[rant]Targeted Ads[/rant]

Sac Arrow

Sac Arrow

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Snorting his way across the USA
Okay, let's see... bad, bad, good, click, click click, bad good.... Dammit, fifty-fifty chance and no opportunity to work around it. Might as well choose before I get too deep in to it.

Boom.

Of course I chose the wrong one. The penalty for blowing one's self up, or dealing another hand of Solitaire is that you have to suffer an ad. These things can be nefarious. Some you can skip over. Some you have to wait. Some fool you and the 'x' is actually the buy button that sends you to either a website or the app store.

I get it. The penalty for playing mindless, time wasting unproductive tablet arcade games is that you have to waste even MORE of your valuable time enduring advertisements for things that you can't possibly use or...

Wait a minute. Okay... Viagra, penis enlargement, golf discounts. You would THINK that with enough data mining that they would determine that I neither play golf nor do I have a need for (don't get me wrong, I wish I had a need for these products, but unfortunately the opportunity is not there) the penis products.

Here's where it gets weird. I've been tracking the ads. Various odd tablet arcade games. Like this one with the cartoon character of a middle aged man with male pattern baldness and a mustache. Sometimes a small dog licks him, other times he sets up a gazebo spread for a nerdy looking female cartoon character that wears glasses. Not quite husband/wife, not quite boyfriend/girlfriend, more like some emasculated friend-zoned acquaintance. The demographics that they are targeting here are somewhat confusing.

Then... more ads come. Swimwear. And I don't mean Ocean Pacific surf shorts, I mean bikini tops and bottoms. Not man-thongs. Actual swimwear for women. And then the online missy-supersize clothing store. Why shame yourself in to picking out oversized pant-suits when you can just order them online?

And then, the "Joanna explains her leaving the XXX...TV show." I have no clue who Joanna is, except some obscure TV star for some obscure TV show only plump middle-aged women would watch.

Bam. There we go. That's it.

Google thinks I'm a middle aged woman! WTF??

Why? Maybe it's because I DIDN'T click on the Viagra ad when I had the opportunity. Or perhaps accepted the golf offer. But, think about it, a middle aged, slightly plump woman would probably need the Viagra stuff to give to her man, plus maybe the golf thing as a Valentine's day gift. And the emasculated cartoon man-friend? Totally something only a middle aged chick would get off on. And I don't mean all, but no other demographic would relate. Except maybe gay men. But if they thought I was a gay man, they wouldn't send me ads for female products. Unless they thought I had a platonic female roomate or acquaintance I was shopping for.

I just don't get it. I'm confounded. Somebody is paying a LOT of money floating these ads, and getting ripped the F off.
 
Someone else is logged into your gmail (or Facebook, or ...) on another device. You're seeing what they're looking at...
 
I like trying to figure out why I get various targeted ads. Recently I was searching for iPad repair stuff and Amazon kindly offered that I probably needed a case (60!) of Elmers glue sticks. LOL.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Somebody is paying a LOT of money floating these ads, and getting ripped the F off.
Click to expand...
And, for example, I was looking for a new air compressor. Did a bunch of looking. Decided, and bought one (California Air Tools) from Home Depot.
No big deal, eh?
But. For months I kept seeing ads from Home Depot for the compressor I already done bought.
Why? I'm going to buy another? How many compressors do they think I need? (I now have two.)

And, if anyone cares, it is a very quiet compressor. Pretty handy for using in the house or in my shop when I don't need tons of air.
 
The advertisements are based upon your search history. A lot of the advertisements I see in webpages are aviation related. (Imagine that :rolleyes:)
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
And, for example, I was looking for a new air compressor. Did a bunch of looking. Decided, and bought one (California Air Tools) from Home Depot.
No big deal, eh?
But. For months I kept seeing ads from Home Depot for the compressor I already done bought.
Why? I'm going to buy another? How many compressors do they think I need? (I now have two.)

And, if anyone cares, it is a very quiet compressor. Pretty handy for using in the house or in my shop when I don't need tons of air.
Click to expand...

Now it would have made perfect sense if you had ordered it from Harbor Freight. Because then you would need a new one soon.
 
Ryanb said:
The advertisements are based upon your search history. A lot of the advertisements I see in webpages are aviation related. (Imagine that :rolleyes:)
Click to expand...

The thing about it is that I don't really do much searching on my Ipad, and how they tie that stuff to any searching I might do is confounding.

Unless of course... they are mining internal traffic on my home network....but, that doesn't work either. No plumpers are present.
 
Sac Arrow said:
The thing about it is that I don't really do much searching on my Ipad, and how they tie that stuff to any searching I might do is confounding.

Unless of course... they are mining internal traffic on my home network....but, that doesn't work either. No plumpers are present.
Click to expand...
I don't know the in's and out's of how they gather the data, but I believe that's what you're experiencing. I once did some searching on a few pilot shop websites for headsets. Not long after that, I started to see advertisements for David Clark and Bose headsets within my web browser and on sites that were non-aviation related. The next time was after I was shopping for luggage. Various websites contained advertisements for American Traveler suitcases.

I've noticed these trends for awhile, so you're not the only one. Fishing schemes are real.
 
I drank the last drop of this stuff while reading this post.




4e7a4469c317f6ddfbd709b04a171e3a.jpg



Now my ads are for liquor.
 
eman1200 said:
I drank the last drop of this stuff while reading this post.




4e7a4469c317f6ddfbd709b04a171e3a.jpg



Now my ads are for liquor.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is, I have half a case of Absolut Citron vodka sitting in my garage. I fully expect to get an ad for tampons.
 
It's real and it's incredibly creepy. You even get snail mail ads after your online searches. Sometimes I swear I think they are reading my mind because I don't even remember searching for something, I'm just thinking it, and the ad pops up somewhere in front of me. I absolutely hate it.

I also hate the Netflix way of "rating" based on your past history. I don't WANT to watch something similar to what I've watched before. I want to seek out completely different stuff. But they are targeting me with stuff "we think you will like this" because of past other stuff I watch. They don't understand me AT ALL. The mindless computer robot is trying to tell me what I like and I hate it.
 
Ryanb said:
The advertisements are based upon your search history. A lot of the advertisements I see in webpages are aviation related. (Imagine that :rolleyes:)
Click to expand...
It's a lot more than that. The amount of data that the search engines and other companies have accumulated on you makes the NSA look like amateurs. Facebook Even collects the key strokes you make even if you don't ever post the comment.
 
I always get guitar shop ads, and discount liquor websights. And penis enlargement ads, I think as long as it knows your a dude you get them.
 
They have me figured out pretty well. For example, I've been researching camping gear. And now I'm inundated with tent and camping mattress ad's.

Pretty much the same thing happens when I look at specific tools. Look at a tablesaw online, and I get AD's from Jet, Bosch, Powermatic, and a dozen others.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Funny thing is, I have half a case of Absolut Citron vodka sitting in my garage. I fully expect to get an ad for tampons.
Click to expand...

That only happens if you buy Zima. Ask @SixPapaCharlie ! ;)

The really accurate ads/coupons come from... places you actually buy stuff from. The grocery stores have it nailed. We get mailers with coupons printed for exactly what we buy. Doesn't suck.

Online ads? Mostly miss their target. By a long shot. I'm amazed people actually pay for them.
 
3/10 he is going downhill fast folks. The best he can do now is "retire" before the sponsors all abandon him. Maybe he could claim a chronic injury and that he needs time off to rehab. It is just sad how these things go at the end of a career.
 
Use an engine like DuckDuckGo; log off Google after checking your email, if you're married to Google for some reason. Go a step further, use a VPN connection and a service like Silo. Or Tor. Dig into your Google settings - you may find you've been geo tracked if you've been using their various apps on your phone. Or logging on from other locations. Kill those settings; get in, get out.

Facebook - check in, do the social nonsense, get back out. Lot of stuff you can do and/or avoid if it bothers you. Do a bit of research - a lot of it is easy, or minor effort, to accomplish.
 
Sundancer said:
Use an engine like DuckDuckGo; log off Google after checking your email, if you're married to Google for some reason. Go a step further, use a VPN connection and a service like Silo. Or Tor. Dig into your Google settings - you may find you've been geo tracked if you've been using their various apps on your phone. Or logging on from other locations. Kill those settings; get in, get out.

Facebook - check in, do the social nonsense, get back out. Lot of stuff you can do and/or avoid if it bothers you. Do a bit of research - a lot of it is easy, or minor effort, to accomplish.
Click to expand...

Do you have a good VPN service you recommend? I use ixquick as my search engine and it searches as a proxy but of course when you go directly to a website the proxy is gone. Well, you can view it as a proxy but you can't do anything with it.

I am also seriously considering going into Tor but I've been scared off by all the "it's the dark web" warnings. Besides, the NSA is probably digging more into Tor than the regular web because all the terrorists and drug dealers and snuff film makers and black market kidney dealers are in there. My son in law told me to stay away from it. Of course that just makes me want to go check it out.
 
Jim Case said:
I always get guitar shop ads, and discount liquor websights. And penis enlargement ads, I think as long as it knows your a dude you get them.
Click to expand...
How would it know you're a dude or dudette? I haven't had any discount liquor ads nor male enhancement advertisements appear on my web browser. Might want to double check your viewing history...:rolleyes:

Busted! :fingerwag:
 
Rushie said:
Do you have a good VPN service you recommend? I use ixquick as my search engine and it searches as a proxy but of course when you go directly to a website the proxy is gone. Well, you can view it as a proxy but you can't do anything with it.

I am also seriously considering going into Tor but I've been scared off by all the "it's the dark web" warnings. Besides, the NSA is probably digging more into Tor than the regular web because all the terrorists and drug dealers and snuff film makers and black market kidney dealers are in there. My son in law told me to stay away from it. Of course that just makes me want to go check it out.
Click to expand...
I like Authenticate, but there are other legitimate vendors out there. If you're an entrepeneur, or doing research on competitors, or working on applying current tech in a novell way, it's never too soon to be careful about your browsing. And you probably need to worry more about Google than the Feds, unless you're doing evil.
 
Ryanb said:
How would it know you're a dude or dudette? I haven't had any discount liquor ads nor male enhancement advertisements appear on my web browser. Might want to double check your viewing history...:rolleyes:

Busted! :fingerwag:
Click to expand...

Are there any targeted ads for those who sexually identify as an Apache Attack Helicopter yet? Damn marketers. Don't they know sexuality is a spectrum?! Sheesh. :)
 
I have an ad blocker installed on Firefox, and never use Google for searches. Duck Duck Go at least respects people's privacy and doesn't track your searches.

Oh, and I have IE buried so deep in the ether never gets used. Microsoft is not your friend either when it comes to tracking and targeting ads.
 
Sundancer said:
I like Authenticate, but there are other legitimate vendors out there. If you're an entrepeneur, or doing research on competitors, or working on applying current tech in a novell way, it's never too soon to be careful about your browsing. And you probably need to worry more about Google than the Feds, unless you're doing evil.
Click to expand...

Actually when it comes to the dark web I'm more worried about criminals (identity theft). Say I purchase something (legal) while going through the Tor browser. Are they more easily able to steal my credit card number because I'm in there? I've no idea how this works.
 
Norman said:
I have an ad blocker installed on Firefox, and never use Google for searches. Duck Duck Go at least respects people's privacy and doesn't track your searches.

Oh, and I have IE buried so deep in the ether never gets used. Microsoft is not your friend either when it comes to tracking and targeting ads.
Click to expand...
And then your ISP sells your data...
 
The problem with Duck Duck Go is that it simply doesn't work as well as Google. Tor browser is pretty secure (anonymous) but you pay a penalty in bandwidth.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
And, for example, I was looking for a new air compressor. Did a bunch of looking. Decided, and bought one (California Air Tools) from Home Depot.
No big deal, eh?
But. For months I kept seeing ads from Home Depot for the compressor I already done bought.
Why? I'm going to buy another? How many compressors do they think I need? (I now have two.)

And, if anyone cares, it is a very quiet compressor. Pretty handy for using in the house or in my shop when I don't need tons of air.
Click to expand...
Clear your history/cache.
 
I root my devices and delete all the factory bloat.
I don't do games, videos, or music on my devices.
I make calls, text, take notes and have aviation apps with no advertising.
I do have Calibre so I can read books and magazines when I'm traveling.
 
Ryanb said:
I don't know the in's and out's of how they gather the data, but I believe that's what you're experiencing. I once did some searching on a few pilot shop websites for headsets. Not long after that, I started to see advertisements for David Clark and Bose headsets within my web browser and on sites that were non-aviation related. The next time was after I was shopping for luggage. Various websites contained advertisements for American Traveler suitcases.

I've noticed these trends for awhile, so you're not the only one. Fishing schemes are real.
Click to expand...

Use "Private Windows" in your browser. No digital trail left behind when you close it.
 
Rushie said:
Actually when it comes to the dark web I'm more worried about criminals (identity theft). Say I purchase something (legal) while going through the Tor browser. Are they more easily able to steal my credit card number because I'm in there? I've no idea how this works.
Click to expand...
It's more likely the vendor will compromise your credit card data after they get it, then that'll it'll be stolen via packet compromise. Encryption works, so if your comms are encrypted, the hops between you and your vendor aren't much to worry about. If you're just doing Joe Consumer shopping, you're fine with Amazon and whatever browser you use to get there - Amazon knows what you're interested in, and may or may not sell that data, or act on it, but you're kinda stuck with that aspect. It's real unlikely anyone/anything between you and Amazon will grab your info, beyond the fact that you visited Amazon.

Some people have a credit card they use only on-line; and if the number is compromised, it's obvious to you fairly soon, and you're not on the hook for it anyway.

Your device (phone, tablet, PC, whatever) is a sewer (usually), and once a bad actor has compromised it, your network connection isn't too relevant - look into malware prevention (Malwarebytes, for example), anti-virus (Macafee whatever), and turn on auto-updates for Windows. And encryption - the newer stuff doesn't have the performance impact it used to. Is your home network secure? You change those router passwords? Secure the wireless connection? A lot/lot of phone apps track you; I think the Starbuck's app can follow you all over town, whenever you walk/drive within range of one their stores. Others do that, as well. If you care, drop the apps, or turn off location services on your phone. You can always enable it, if you need it.

Anyway, retail businesses, even the big ones, are pretty poor at protecting your data - they don't have the skills, margins, or inclination to do very well at securing their systems; I don't use a debit card in retail settings, brick-and-mortar or online; I mean never, ever - getting that mess corrected is a large chore. Online banking can/can be secure - the finance industry does a much, much better job of securing access than retail businesses. Unless you have a file on your desktop labeled "My passwords for my money stuff" - they can't help you with that. . .some companies store your banking info if you pay a bill over the phone or on-line; the better ones let you opt out; Geico, for example, and Verizon, etc. If you don't hear/see the option, then ask a human.

You'd use Tor to hide yourself - "where" you are, and the "who" you are - if you need that, you probably wouldn't be transmitting credit card data in a session. If you're worried about being tracked, and you use Google, do a little research on how to change seeings in your Google account - you can/can turn off a bunch of that stuff - and there is/is a bunch; you don't have to drop Google, just login, check your email, logout. Google knows, more-or-less, where you are when you log in (and a bunch of other stuff) - but you can turn that history off, if you want.
 
Sundancer said:
It's more likely the vendor will compromise your credit card data after they get it, then that'll it'll be stolen via packet compromise. Encryption works, so if your comms are encrypted, the hops between you and your vendor aren't much to worry about. If you're just doing Joe Consumer shopping, you're fine with Amazon and whatever browser you use to get there - Amazon knows what you're interested in, and may or may not sell that data, or act on it, but you're kinda stuck with that aspect. It's real unlikely anyone/anything between you and Amazon will grab your info, beyond the fact that you visited Amazon.

Some people have a credit card they use only on-line; and if the number is compromised, it's obvious to you fairly soon, and you're not on the hook for it anyway.

Your device (phone, tablet, PC, whatever) is a sewer (usually), and once a bad actor has compromised it, your network connection isn't too relevant - look into malware prevention (Malwarebytes, for example), anti-virus (Macafee whatever), and turn on auto-updates for Windows. And encryption - the newer stuff doesn't have the performance impact it used to. Is your home network secure? You change those router passwords? Secure the wireless connection? A lot/lot of phone apps track you; I think the Starbuck's app can follow you all over town, whenever you walk/drive within range of one their stores. Others do that, as well. If you care, drop the apps, or turn off location services on your phone. You can always enable it, if you need it.

Anyway, retail businesses, even the big ones, are pretty poor at protecting your data - they don't have the skills, margins, or inclination to do very well at securing their systems; I don't use a debit card in retail settings, brick-and-mortar or online; I mean never, ever - getting that mess corrected is a large chore. Online banking can/can be secure - the finance industry does a much, much better job of securing access than retail businesses. Unless you have a file on your desktop labeled "My passwords for my money stuff" - they can't help you with that. . .some companies store your banking info if you pay a bill over the phone or on-line; the better ones let you opt out; Geico, for example, and Verizon, etc. If you don't hear/see the option, then ask a human.

You'd use Tor to hide yourself - "where" you are, and the "who" you are - if you need that, you probably wouldn't be transmitting credit card data in a session. If you're worried about being tracked, and you use Google, do a little research on how to change seeings in your Google account - you can/can turn off a bunch of that stuff - and there is/is a bunch; you don't have to drop Google, just login, check your email, logout. Google knows, more-or-less, where you are when you log in (and a bunch of other stuff) - but you can turn that history off, if you want.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this is really great info. I already do most of that security stuff, like I never use a debit card, ever. And I download very few apps, and I have a good paid antivirus and internet security package and I do not let companies store my bank account or cc info with the single exception of Amazon. But I realize even with my proxy search engine, my location is transparent (once I click on a link from the search results). I would love to hide "where" and "who" I am not because I will be doing anything criminal but because of what may or may not be paranoia about government tracking, and also tracking by Big Advertising.

It's not that big a deal if people know I visited a single certain site for example, or a forum administrator can see my location. I think the real scary thing is that broad patterns of your internet activity are being recorded. It essentially amounts to mind reading. When all your internet activity is taken as a whole, a pretty detailed picture can be built of who you are. I don't want companies and government agencies or creepy private individuals to have access to a database containing all the patterns of my internet activity.
 
Shepherd said:
Use "Private Windows" in your browser. No digital trail left behind when you close it.
Click to expand...

But is there a record at the destination website? Like if I used a private window to search for wigs because I want to buy a wig but don't want anyone to know I am in fact, a bald female (I am not! Just making stuff up to illustrate why I'd want privacy but not for criminal purposes) is there a record somewhere along the way that my IP address was hitting those websites? When you say there is no digital trail, does that just mean it's not thrown in with your general Google searches? In other words, does a private browser window mask your IP address from that point outward?
 
eman1200 said:
No idea what you're even saying. This is at my parents house. They would know what you're talking about. All I know is 'booze on a countertop'.
Click to expand...
You mean there are people that claim you? Whoa! Who woulda thunk it?
 
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