Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking

Subject: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 08:13 PM

There's a family wedding comming up - in Sorrento, in Italy.

So, my wife looks into what it would cost to go; searching for flights to Naples and making one (1) inquiry about hotels in Sorrento from her computer in the house. Which is connected to the outside world via a router; usual deal, from outside you can't tell which computer you're dealing with.

This old Mac goes through the same router. I read Mudcat with ad blocking (otherwise it's too slow to be usable) and it's 100% effective.

Then I look at Mudcat on the computer at work. Entirely different setup - different ISP, Windows instead of Mac, but no ad blocking. I have my cookie set the same as at home.

And I got ads for hotels in Sorrento on the Mudcat home page.

We decided not to go - too expensive. Google, do you read me?

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 08:15 PM

Google knows everything.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 10:00 PM

That is discomfiting, Jack. Different computers, different ISP's, different locations. How did it link them?

However, Google doesn't know everything. Two days ago it decided I'm from Massachusetts - about 1400 miles away.
=============
We had a bridal couple in our family who thought everybody should go to Costa Rica for their wedding. No soap!

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jeri
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 10:39 PM

Google knows your Google search history. This is news?

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Jan 16 - 11:30 PM

I use Google Chrome most of the time because it seems to give me the fewest hassles. I know Google is tracking me, but I don't particularly care. I looked at hats at Amazon yesterday, so I've been seeing hat ads all day. If I use Chrome at work on another computer, the hat ads will follow me. If I don't want to be tracked, I use incognito mode on my browser.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 12:06 AM

You can delete your search history, but if you are like me and find yourself going back to hunt for something you saw three weeks ago, it is helpful that it is still around. I not only don't delete my history, I sync my devices so any time I open Chrome at work or home the same information is in each browser, and it's in my phone. They bought my loyalty and tolerance by being incredibly useful.

Firefox also lets you sync it so any computer where you log onto your Firefox browser all of the information appears. Maybe that one won't be quite as intimidating?

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 05:03 AM

Google knows your Google search history. This is news?

Who is "you"? The only bit of information Google had to link me on the work PC and what my wife was searching for was my Mudcat identity.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 05:21 AM

Jack, if you have stuff posted on YouTube (or any other site of that sort) then Mr Google knows.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 05:56 AM

What irritates me more than that is how certain sites keep sending you invitations to buy again something you've only just bought and hope will last a good few years, and don't need more of same! Likewise holiday sites who keep offering you "deals" for the same place you've just visited, and don't plan on visiting again in the near future, if ever. Further examples of tracking (even hounding!)
Yes, I know I could unsubscribe from their emails, but there should be a way of saying "I am no longer interested in this product/place". And the next time I buy or book anything, they'll want my email address again, so it will start all over again.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 06:03 AM

With things like Google analytics and adsense in such common useage I guess the "combined efforts" of a lot of sites (including Mudcat) could make a pretty complete tracking system for Google.

Not sure about things getting quite this specific though. The only obvious link in all 3 cases seems to be your Mudcat identity.

I think the first thing I'd try to do is delete all Mudcat cookies and see if the subsequent Guest usage brings up the same adds. Don't just log out but delete them all in your browser - I think they are just analytic ones but the Mudcat cookies like __utma - __utmz are first party cookies set by Google's scripts.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 07:34 AM

Right now I'm seeing it as a curiosity rather than a problem, so I'm not going to make an effort to stop it. That might change in future.

Remember when Amazon (via Google) was offering us all great deals on Tsunami Disaster? They must have realized a lot of people were interested.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 07:40 AM

Back on the PC at work, opened Science Daily, and I'm getting a Sorrento hotel ad there as well.

It seems likely that any of you reading this thread will now get some suggestions about your next holiday.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 08:10 AM

Jack Campin wrote: It seems likely that any of you reading this thread will now get some suggestions about your next holiday.

I'm not getting that - or any holiday ads atm.

The only one I see at the moment that I might connect to my own browsing is for GAK but it's a general one for the website. I think if I last used it to look at a few guitars late last year but it's not offering me anything specific.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 08:27 AM

I use an ad blocker and a tracker blocker, never receive targeted ads.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 08:33 AM

I'm quite happy when I get ads for stuff I already own. That way I can easily ignore them.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Stanron
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 09:22 AM

I'm ad free on here, but then again I'm a Linux user and few Linux distributions use Google as the default search engine. My default search engine is Yahoo. It does well enough for me.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 10:32 AM

Jack, I suspect Google identifies your computer when you search, and remembers that. Mudcat cookies work on Mudcat, period, but your computer has a unique indentifier (probably more than one).

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 10:49 AM

But Jeri, there are 3 different computers involved.

While things like google javascripts can and do set first party cookies on the site you visit, it is true that they are not readable from other sites.

Another thought. I wonder if Jack is logged on to google on all 3 computers?

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 11:20 AM

I don't understand a fraction of it but:

When you consider a lot of sites use google anyaltics to help them understand the traffic so their sites and many use their advertising for reasons ranging from simply being able to afford to keep a site running to making an extra $million...

I wonder what percentage of the Inernet for one reason or other is a sort of "sattelite" in Google's "great spy network".

Off to buy a tin foil hat...

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 11:50 AM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Analytics

See the item headlined 'Privacy Issues' at that link.

Subject: RE: Tech: A sneaky bit of Google tracking
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Jan 16 - 11:58 AM

I wasn't logged on to Google for any of them, as far as I know (Google won't let me log in with the PPC Mac I use for Mudcat at home, and if I use any ID for Google here, it's the business name).