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Author Topic: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it  (Read 1111 times)

Eddie

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #15 on: October 14, 2011, 09:26:49 AM »
Here's something weird that happened. I bought a new choke for my shotgun a few days ago through Amazon. Now every other time I go to websites there are ads for chokes on the left or right side of the front page. Coincidence?
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offdalip

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #16 on: October 14, 2011, 09:32:45 AM »
Cookies are following you around, totally normal.

If you want to stop it then wipe/erase cookies from your computor browser
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Lady Lilya

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #17 on: October 14, 2011, 09:38:23 AM »
Mike, I got the same exact list as you.  And I am sure I don't frequent the same sorts of sites that you do. 
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The Future

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #18 on: October 14, 2011, 09:55:18 AM »
I see.  A screen shot would be useful to see what images were shown.
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Atash Hagmahani

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #19 on: October 14, 2011, 09:59:46 AM »
Quote from: offdalip on October 14, 2011, 09:32:45 AM
Cookies are following you around, totally normal.

If you want to stop it then wipe/erase cookies from your computor browser

You're right that the tracking is done with cookies. There are more cookies than most folks realize though, and you have to do more than wipe them out.

There are "deep" cookies that the browsers don't tell you about, that you need special utilities to get rid of.

I suspect they're also doing stuff with IP addresses and websites that know exactly who you are, like Facebook and MSN.

I think there are a number of problems here. One of them is the "loss of serendipity". Sometimes you want to stumble upon something new to you.
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Eddie

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #20 on: October 14, 2011, 10:47:20 AM »
Thanks for the tips. I will log off and do some erasing. I don't do the Facebook thing that's what phones are for.
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Mike

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #21 on: October 14, 2011, 09:12:38 PM »
Yes! Lady Lilya, I'm sure we don't frequent the same sites.

Serendipity is important.  I try to expose myself to good Black Swans and Serendipity is important.
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Dame

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2011, 09:19:40 AM »
I occasionally wonder if the profiling also includes eclectic and therefore does not particularly screen.  Most of us here would value serendipitous outcomes and that may be the primary filter each of us would have assigned.  We would likely hold the serendipitous outcome as of roughly the same value as the people actually programing the filters.
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Lady Lilya

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #23 on: October 16, 2011, 03:41:19 PM »
Not me.  If I'm googling, I'm looking for the common/convenient/easy info.  I don't expect to get anything radical or alternative from a search engine. 
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Dame

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Re: Web results filtered based on YOU - and you don't realize it
« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2011, 08:38:47 PM »
I get all sorts of stuff from the search engines, and the links from there. 
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