It has recently come to the attention of the U.S. Senate that some web firms, namely search giant Google, are tracking users web-surfing activities to more precisely target advertising.

The problem? They aren't telling users they are doing it. The problem? Well, honestly, I'm not sure.

According to the Washington Post, '[Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)] said he and his colleagues plan to introduce legislation next year, a sort of online-privacy Bill of Rights, that would require that consumers must opt in to the tracking of their online behavior and the collection and sharing of their personal data. '

I hate Internet ads as much as the next person, with their overt and intrusive flashing or screen-distorting promotions -- and I am already a member of Netflix, so stop it with the popups! -- but I do appreciate cleverness because, as Husband pointed out to me last night, I can appreciate good entertainment.

But what does this have to do with firms tracking our online behavior? Sigh. OK, I'm going to stop tip-toeing around my point and introduce a radical idea: I don't care if companies track my online behavior, and I don't see the harm in allowing them to use my surfing habits to target my ads. As long as my browser isn't weighted down with crumbling cookies that slow my jumps between pages, there isn't a situation I can think of where I would rather see an ad for low mortgages or weight-loss medication in the place of something I might actually care about, like a new movie or gadget.

And, as long as the info they are keeping relates back only to the sites we visited and has no damaging, ID-stealing info, I don't think you should care either. Companies will always try to get the leg up with their advertising reach -- I say, let them fight for it however they need to. Internet ads suck, but the idea that companies are actually trying to make them better by focusing on my interests? That's a good idea, one I can appreciate.

There, I said it.