OK, before I get going let me explain what this is all about: On Dec. 1, the FTC produced a report titled, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change," that recommended three tactics to address the issue of -- you guessed it -- consumer privacy.

The three legs of the FTC's wobbly stool are: first, companies should adopt "certain privacy protections into their operations" as well as "collect and retain data only if they have a legitimate business need"; second, privacy statements and options should be made simpler and more visible; and third, consumers should be given a "do not track" browser setting that, when selected, would indicate to Web sites not to compile browsing and history information.

Even though Leibowitz said "most of us" on the Commission believe it is time for a Do Not Track option, the five-man board *unanimously* approved the somewhat limp-wristed report which, in turn, defers the final report and its conclusions until sometime in 2011.

What the heck is the matter with these people? Did the mothers of the FTC board drop them on their heads when they were babies? Why on earth would these raving bureaucrats think that an "opt out" option is the right way go?