When I was a kid, my parents kept me in line by reminding me that Santa Claus knew everything I did, good or bad, and would reward me accordingly on December 25th.
I stopped believing that story a few years ago, but I recently discovered that Google knows.
This morning, I used Google to look up something related to ham radio. Google came back with a list of website links and I clicked on one that looked promising.
Immediately, that ham radio website appeared in my browser, but I was taken aback by the banner advertisement displayed at the top of the web page.
It was an “Ads by Google” Saks Fifth Avenue' advertisement (see above) for a pair of Christian Louboutin glitter-covered peep-toed platform pumps with a 5-1/2-inch stiletto heel for only $795!
After trying unsuccessfully to come up with a ham radio application for the shoes, I realized that Google knows that I am a femulator and is gearing its advertisements toward Stana!
As a result, I plan to be a good girl this year and hope that Google will reward me with a $795 pair of high heels on December 25th.
You know that I am a bit of a computer Luddite but I have a theory. Google knows that Stana is a bit of a fashionista who will check out and perhaps patronize sites that sell woman's clothes and shoes. A Stana search may get you banners from the type of store Stana may have shopped at in the past. By looking at ham radio material Google may have reclassified your profile into a higher income catagory and then kicked in an add for $795 shoes.
ReplyDeleteJust a guess.
Pat
PS: Those shoes are beautiful but at my height I do try to avoid platforms. LOL
Yep. It has to do with whatever other websites you've visited using the same computer. I'm not sure whether Google is tracking IP addresses, or if it's just accessing the cookies left on your computer by Google and other websites.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I've looked at clothes on one website, then gone on to do other online work and been served nothing but ads for Jessica London, Penney's, Roamans, etc.!
Nothing you do on the Internet is truly private, and clearing your browser history and cache only does so much. It's maybe something for truly private femulators to remember. You may be "in the closet," but the digital closet doesn't have as much privacy as you think!
73 de Trish
George Orwell would have been impressed!
ReplyDeletep
x
You're not the only one who has mentioned this recently. I have not personally experienced it and it took me a while to realise that it's because my privoxy web proxy removes banner ads! Anybody who is worried about being outed by their banner ads might want to consider privoxy.
ReplyDeleteAmazon seems to know what I've been looking at too, and offers "helpful" suggestions.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
that freaks me out too, especially when your not even on google (some blog for instance) and it still pops up.. obviously that site is using google ads.
ReplyDeleteLikely that it is the sites that you are visiting. Zappos is doing it and so is Chico's. Clear your cookies if you need the privacy.
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to be paranoid about what Google knows, download a copy of their Picasa photo editing software and play with the facial recognition using pictures of yourself in male and female modes.
ReplyDeleteAt some point, either Google or a scrappy startup with similar technology will apply the algorithms to every publicly-available image on the Internet, outing a lot of "alternative lifestyles" in the process.
It is only a matter of time.
Stana, sweetie.. You miss the obvious. Those stilettos are, um, tower bases ;)
ReplyDelete73/88, Monica _/!
I am always seeing ads clearly taregetd after 'my last buy' the tracking marketing technology is very powerful! and is used more and more. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I dislike the sense that someone is looking over my shoulder when I'm online! I use the same computers for work and home and I am not 'out' in my work situation, which has meant I have had to forcefully laugh among work colleagues when some lurid or clearly feminine products appear in all my ad boxes! Even more so when your laptop is connected to a projector and a small audience are sitting around you in a board room!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, it is a shining example of how a good blog should be written! thank you!
Please Mr Google, I've been a good girl, can I have those shoes in size 42 (European) please
ReplyDeletePaula