Really, the important question we should be asking is what do we think Nate Silver can do with this information?

In other news, Google Glass is now available.

If you  would like to see all the information that has been collect on you I can get you a copy for free.  Just email me your name, address, SSN and mothers maiden name and I'll send you the information

I always notice whenever I buy something online all the adds I see for the next for days are of the same genre of product I just bought.  I mean sure I get a nice warm-fuzzy feeling knowing that Big Brother is watching out for me and trying to provide me with the things I want but it sure as hell never gets me to spend more money on the product I've already bought.  I've often wondered what is the purpose of gathering so much information.  So you know everything about everyone and everyone's activities in your society.  What are you actually going to do with that information?

Actually, they have a ton of info on my CAT.  I pay cash for purchases but anytime when I absolutely have to give out info (for a freebie, etc...) I use my cat's name.

Then again, my cat is wealthy:

DubtodaIll: I always notice whenever I buy something online all the adds I see for the next for days are of the same genre of product I just bought.  I mean sure I get a nice warm-fuzzy feeling knowing that Big Brother is watching out for me and trying to provide me with the things I want but it sure as hell never gets me to spend more money on the product I've already bought.  I've often wondered what is the purpose of gathering so much information.  So you know everything about everyone and everyone's activities in your society.  What are you actually going to do with that information?

Sell it to gullible "social media" salespeople who buy the ads.  Most of the time I'm not too bothered by it.  At least when I see the ads on a blog or site I read I feel like I'm helping the admin out a bit.

ggecko: Actually, they have a ton of info on my CAT.  I pay cash for purchases but anytime when I absolutely have to give out info (for a freebie, etc...) I use my cat's name.

Then again, my cat is wealthy:

I'm tired of wealthy fat cats.

The privacy war is over, they won.

DubtodaIll: I always notice whenever I buy something online all the adds I see for the next for days are of the same genre of product I just bought.  I mean sure I get a nice warm-fuzzy feeling knowing that Big Brother is watching out for me and trying to provide me with the things I want but it sure as hell never gets me to spend more money on the product I've already bought.  I've often wondered what is the purpose of gathering so much information.  So you know everything about everyone and everyone's activities in your society.  What are you actually going to do with that information?

Clear your cookies and disable 3rd party cookies and that will dissapear almost immediatly. No one really has that information beyond your opwn PC. Sure, they could do it by ip-adress but that wouldbe more effort than a simple cookie.

DerAppie: DubtodaIll: I always notice whenever I buy something online all the adds I see for the next for days are of the same genre of product I just bought.  I mean sure I get a nice warm-fuzzy feeling knowing that Big Brother is watching out for me and trying to provide me with the things I want but it sure as hell never gets me to spend more money on the product I've already bought.  I've often wondered what is the purpose of gathering so much information.  So you know everything about everyone and everyone's activities in your society.  What are you actually going to do with that information?

Clear your cookies and disable 3rd party cookies and that will dissapear almost immediatly. No one really has that information beyond your opwn PC. Sure, they could do it by ip-adress but that wouldbe more effort than a simple cookie.

Like I said I don't mind it, I just fail to see how the information is actually valuable if I never actually act upon the ads designed around my purchases.  Of course I'm that way about all advertising.  I guess the idea behind the value is a docile empty-headed populace that only acts on what it sees that day.

I can assure you I am not pregnant.

I work in the marketing research industry and believe me, this information isn't nearly as accessible or complete as these sorts of articles suggest in their headlines. A lot of times this information is outdated, incorrect or based on unreliable informational sources (like registration cards and sweepstakes forms where people give bogus answers as they fill out the forms). Given how freely people share treasure troves of data about themselves on the internet, I don't think the "big data" brokers are really as shadowy as they seem. Most of the information referenced in the article comes from credit bureaus, which have been doing their thing for decades.

What I do encourage is for people to go to Spokeo.com, look themselves and see how public database information that's freely available can make it very easy for someone to learn intimate details about their lives. (I also encourage opting out of being listed on Spokeo.)

DerAppie: Clear your cookies and disable 3rd party cookies and that will dissapear almost immediatly. No one really has that information beyond your opwn PC. Sure, they could do it by ip-adress but that wouldbe more effort than a simple cookie.

Flash cookies are not affected by clearing your browser cache and they were widespread even back in 2009 as per the link.

secularsage: I work in the marketing research industry and believe me, this information isn't nearly as accessible or complete as these sorts of articles suggest in their headlines. A lot of times this information is outdated, incorrect or based on unreliable informational sources (like registration cards and sweepstakes forms where people give bogus answers as they fill out the forms).

But you're working on making as expansive and accurate as possible, of course.

Argus lives in your computer.

generallyso: DerAppie: Clear your cookies and disable 3rd party cookies and that will dissapear almost immediatly. No one really has that information beyond your opwn PC. Sure, they could do it by ip-adress but that wouldbe more effort than a simple cookie.

Flash cookies are not affected by clearing your browser cache and they were widespread even back in 2009 as per the link.

A lot of sites use the regular cookies. Companies like google place the third party cookies in order for their adds to know what they need to display. No cookies, no targeted adds. Clearing them and not allowing third party cookies makes it so that I only see generic adds, and on some sites I stopped getting adds altogether.

Is it a cure all, no. But it does work in many cases.

PRIVACY PRIVACY PRIVACY PRIV... oh, wait, you mean I can save 10% on this purchase of a new pillow and paper towel holder if I join your rewards program? Sign me up!

the govt couldn't implement a national ID system until they hooked it into a sale on facial tissue.

I can remember as a kid everyone going nuts about Big Brother.  Now, Big Brother is a wholesale outlet.

I'm pretty sure they know I'm not pregnant.

/I'm a dude.

CSB:

While the missus was pregnant we received a metric ton of formula samplers and a heap of $5 coupons from every formula company, even though we never purchased any. Someone (I assume Amazon) tipped them off that a baby was on the way.

Marcintosh: the govt couldn't implement a national ID system until they hooked it into a sale on facial tissue.

I can remember as a kid everyone going nuts about Big Brother.  Now, Big Brother is a wholesale outlet.



Now open in the Tri-state area.

Misch: Datalogix has lists of people classified as "allergy sufferers" and "dieters."

Got a checkout coupon for allergy eye drops from two different stores last week.

Credit reporting giant Experian has a separate marketing services division, which sells lists of "names of expectant parents and families with newborns"

A year and a half to two years ago, marketing companies though I had a kid. Now, they think I'm contemplating preschools.

Have you actually looked at your pay stubs recently? You're probably being garnished for child support

Misch:
Credit reporting giant Experian has a separate marketing services division, which sells lists of "names of expectant parents and families with newborns"

A year and a half to two years ago, marketing companies though I had a kid. Now, they think I'm contemplating preschools.

Just about every new parent gets the regular diaper samples & coupons in the mail.  Including a few who lost their child.  Nothing like getting a painful reminder every few months in the form of a bigger diaper.

When I started receiving ads for studio apartments I knew our relationship was over.  Or they still thought the former owners live at my house.  I never knew how little you have to pay when settling debt with a collection agency.

ggecko: Actually, they have a ton of info on my CAT.  I pay cash for purchases but anytime when I absolutely have to give out info (for a freebie, etc...) I use my cat's name.

My uncle's dog has a credit card. He filled it out as a joke and sent it in. Little guy has great credit.

Misch:

A year and a half to two years ago, marketing companies though I had a kid. Now, they think I'm contemplating preschools.

Two years after our daughter was born, we started getting all sorts of mail, solicitations, and coupons for newborn stuff.  After a while we figured out that the Baby Products Industrial Complex decides that since two years has past since Kid #1 was born, that another kid must be on its way (since parents space their kids about two years apart, I guess?).

Im so paranoid I look up random shiat I have no interest in just to confuse the people trying to profile me. GET OUTTA MY HEAD

Good thing I never get on the Internets

/wait .. what?

darkscout: ggecko: Actually, they have a ton of info on my CAT.  I pay cash for purchases but anytime when I absolutely have to give out info (for a freebie, etc...) I use my cat's name.

My uncle's dog has a credit card. He filled it out as a joke and sent it in. Little guy has great credit.

Santos L. Halper?

Did someone say Shadow Broker?

Shadyman: Did someone say Shadow Broker?

Liara can call me whenever she wants.

I just turned 30 but have been getting AARP crap and junk for me to choose my Medicare part d plan for the last 5 years I want to figure out how I got on that list and get taken off

cardex: I just turned 30 but have been getting AARP crap and junk for me to choose my Medicare part d plan for the last 5 years I want to figure out how I got on that list and get taken off

Shortly after I turned 50 I joined AARP. I saved enough on hotel room discounts to more than make up for the cost of membership. I let the membership lapse and after nearly 10 years, I still get ads from their insurance companies and offers to rejoin.

DubtodaIll: I always notice whenever I buy something online all the adds I see for the next for days are of the same genre of product I just bought.  I mean sure I get a nice warm-fuzzy feeling knowing that Big Brother is watching out for me and trying to provide me with the things I want but it sure as hell never gets me to spend more money on the product I've already bought.  I've often wondered what is the purpose of gathering so much information.  So you know everything about everyone and everyone's activities in your society.  What are you actually going to do with that information?

It's a convenient and economical way to enforce obedient behavior.

Meh.  Private Investigators figured out how to find just about anything about anybody, long before the Innertubes.

/sf. Perry Mason and Paul Drake

/Paul got his start by tracking down a Giant Mantis at the North Pole

Aww man I guess I miss all the good stuff by never using my real name on line, never signing up for a "rewards" or "points" card, never answering any surveys  and setting my browser to always delete my cache and history when it closes.

ghostery?
www.ghostery.com

hamsack: ghostery?
www.ghostery.com

Who you gonna call?  Ghostery Busters?

BarkingUnicorn: KawaiiNot: rapleaf is down..

Farking opt-out link gives me the homepage in FF and Chrome.

Just had a chat with them. They're having issues. I'm told the Opt-Out link and this one should be working by evening:
http://www.rapleaf.com/privacy/privacy_faqs/