"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog..."

So said one dog to another as they sat at the keyboard in the well known New Yorker cartoon a few years back. Unfortunately, if certain members of Congress have their way, they may not know if you're a dog, but they will know a great deal more about your computer habits.

Under a new bill introduced in Congress within the last few weeks, Internet Service Providers would be required to maintain the names and addresses corresponding to every IP address for the ISP's customers. The bill would also allow the U.S. Attorney General to require ISPs to maintain information on traffic, sites visited and the content of e-mails.

The bill was introduced by Representative Lamar Smith of Texas as part of a "Law and Order" initiative. It will bear careful watching, lest law and order cross the line into invasion of privacy.