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Back in the eighties, I used to hate television commercials, but I eventually got used to them. Had to, in order to enjoy my favorite shows. Then, the increasing number of billboard ads annoyed me in the nineties. They followed me everywhere I went--no escape--persuading me to buy the newest whatever. It seemed like Big Brotherism--like They Live. But, I got used to it. When I finally entered the digital age and became a web addict, I was peeved at the constant sight of online ads everywhere I visited. My rage eventually passed and... I got used to it. Had to.
How To Stop Advertising Companies From Tracking Your Online Activity For Targeted Web Ads
Seeded on Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:23 AM EST
Article Source: The Huffington Post- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (15)
Advertising is absolutely necessary on the web to keep all of that content you love and enjoy free. If there wasn't any advertising, none of us would be addicted to the web because we couldn't afford it. We would be paying for anything and everything. So, whenever you see an ad on a website, you can choose to check it out or ignore it. Whatever you want. Fine--get used to it.
- 2 votes
#1 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:23 AM ESTYW all..
Glad you all found this useful...I did as well, though I do find myself a bit torn. On one hand we all benefit from online ads here on the vine, they do become overwhelming at times.
- 3 votes
My story:
I'm in my RV, right now in Zephyrhills, Florida. Last week, I picked up a real estate brochure, perused, and went onto a website (don't remember which, threw the brochure away). Just read the seeded article and found this:
Behavioral targeting tracks and analyzes your online behavior, tracking what you search for, what websites you visit and what services you use. This could be used to determine what ads are shown to you and where, even having the same ad follow you from site to site, a practice known as retargeting (or remarketing).
It doesn't go far enough in what it states BECAUSE: a few day later, I got an email from a local broker with housing suggestions. Now, I had NOT entered my email address anywhere. Sooo, how did they find it???
- 4 votes
Sooo, how did they find it???
You may have left it in your trail somewhere, I know my husbands email address was picked up off Monster.com and picked up by a few cons that wanted to sell him a package on interviewing skills disguised as a potential job he was seeking. Anyhoo, I'm guessing here.
- 3 votes
Walt42, if you were signed into another widely-used network, such as Facebook, your email address can be shared.
I have installed a variety of ad- and cookie-blocking addons on my browser, let me know if you're interested in specifics. At the very least, I would definitely caution against browsing while signed into such privacy-whores as Facebook. And eve if you're signed out the cookies may remain.
- 3 votes
Thanks Rodney!
I just recently realized I am being targeted as a result of looking for employment. I can't dl the privacy choice program (missing file?) Anyway onto troubleshooting the problem now.
- 3 votes
#2 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:23 AM ESTThanks for the information and the links. I'm going to use some of that.
- 3 votes
#3 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:45 AM ESTThere is an add-on for Firefox called "Ghostery" that works well.
- 4 votes
#4 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:52 AM ESTThanks for this info, Rodney! I've downloaded TrackerBlock for Firefox and will see how I like it.
- 3 votes
#5 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:54 AM ESTYou idiots, if you are looking for fishing waders don't you want to see fishing wader offers? Being tracked is not always bad.
- 4 votes
#6 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:10 AM ESTWant a neat trick use a proxy from another country (preferably) one with a foreign language, watch how the ads change. This is just info from the IP origin, to stop tracking of personal searches and visits the best way is to clear all cookies, and cache.
Ad Aware is great fro tracking cookies, and the above mentioned Ghostery along with Ad Block are excellent. Ad Block will give you a readout for every advertiser and tracker for the page you visit and the ability to block all tracking advertisers.
I wrote about this a few months ago, glad to see there is others picking up on this, not only is it intrusive it often slows loading of pages with tracking redirects.
- 3 votes
#7 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:32 AM ESTI can't stand commercials in any form. I suppose I like to read a newspaper because I choose what to look at as I search for articles that interest me. I can ignore the commercials there. I got so tired of radio commercials that I only use an iPod in my vehicle now and listen to what I want to.
I've written to several businesses that use those wiggling, moving, pop-up things on the Internet and advised them that I will never, under any circumstance, buy or use a product from a company that uses intrusive measures to advertise.
I'd pay to live in a commercial free world.
- 4 votes
#8 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:57 AM ESTThanks for the seed, Mr. Rodney. Lots of helpful info and advice.
- 3 votes
#9 - Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:33 AM ESTIts so creepy to get a pop-up from some scam that knows where you live and what you like. Thanks for the info.
- 1 vote
#10 - Mon Feb 28, 2011 1:08 AM ESTI hate the amount of ads as well, I just ignore them and I also clear off all cookies on a regular basis. I do not go into Facebook for anything and it seems to work OK for me. Thanks for the Info, I guess I was doing it right.
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