Holger Metzger wrote: > > OK then. I tried the same with Netscape 6.2.1, German version. > This is what happened: > ---------------------------------------- > 'Netscape application file' from your computer wants to connect to > info-v4.websys.aol.com [64.12.180.23], port 80 > > 'Netscape application file' from your computer wants to connect to > www.google.com [216.239.39.101], port 80 > ---------------------------------------- > > Netscape 6 clearly connects to a AOL server first, then to Google. > > Mozilla did _not_ do this. Mozilla connected _directly_ to Google. > > Now, I don't know /what/ Netscape 6 sends out there to the AOL server, > it might only be a statistic like "Hey the user wants to use Google, > tell the advertisers", which wouldn't be too bad, Netscape needs to make > money from stuff like that. Since it's only port 80, the classic > webserver port, it really might just be a harmless redirection to count > the number of hits that Google gets via Netscape 6.
Thanks for checking. This is, at least, good news for Mozilla. From the article (but who knows how accurate it is) it sounds like Netscape 6 is sending all the search information to AOL which then redirects to the correct Google URL, so that Netscape has access to all the information. Netscape claims it's only to count hits so they can "charge" Google and that they don't use (or save) the extra info they have access to. At least that's my reading of the article. Eric
