The advertising business needs to stop playing dumb and educate consumers on the fundamental principles of online advertising. Users must know about every technology used, technique employed, every potential usage or resell of their data.

Why? because transparency builds trust.

Look at the cookie issue

For the average web user, cookies are evil little snitches that should be deleted regularly, like parasites. As we (people in the "industry") know, cookies can prove to be extremelly useful for both publishers, users and advertisers. Did anyone explain this to Joe Schmo? No. So he deletes all of his cookies regularly or installs adware removal tool that does not distinguishes between evil or good cookies. This creates a vicious circle that, in the long run, prevents relationships to be built. Even though reports conflict (Jupiter says 58%, Atlas says less (pdf)), all publishers, advertisers agree that cookies have a bad rep.

How do we fix this: we come clean. We work with users, tech companies to educate users.

Some ideas: 

• Add a simple description to the cookie that would be read by browsers and spyware removal tool and will inform the user.

A simple description that would say: This cookie has been placed by "site name on "site date". Keeping this cookie on your computer will help you login faster, be presented with personalized recommendations on and better understand your behavior to provide a better experience. Learn more about our use of cookies here.

• Work with IE, Firefox to have two folders: "approved cookies" and "others". Approved cookies would be stored in a special folder subject to a special deletion process. Just like my popup blocker allows me to "allow popups from this site" with one click, why dont you make it as easy to "keep cookies from this site"?

Others?

cookies, advertising, personomies