Weird? Sinister? Or just hi-tec?

by Chariklo 7 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Chariklo

  It's the end of a seriously stressful day. After going through my emails and browsing a couple of shopping sites for autumn clothes, I came here for light relief.

  Checked the active topics and then my own list of topics posted to in case I needed to answer anyone. THEN I noticed something really weird.

  Google's banner ads caught my eye. Above and below the listed posts were banner strip ads displying not just one of the online stores I'd visited but the very items I was looking at!

  And then I realised. In fact, I hadn't been looking at those items online, but in the snail mail catalogue that came through the door today. (Told you it was the end of one of those days.)

  Oo-er. Big Brother? Spooky? Spy camera in my living room? Looks like some very sneaky tracking going on!
• 

  jwfacts

  Just hi-tech. Google displays results based on your search history, cookies, ip location, etc.
• 

  sabastious

  You are being spied on by robots programs that report back to geeks and nerds at the grounds of Google. I guess that could be considered sinister or maybe not. Only way to know for sure is to break into Google's headquarters to figure out the REAL truth. I'll use Google Shopping to the find the best deals on the equipment I use to sneak in and have a look see. Camo Kit, Grappling Hook, Hot Pockets (for bait and distractions), and a Spyglass.

  -Sab
• 

  isojourn

  Orwell was right....
• 

  sizemik

  The only thing spying on you is computer software. It's offering products to an ip address that has particular viewing habits. Once the software is written and operational . . . you might just as well be an imaginary entity, as long as you have a bank A/C. It's not after you . . . just your money.
• 

  InterestedOne

  . . . not just one of the online stores I'd visited but the very items I was looking at!And then I realised. In fact, I hadn't been looking at those items online, but in the snail mail catalogue that came through the door today.

  My first thought is that the reason you saw the items on the banner ads is the same reason you saw them in the paper catalogue: it's what the store is currently offering. If you visited the store online, their current offerings will show up on banner ads, and you are likely to see the same items in their paper catalogue.
• 

  mummatron

  Tis cookies, and they are low tech little text files. Check out this from Google which explains exactly how the process works, and how to opt out of the ads if you'd like. http://www.google.com/privacy/ads
• 

  Chariklo

  Interesting, isn't it? Interested One, thanks for the very sensible comment on the current offerings. Good thinking.

  I suspect one or two of you didn't twig the tongue in cheek nature of my comments.Yes, I knew about the cookies! I just found it a very quirky and rather amusing, almost as if they'd had a spy camera installed in my front room! (I am not being serious here!)

  Thanks everyone for your input!