GOVERNMENT SHOULD KEEP PRIVACY PROMISE

Are you a coin collector? Stargazer? Frequent traveler?

The government probably knows. That is, if you've ever visited a government Web site on the Internet.

Despite a Clinton administration memo issued in June restricting the practice, some agencies are using software on their Web sites to determine where you travel on the information superhighway.

The technology was developed to allow sites to cater to visitors' specific interests because the software has determined what those interests are. The U.S. Mint, for example, says it uses the technology on its site to operate an online shopping cart so commonly seen on commercial sites.

But for many, having a particular page pop up isn't worth the government intrusion. And nobody in government seems to have a good reason why the policy hasn't been followed.

U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee wants to establish a commission to examine government privacy practices. And the U.S. Transportation Department has removed the tracking software from 23 of its Web sites.

These are steps in the right direction.