[ NNSquad ] Google further modifies HTTP referer handling (+ my comments)

[Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>]

Google further modifies HTTP referer handling (+ my comments)
http://j.mp/GzEvhk  (This message in Google+)

 - - -

http://j.mp/GzCEJj  (Google Webmaster Central Blog)

   "Starting in April, for browsers with the appropriate support, we will
    be using the "referrer" meta tag to automatically simplify the
    referring URL that is sent by the browser when visiting a page linked
    from an organic search result."

 - - -

While this change does not appear to be as dramatic as the ones I
described late last October in: "Google Modifies SSL Behavior -- and
the Results Are Troubling" ( http://j.mp/nWig84 [Lauren's Blog] ), I
can't help but be a bit concerned that these continuing changes
related to a basic Web construct (that is, the "referer") are occuring
without any obvious dialogue with the Net community at large.  In
particular, any disparities in the ways that referers are delivered
for "ordinary" site results vs. ad click results are of particular
interest.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren 
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org 
Founder:
 - Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
 - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org 
 - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
 - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com 
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren 
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com

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