Targeted ads
I have a similar thing with Dell. I bought a laptop from them - clearly a home-use model, rather than a business machine. And now they send me multiple e-mails a week trying to sell me laptops. Like, really, guys, how many of these do you think I need, or could pay for if I wanted them?
Hilariously, my mother did a search for a particular nightwear company back in 1998-9, but had a typo in the name. What she got was an x-rated dating site.
To this day, she gets targeted ads for that and similar sites. And despite having bought NOTHING from the mistargeted site or its competitors, she has also received spam emails from them and others as well.
Similarly, Mom had a habit of sending me political emails that she thinks supported her particular views and/or poke holes in mine. I did a little research, and I typically find that what she's sending has been debunked, and worse, is being promulgated by some pretty unsavory types with real fringey agendas.
So of course, I now get all kinds of political ads on my browsers.
My own personal browsing habits still dominate, though... Lots of clothing and guitar gear ads pop up for me.
(Dating/mail-order-bride sites, too...but that's another story.)
To this day, she gets targeted ads for that and similar sites. And despite having bought NOTHING from the mistargeted site or its competitors, she has also received spam emails from them and others as well.
Similarly, Mom had a habit of sending me political emails that she thinks supported her particular views and/or poke holes in mine. I did a little research, and I typically find that what she's sending has been debunked, and worse, is being promulgated by some pretty unsavory types with real fringey agendas.
So of course, I now get all kinds of political ads on my browsers.
My own personal browsing habits still dominate, though... Lots of clothing and guitar gear ads pop up for me.
(Dating/mail-order-bride sites, too...but that's another story.)
I was getting a lot of what I'd call porno-MMO game ads on this site (and just on this site)
I even posted a question about it in the meta category, as I assumed EN World was getting paid for the ad slots (as they used to)
As I am a web software developer, you can imagine that I am aware of cookie tracking ads and such and what that implies I must have been viewing with my laptop.
Sadly, I do not watch porn or any such on my PC because that is how you get viruses.
So the embarrassing part was the assumption everybody else was making in that thread. Sigh.
I even posted a question about it in the meta category, as I assumed EN World was getting paid for the ad slots (as they used to)
As I am a web software developer, you can imagine that I am aware of cookie tracking ads and such and what that implies I must have been viewing with my laptop.
Sadly, I do not watch porn or any such on my PC because that is how you get viruses.
So the embarrassing part was the assumption everybody else was making in that thread. Sigh.
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
Well my story is embarrassing. A couple I know wanted to surprise each other for Christmas. I let them use my computer to shop with out either of the other knowing what I was doing for the one. It was hilarious at first. Then the banners started and I was getting the strangest packages . . . . .Yeesh, I'll never do that again. I ended up going through opendnsdotnet to protect me from their mischief.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
I hate targeted ads -- they're creepy. I'm having to clear my cookies more and more often to avoid them.
The worst, unfortunately, have been here -- that "male-oriented" MMO or whatever it is with the scantily clad artwork.
The worst, unfortunately, have been here -- that "male-oriented" MMO or whatever it is with the scantily clad artwork.
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