I agree that it's pernicious, kind of like creating an "uber-virus" that generates customized viruses to attack individual hosts. The term "mass personalization" isn't an oxymoron when you have vast computer power and storage available.

Despite my silence, I've continued to work steadily on the next Zone, and lately my efforts have been focused on hardening the database against corruption and attack, beefing up access control, and generally preparing the site to exist in an environment of actively hostile digital enemies. The ideal is for the HabitableZone to exist in "splendid isolation", connected enough for you to use with minimal risk, in part through remaining isolated from advertising and surveillance networks (I'm looking at you, Google Analytics+AdWords). No Facebook Like buttons or "convenient" single signon using your Facebook account. No Twitter feeds beaconing back to Mountain View.

I didn't mention the latest villain, ISPs newly liberated from the shackles of privacy regulation. Given the surveillance most people already accept, I think ISP logs would be just the icing on the cake. Anybody else see the irony of complaining on Facebook or Twitter about ISPs selling your browsing history?