[Art]

Rog,

Couldn't you simply add a tiny checkbox between the Status and UserName section of the Member List? If the box is shown as checked (or filled in  as the case may be), it indicates that said member is aware of and accepts the use of cookies within this site. Once the membership listing is completed, simply print out the necessary pages to keep on file in case those with the gestapo boots come knocking at your door..."PAPERS PLEASE!! WE NEED TO SEE YOUR COOKIES!! "..."Uhh...would you prefer coconut, raisin or chocolate chip?", Freddy asks rather timidly while reaching behind his door for the baseball bat!

No Freddy!! Don't do it!! - the crowd outside gathering shouts! "Show them the papers and they'll go away!"

Freddy thinks to himself, yeah, first it the papers, then they'll want a walk through my flat, then they'll take my computer and all my records...expecially the 45's, EP's and some old LP's. As long as they don't touch my CD's or my John Denver collection!

Reluctantly, Freddy shows his website cookie membership acknowledgement papers and the giant, boot wearing guards quietly turn in unison and leave.

Freddy mutter to himself as he closes the door and slumps to the floor, "Man...I'm getting too old for this kind of harrassment! There's got to be other avenues to explore for fun!!" His eyes slowly close leaving his sweat covered brow to cooly air-dry...his thoughts drifting away in a spiral, fluid-like pattern.

SUDDENLY...He is awoken with a thunderous noise! AWKK! It's only his alarm clock...it's 6:00 am...wake up!
Freddy thinks as his hand feels his still moist forehead, wow...was it all only a dream...or were THEY really here? What day is it...where is my computer?
....

[Freddy]

Haha  You would make a good story teller Art, I think Maviarab will have to look out.

The check box is a nice idea, but it's simpler for me to just get everyone to agree to a new registration agreement to be honest.  It would mean less coding work.  With the new agreement it just stops people using the site until they agree/acknowledge.  This solves the problem of not deleting members accounts too as it will wait until they next visit.

[Data]

Yeah, good post Art 

I’m a member of a few forums and sites, I wonder how many are going to do something like this.

[Freddy]

I wonder how many people actually know about it.  I only came across it by chance yesterday on the Amazon boards.

I reckon they will go after the big fish mainly though.  Like eBay... I have found that after looking at things on eBay, some times I can go to a totally separate site and there's doctored adverts from eBay based on what I was looking at.  I think that's one of the things they want to control.

[Data]

I reckon you are right Freddy, it doesn’t have anything to do with us.

Hmm, on my hard drive I have cookies from just about every site I go to, including google, bing, amazon, ebuyer, yahoo, you name it.

Is google going to make everyone accept new terms before they can search?

[Art]

You know, the irony of it all...the concept in particular of people feeling violated for allowing another computer to
"Put something" into their computer, while really not causing an iota of harm is somewhat of a joke.

It is OK and accepted practice then for countries to enact "Big Brother" type programs like Magic Lantern, Carnivore
and who know how many others that routinely scan, sniff and observe our private, personal computers for
anything "They" feel is of importance to their cause.

How many of those rather common "Updates" are really updating our existing programs or are actually covert
program operations conducted to slip another bit of serious government spyware into our machines?!

It sort of comes down to who's watching the watchers....

[Freddy]

Quite right.  I remember, say ten years back, that people were paranoid about cookies.  It's not until years later people began to realise or be educated that they are actually very useful.  It's the fact that some percentage of sites abuse their use.  It a shame that this law will probably cause more problems to the responsible sites out there and will be ignored by the irresponsible ones.