General Discussion

Hosnon

(7,800 posts)

55. Not only do I not view this as bad, I view it as good.

Thu Mar 15, 2012, 11:10 AM

Mar 2012

Google recently integrated all of its products so it can better "know" me. And I've noticed a positive change - most, if not all, of the ads I see on Google's sites are interesting/relevant to me. Less and less advertising spam is getting through.

Google has made it easier for me and companies with products/services I am interested in to find each other. I view this as a good thing.

And I agree with _ed_. These services are free and we are the products. This has been the business model the entire time? Why are people acting like it is shocking now?

Perhaps such sites should just offer a subscription version without ads.

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I Didn't Tell Facebook I'm Engaged, So Why Is It Asking About My Fianc�? [View all] Julian Englis Mar 2012 OP

Yet another reason to make only SheilaT Mar 2012 #1

I do email and only a little of that madokie Mar 2012 #2

email is heavily mined as well Xipe Totec Mar 2012 #3

Are you speaking of web based email or email from a PC based email tool, or both. My take is RKP5637 Mar 2012 #8

Fairpoint.net madokie Mar 2012 #25

Yep, that's what I do too, just my local company, not "gmail or yahoo or any of the others." n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #28

The internet is nothing more than an interconnected network of isps Xipe Totec Mar 2012 #33

I wonder how secure VOIP is? n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #34

Yep, same here!!! Also, I would never have a Facebook or Twitter account either. n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #6

I dumped Facebook six months ago. anti-alec Mar 2012 #73

The add that just popped up on DU was for wedding rings!!! Rex Mar 2012 #4

It's probably just a matter of time. "I for one am getting the canned veggys all lined up in RKP5637 Mar 2012 #9

They will say, 'impossible how could that happen?' Rex Mar 2012 #12

It must be the water!!! Have lots of chemical free water on hand! n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #13

Too late...you drank some of the water yesterday!!! Rex Mar 2012 #16

Yep!!! LOL RKP5637 Mar 2012 #18

Now there's an ad for a place for the wedding reception. Scary stuff. virgogal Mar 2012 #19

Same way as google and yahoo have joined together. They said they would be reading the content of freshwest Mar 2012 #5

facebook used to mackattack Mar 2012 #11

I'll give it a try. My friends and I still have myspace accounts that just sit there. freshwest Mar 2012 #21

FB exists only to data mine and profile you for advertisers and intelligence agencies. It is not leveymg Mar 2012 #7

Yep, and similar to Google, Yahoo, Twitter, all of them. They are in it for the money. Nothing RKP5637 Mar 2012 #17

Then don't use them _ed_ Mar 2012 #36

I don't use them. Typically, anymore, I use alternatives to Google and anonymous searches. I don't RKP5637 Mar 2012 #43

What search engine alternatives? Would like to know why you think any are safe. leveymg Mar 2012 #57

Use proxify.com, for example. RKP5637 Mar 2012 #58

Thnx. I'll look into that. leveymg Mar 2012 #60

If you subscribe, then their system is always available. During heavy usage periods they RKP5637 Mar 2012 #62

ed - you may not want private data, but there are those who do. leveymg Mar 2012 #56

Of course _ed_ Mar 2012 #66

Not just Facebook _ed_ Mar 2012 #39

Their business plan mackattack Mar 2012 #10

Why is that wrong? _ed_ Mar 2012 #40

Let me check if I said it was wrong in my post mackattack Mar 2012 #49

I use mine for posting stories ans self promotion as a writer nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #14

Facebook are novices at this. Google is the real threat. onehandle Mar 2012 #15

Never use Facebook. And still, through email, get targeted ads related to topics LuckyLib Mar 2012 #20

Creepy? _ed_ Mar 2012 #37

If you have evidence that Google is selling information _ed_ Mar 2012 #41

Now I'm scared. lob1 Mar 2012 #22

Have you ever talked about cremation on the Internets? Rex Mar 2012 #23

No, but I got my ads in the regular snail mail. lob1 Mar 2012 #26

Yep, I get stuff like this too via snail mail gotten via the public records. n/t RKP5637 Mar 2012 #29

I'm an internet advertiser _ed_ Mar 2012 #44

This story's a good reason to use a pseudonym on Facebook. Julian Englis Mar 2012 #24

I'm an internet advertiser _ed_ Mar 2012 #45

It keeps suggesting that I befriend my landlord dana_b Mar 2012 #27

You gave them permission to mine your email _ed_ Mar 2012 #46

yeah - I figured that later dana_b Mar 2012 #59

Well, there's always the strategy customerserviceguy Mar 2012 #30

you Go Vols Mar 2012 #31

a better strategy is blocking the damn things. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2012 #35

Yes, but if enough people start using ad blocking software, _ed_ Mar 2012 #53

And the problem is what? customerserviceguy Mar 2012 #67

Screw you _ed_ Mar 2012 #68

I'm entitled to ignore any and all advertising customerserviceguy Mar 2012 #72

OK _ed_ Mar 2012 #74

Question about using Facebook on a public computer Jim Lane Mar 2012 #32

Don't worry _ed_ Mar 2012 #47

Sorry, I don't understand this. Jim Lane Mar 2012 #65

I don't understand the controversy here _ed_ Mar 2012 #38

I think what has happened is a misunderstanding. BTW, I agree with what you say, these RKP5637 Mar 2012 #48

I disagree _ed_ Mar 2012 #50

Not in the early days there weren't, and then they were long and confusing. And many sites RKP5637 Mar 2012 #51

No terms and conditions? _ed_ Mar 2012 #52

If you go back to about the mid-nineties, T's & C's were very weak if at all in existence. Privacy RKP5637 Mar 2012 #54

First rule of facebook or any other flobee1 Mar 2012 #42

I was talking to a classmate last night dana_b Mar 2012 #61

Not only do I not view this as bad, I view it as good. Hosnon Mar 2012 #55

Facebook Is Borg! excuse not to write Mar 2012 #63

Ad Block Plus Rochester Mar 2012 #64

No one forces anyone to fill out the personal info on Facebook. cleanhippie Mar 2012 #69

I dumped my Facebook account after I posted a picture of myself TheManInTheMac Mar 2012 #70

Oh, holy hell! Just after I posted this, DU is recommending cheap eyewear. TheManInTheMac Mar 2012 #71