[Closed] How do they know what you want?

your browsing history, the profile of the site and the content of the page are the main things.

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So if I'm browsing somewhere else but logged in to STW then it transfers to where-ever I happen to be?

It was all green fields and bra ads around here once. 🙁

do you have a google login that you use for mail/calendar or anything? It's not stw controlling what you see, it's google.

Except my husband was using my pc last night - I can see lots on sports drinks I should add!

It's because Google supply the ads

Today I'm getting Inov8 mudroc ads - pretty specific and I was looking for them last night

Thats targeted advertising amplified by coincidence. If all the ads you saw were totally specific to you and your wants, right down to the make and model then that would be one thing, but thinking about something one day and seeing an ad (amongst a bunch of others) for it the next is more accident than design.

But how did Google know I wanted a lightsaber? Even [i]I[/i] didn't know I wanted a lightsaber!

But how did Google know I wanted a lightsaber?

Its based on your browsing history, and your elevated midichlorian count. Mostly the latter

but thinking about something one day and seeing an ad for it the next is more accident than design.

"Thinking" then yes it's coincidence, Google haven't managed mind reading yet. 🙂

My T-shirt girl has returned to me after ignoring me for a few days.

I'm happy again, and I've forgiven her...

No, it's not Maccruiskeen.
It's directly because Inov8 (or one of their resellers) has a google ad account and they pay specifically to serve that ad to people who have searched for "mudroc" or "Inov8" or somesuch.

But how did Google know I wanted a lightsaber?

Can I please request that we all start referring to deadlydarcy by his proper title ... either DD or bravissimo? And making frequent references to him. That way we can get some proper adverts back on this site

I do have gmail and a google calendar but I'm not logged in on the PC. How does STW tell google who I am?

Ah, just spotted the cat - thanks cap'n

I think the modz blocked them binbins 😐

Can I please request that we all start referring to deadlydarcy by his proper title ... either DD or bravissimo? And making frequent references to him. That way we can get some proper adverts back on this site

Wasn't sure what you meant so I've just googled that. 🙂

(Edit - Perhaps not)

[i]How does STW tell google who I am?[/i]

By the Power of Greyskull!

STW don't tell google who you are, your browser does.

STW don't tell google who you are, your browser does.

Yes, I think I understand that but I'm on a different browser on a different machine that's not logged into google and hasn't been since I switched it on. How does it know?

I peeked at a thread about someone's bike making them want to pee, suddenly I got adverts for catheters!!

I'm enjoying the girl in a little dress and wellies at the moment. The promise of larger pictures from the website has not proved reliable however.

She would benefit from a lightsaber.

[i]How does it know? [/i]

Cookies.

Health Insurance and Kindles 🙄

If there's no targetted ads available they just serve up filler ones.

No, it's not Maccruiskeen.
It's directly because Inov8 (or one of their resellers) has a google ad account and they pay specifically to serve that ad to people who have searched for "mudroc" or "Inov8" or somesuch.

But the OP is talking about actions on two different machines, so unless hes logged into google with the same ID on both then the seemingly specific ad being served to one machine following a search on another has more of an element of chance. His general browsing history on both machines will have identified him as someone who might buy fell running shoes but its chance that they served an ad with that shoe specifically, unless its a shoe that is being marketed particularly hard at the moment in which case anyone who likes fell running will be seeing ads for that shoe.

I get tees, garden tools ( bizarre)!! underwear, and loans. And diet scheme things

I haven't looked for any of those things though!!

I'm getting 'woman is 53 but looks 27' & some steroid thing in really anooying moving ads, i have never looked at anything to do with those things. They are really starting to do my head in. someone will notice i'm not doing any work!!

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I've been looking at watches lately, so get lots of watch hut ads. Mostly the exact models I've been looking at or similar styles. Quite tartgeted profiling.

Not sure why I'm getting mature singles ads, no really I don't know why!

I'm getting adverts for the Samaritans, and a Scotrail advert with the tagline "A Better Way To Go".

If you run the Script Block plug in, you can stop all the ad sites harvesting data from you when you're on other sites. There's a plug in for Facebook that does the same. Then you still get Ads, but they know nothing about you......

Could it be Amazon? Logged into that on both and it's actually an Amazon ad having looked again.

why are you so concerned? Somethign about your behaviour is causing these ads to appear, if you've never logged into google on one then it won't be that. If you've previously logged in and not cleared cookies then it'll still recognise you.

You can opt out of targeted ads on google or you can just clear your cookies and browsing history each time you shut the browser down or always browse in safe mode.

But the OP is talking about actions on two different machines, so unless hes logged into google with the same ID on both then the seemingly specific ad being served to one machine following a search on another has more of an element of chance.

Could be done on IP address rather than specific machine. Big Brother could easily tie the two devices together as the same 'person' if you'd logged into Google etc. on both machines.

This is the whole reason websites now have to tell you they're using cookies.

[i]This is the whole reason websites now have to tell you they're using cookies. [/i]

actually, they don't.

The Information Commission has now taken the advice about cookies off their web site. Just bury somethign in the t's and c's about using cookies and you're ok.

*logs out to see what I get

There are many very easy ways for companies & search engines to track you, Google for instance will track over 25% of the websites you visit..

Depending on your browser you can install various extensions to stop 3rd parties from doing this.

I'm not concerned, just curious about how it all works.

Thanks.

If you want to change the ads you see, here's a suggestion. Head over to a site like John Lewis, Three, Amazon or any site that spends money on retargeted ads and view a product you would prefer to look at and then head back here. And as if by magic...

Count yourselves lucky. I bought a shed online a few weeks ago, now every bloody shed seller is trying to flog me another one. Everywhere I go on the Internet.

thegreatape - it doesn't last (could be a month but I can't remember).
The new B&O ipod streamer is another - took one look at their website, and every ad on the internet suddenly changes.

Still doesnt make we want a cheap Kona.

I bought a shed online a few weeks ago, now every bloody shed seller is trying to flog me another one

That's what I don't get with these ad targetting mechanisms, they spend millions on the technology but then don't do any thinking with what they target you with, do they?

You've bought a shed? The internet will now serve you a lot of opportunities to buy another shed. There's probably nothing you're less likely to buy, right now, than a shed. Targetting you with adverts for ronseal, padlocks, portable radios, that I could understand.

I have the same thing going on with amazon - I bought a watch of of there a while ago. Now they're constantly recommending me watches. I've bought a bloody watch, if there's one thing I don't need right now, thanks, it's a watch. Got one, see?

And kids books - do amazon not realise kids grow up and change tastes - the fact that I bought my four year old some Charlie and Lola books three years ago really doesn't suggest that, now she's seven, I'm likely to be in the market for Charlie and Lola books, but no, Amazon tries to push them at me all the bloody time.

Top prize though, goes to Sainsburys. Back in the mists of time when they had their own loyalty card (pre-nectar) they used to have little terminals in our branch that you put your card in and it gave you vouchers, supposedly tailored to you based on their knowledge of your shopping. I get the concept - he buys normal spec coffee, give him a voucher for "Taste the Difference" to encourage him to try a more profitable range, fair enough. Except that, presumably based on my habitual purchases from the pet food aisle, they kept giving me enticing offers on cat food. I'd only ever bought dog food.

I didn't realise that this annoyed me as much as it obviously does. I feel much better now I've got that off my chest..

The Information Commission has now taken the advice about cookies off their web site. Just bury somethign in the t's and c's about using cookies and you're ok.

No they haven't. They just switched to 'implied consent' rather than 'opt in' after a massive drop in their own site usage.

And [url= http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_communications.aspx ]no you're not ok just burying it in the t's & c's[/url].

Phil.W You're not defending it are you?
I just went to the site you linked to. I clicked on a top-menu link, and suddenly the note at the bottom disappeared. I didn't read it. I now 'apparently' consent. The whole thing is a joke.

Nope not defending it. Still haven't implemented it on some sites I manage.

Just making sure people are aware of the 'law' they are breaking 🙂

Thank goodness, if it goes on much longer I'll end up with a garden full of them. Fortunately I am [i]almost[/i] as powerful as he-who-must-not-be-mentioned, therefore I am [i]almost[/i] immune to advertising.

I'm currently getting Wiggle, and something to do with skiing, which I've never, ever been interested in. I was getting a DX.com ad, and I do look on their site a lot, and buy stuff from time to time, so I'm not surprised at that ad targeting me.

The last 2 letters of my postcode are DD. Well that's my excuse whenever Mrs BigJohn asks why all the dodgy adverts.

kindles, galaxy chocolate bars and last week it was disability aids...

...they know I'm sat here with a broken ankle don't they?

Why have people with a "P" got ads appearing anyway?

http://singletrackmag.com/premier/account/ hit the button!