an ad from my Web site hosting service recently offering to sell me an add-on package that they claimed would improve the security of my Web site and would protect my visitors’ personal data. I turned them down. Here’s why.

Did you notice that nowhere on this site do we ask you to register, or log in, or use a password? Nowhere do we ask you for any personal infor­mation. When you click on one of our ads, the online retailers will ask you for personal data (kinda makes it hard to sell you something and ship it to you without the personal data), but you aren’t on this Web site at that point — you’re on the retailer’s site.

Shopping here is totally anonymous. There is nothing built into this site to enable me to know who any of my visitors are, hence no need for “security software.” There’s nothing here to protect. The only thing that gets tracked here is which page on this site did each sale originate from. That enables me to accurately track how much commission goes to each of the charities that has a shopping page on this site.

I’ve made the point before that I am not a “middleman” in your trans­ac­tions with our online retail partners — not in any way, shape, or form. I don’t mark-up the prices of the goods and services you buy from our online retailers. (In fact, you are more than welcome to use any coupon codes or special offers to get the absolute best price you can from any of our retailers.) I’m not involved in taking your orders, maintaining inventory, shipping your merchandise, or any other aspect of the sales process. My job is merely to introduce shoppers to sellers, and then politely step out of the picture and let you do business with each other.

And when you do, the retailers send me a commission, which I split 50–50 with the chari­table organi­zation from whose page you started your shopping adventure.

It’s a thing of simple beauty and is part of the reason that we are able to give such a high rebate percentage to each of our partner charities.

So shop here with confi­dence, and in the immortal words of chef Julia Child, “Don’t be afraid!”