Big brother is watching,,,and he knows I like hats!

[Duper]

Twice recently I have visited a Canadian website that deals with tablet computers and cellphones ( mobilesyrup.com). It is intended for a Canadian audience as it covers our national cellphone providers pricing and new offerings as well as stores like Bestbuy or Futureshop who sell the hardware.

So I am looking at the screen and there to the side of all this high tech gear and new data plan info is a Nextag offering for Dorfman Pacific hats. So I select the small info icon and it tells me based on my websurfing it has determined my interests. So I guess the next time I drop in on the Stetson or Akubra site it will show me great offerings on cellphones??

Just a wee bit creepy. Here was what the icon returned.

What are Ads by Google?

Ads by Google appear throughout the web on sites that use Google's AdSense program to show ads. Sometimes the ads we show you are based on the content of the page you are viewing. Other times, the ads are intended to reflect your interests which are based on the content of the webpages from participating websites that you've previously visited.

 

[HatsEnough]

Yes. This happens all the time to everyone these days. It is an algorithm that compiles all the recent searches and webpage visits you've made and then it tailor makes ads for you to see. It will happen to you on your hotmail page, your g-mail, your google page, any webpage you visit that has google ads... etc. Get used to it. It happens to everyone now.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

You've only just noticed this phenomenon? Every single webpage I go to has little links to click on that refer to the subjects I either searched for, or sites I visited recently, or links to similar sites. Ads by Google is a simple euphemism for Spyware. Another fine manifestation of Big Bro's concepts of "Doublethink", and "Doublespeak".
My new party slogan shall be,..."Bro wants your dough." (Without the frowny icon, of course.)

 

[HodgePodge]

One that me go "wait, what?!" was when, from viewing a video on youtube, then going and purchasing the .pdf sheet music from the guys website Facebook was able to suggest the guy's profile to me in the "people you might know" sidebar.

 

[carldelo]

I had a similar feeling of creepy PFM a while back. I have been recording some of my obscure vinyl onto CDs, then importing them into iTunes to put on the iPod for the car. In spite of the recordings being done manually, including pops and static from the old records, iTunes is still able to determine what album it is and assign the correct song titles. So it's actually checking the music and comparing it to albums on file, and very quickly too. I found that very spooky the first time it happened.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I had a similar feeling of creepy PFM a while back. I have been recording some of my obscure vinyl onto CDs, then importing them into iTunes to put on the iPod for the car. In spite of the recordings being done manually, including pops and static from the old records, iTunes is still able to determine what album it is and assign the correct song titles. So it's actually checking the music and comparing it to albums on file, and very quickly too. I found that very spooky the first time it happened.

Not only that, it will find album cover art if it's available.

 

[Rats Riley]

I've also had adds appear for vintage ads and pulp action covers. Reminds me of the movie Minority Report where the billboards spoke directly to you and called you by name.
[video=youtube;nQbVD5hlddk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQbVD5hlddk&feature=related[/video]

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

You are seeing Google at work they track your every move to serve ad's to you based on where you go on the internet. A lot of people feel google is friendly and fun company but we are not Google customer they sell you to companies based on your profile. The longer you look at a website or websites in a tag of vintage and hats you will be sold as a person you is interested in hats and vintage.

 

[scottyrocks]

The price of a free internet. Someone's gotta make money somehow. Advertising.

 

[fmw]

News to me too. I don't use Google so it doesn't happen to me. And I'm not going to start now.

 

[Sam Craig]

First step ... Make sure you have your aluminum beany on whenever you are on the Net.
And make sure your computer is wrapped in aluminum ... heck, just wrap the whole house/office in foil.

The other option is to live a life so boring that The Man doesn't care.

However, He Is Watching, as the ads prove.
Just hope he doesn't get any more personal than hat ads.

If you start getting pop ups on your choice of briefs or boxers, THEN you can worry!

Sam

 

[danofarlington]

Twice recently I have visited a Canadian website that deals with tablet computers and cellphones ( mobilesyrup.com). It is intended for a Canadian audience as it covers our national cellphone providers pricing and new offerings as well as stores like Bestbuy or Futureshop who sell the hardware.

So I am looking at the screen and there to the side of all this high tech gear and new data plan info is a Nextag offering for Dorfman Pacific hats. So I select the small info icon and it tells me based on my websurfing it has determined my interests. So I guess the next time I drop in on the Stetson or Akubra site it will show me great offerings on cellphones??

Just a wee bit creepy. Here was what the icon returned.

What are Ads by Google?

Ads by Google appear throughout the web on sites that use Google's AdSense program to show ads. Sometimes the ads we show you are based on the content of the page you are viewing. Other times, the ads are intended to reflect your interests which are based on the content of the webpages from participating websites that you've previously visited.

That'll teach you to never, ever look up articles on breast implants or butt-shaping surgery out of idle curiosity.

 

[scotrace]

The price of a free internet. Someone's gotta make money somehow. Advertising.

Ahem. The price of keeping the doors open for 20,000+ of your friends - for free.

 

[HatsEnough]

News to me too. I don't use Google so it doesn't happen to me. And I'm not going to start now.

It doesn't matter if you use Google or not. Many of the webpages you go to will use Google ads. So it'll happen to you whether you want it to or not.

 

[monbla256]

News to me too. I don't use Google so it doesn't happen to me. And I'm not going to start now.

Just because you don't use Google doesn't mean they don't know you! It's the Internet. Go on it and your privacy has dissapeared

 

[fmw]

It doesn't matter if you use Google or not. Many of the webpages you go to will use Google ads. So it'll happen to you whether you want it to or not.

Ugh! This is not a positive development. And, I should mention, the internet isn't free. Everyone who uses it pays to use it. I remember back in the 1960's when cable TV was starting, one of the main pitches was commercial-free television. Apparently they forgot about that.

I'm going to start changing my IP every week. At least I will be a moving target.

 

[T Rick]

Ugh! This is not a positive development. And, I should mention, the internet isn't free. Everyone who uses it pays to use it. I remember back in the 1960's when cable TV was starting, one of the main pitches was commercial-free television. Apparently they forgot about that.

I'm going to start changing my IP every week. At least I will be a moving target.

If you can tolerate AOL's software as a browser, you will have a random IP every time you sign on. Just sayin'.... BTW, how do you purposely change your IP?

 

[HatsEnough]

The only way to hide yourself on line is to always sign on to the Internet using a proxy service. But, usually, you have to pay for that, too. Still, if you use a proxy you will have a different ip every time you use the Internet. Other than that, to my knowledge there is no way to hide yourself online and still be able to get to everything on the Internet.

 

[monbla256]

Ugh! This is not a positive development. And, I should mention, the internet isn't free. Everyone who uses it pays to use it. I remember back in the 1960's when cable TV was starting, one of the main pitches was commercial-free television. Apparently they forgot about that.

I'm going to start changing my IP every week. At least I will be a moving target.

As an example, go on the Internet, type in your name and you will be amazed at what comes up ! And Google knows you

 

[fmw]

I guess I could log onto my web server and browse from there. That would send the server's IP. Or I suppose I could install a proxy server there. I'll look into what's available.