Right Click is slow to respond
Quote from: Mook What I object to more than anything is a vendors assumption that if they collect enough data on you they'll be able to target you with ads for stuff you want to buy. When I use google and I get results returned that have been paid for I never click on them. I simply note who it is and go direct.
See I've never understood this as it's self defeating.
Your computer, car, TV.. you knew about all of them because of advertising. The same goes with your stuff for hobbies.
At the moment i'm ordering various bits for arduino from various different places. Now there is no way i can know about every single component that exists is there and so i rely on adverts that know what i'm interested in to show me other bits i might be interested in. I actually prefer targetted adverts over random adverts because the random ones were nothing but a waste of my time. At least the targetted ones are actually useful. If that means they track my click and sale then so be it - they've found me something interesting and they get the data as a reward - thanks guys!
Do they know anything about me? No. They know i looked at that product range once before but they don't know who i am, where i live, what my health issues are, what i earn etc - they know none of this and so from my POV, i ido not understand the fuss about online adverts, cookies and etags. I especially don't understand how people see it as a threat of some sort - moreso than the authorities rummaging through peoples hard drives examining actual personal data
Quote from: nanotm @7up, re your last paragraph, the tracking cookies are embedded on your computer and get used to track all your online activity, that info is sent to the company, that information often includes things like what you purchased what address it was sent to and what payment method you used (especially if you typed that information into the website), the fact you used a partnership site affiliated with the advertisers means they captured all that personally identifiable data
You are right in that cookies can store your tracking code but there is absolutely no point in them holding your address, purchases, payment methods etc when they can all be stored on the websites database instead and simply retrieved using a session id.
As for third party advertisers being given this data thats questionable too. Sure the company you buy your goods from will have your data but most advertisers simply count the clicks and sales. They don't typically have access to anything else - possibly a transaction ID but thats probably about it.
For some reason nano, you seem to think that everyone that has a computer or bit of technology can do all sorts of stuff and half the time they can't.
Quote from: nanotm And big business is far more shady
Don't let artmo see you saying that, he'd have you given the anti aircraft gun treatment for slating the private sector
Quote from: nanotm big business uses the info to determine every aspect of"who you are & what you're worth" info they sell on to people like insewerants to set your premiums, service providers to determine your credit worthiness and so on.
I will agree with you on this in fairness to you but it doesn't mean that all businesses do and it certainly doesn't mean that online advertisers are exposed to all of your purchase details. There are very strict rules in place about the storage of peoples card numbers etc. Granted rules can be broken but most legitimate business owners wouldn't want the hassle of their company being crippled while being investigated.