nytimes.com — Google for the first time is testing ways to use some of the data it gathers to aim ads at Web users. Ads that a person sees on one Google search may be influenced by what was searched a few minutes earlier. Searching for “scuba,” then something else, and then “vacations" could pull up ads for diving trips, for example.
Jun 27, 2008 View in Crawl 4
brandonkutzlerJun 27, 2008
But wait... If I search for, say, "porn" one day, and then my sister searches "WebKinz" the next day, will she see ads related to Hot Lesbian Action?
emperorawesomeJun 27, 2008
Privacy's one thing, but if they ever start putting up those ads I'll stop caring about who's tracking what.
pw378Jun 27, 2008
Blame the advertiser for not using the Referer: header to direct you to the appropriate place on their website...Google ads are designed by advertisers. Google only targets the ad, it doesn't develop the content or the destination link.
ssukJun 27, 2008
No, what GMail and Adsense do is pick out keywords from pages and display ads around words on a page. This technology will save what you have just searched for in Google or pages which use Adsense will collect information to display ads relevant to your browsing when on other sites using Google advertisement. Similar ideas, different in execution.
stasis88Jun 27, 2008
You're dumb, you think this is outrageous? there is nothing wrong with this, who gives a s**t! You know how many other sites use users info to target advertising? You know how many stores do this already before the internet existed. You are already typing in and submitting all sorts of stuff to google, they know what you're searching for already so whats the big deal if they use that to give you relevant ads. Stop getting your panties in a bunch for nothing, and yes you will keep using google...
weebitJun 28, 2008
I actually emailed Google long ago and told them that if they really wanted to please the masses about their ads then please set a good example, and do their best to be sure none of their advertisers were scammers, etc. I never heard back from them. But I didn't expect to hear back from them either. I just think it is time for Internet businesses to take action and help clean the internet up. So far it just looks like they don't care, that almighty dollar matters more to them, than trying to protect the Internet. I did ask a few new computer users if they went to a legit website like say Google, and saw a ad for something they really liked, would they click on the ad link? All of them said yes. Asked aren't you worried about spam, viruses, spyware, fraud, etc? " No " biggest reason why? Because they were on a reputable site in the first place. But you can't rely on the reputable websites to have friendly ads anymore. So when I see that Google or any other website claims to know what I want... I just cringe.