Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Hawkmoon on September 11, 2019, 03:48:45 PM

Title: Just ... WOW!
Post by: Hawkmoon on September 11, 2019, 03:48:45 PM
When I'm not on this forum, I participate in an on-line Jeep forum. A few days ago one of the guys was posting about brake work. I posted a comment advising him not to waste his money on a cheap Harbor Fright flare tool. He ignored my advice and bought the Harbor Fright tool. A couple of days later, he was back. He reported that the harbor Fright tool didn't work (surprise!), and that he had bought a better tool:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NCYKQSN?ref=em_1p_0_ti&ref_=pe_3667210_431116830

Guess what I just received an e-mail from Amazon, recommending for me.

No, they're not spying on us. That's crazy talk.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: MechAg94 on September 11, 2019, 04:07:56 PM
I have heard so many people talk about that sort of advertising popping up, I can't imagine it not being true.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on September 11, 2019, 04:29:24 PM
I've seen it come from threads here.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: Brad Johnson on September 11, 2019, 05:37:38 PM
Ad cookies. Any add or item you look at, including those in Amazon, set a cookie that ad expediters use to populate your ad feeds. It's been that way for a while.

Brad
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: cordex on September 11, 2019, 06:32:11 PM
Also review sites that pimp products often set cookies to identify stuff you've been looking at.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: 230RN on September 11, 2019, 07:13:46 PM
Jeeze, I look up a few things on APS I didn't know about and now all the advertisers think I'm broke, have a small penis, and lousy credit.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: zxcvbob on September 11, 2019, 07:46:01 PM
Jeeze, I look up a few things on APS I didn't know about and now all the advertisers think I'm broke, have a small penis, and lousy credit.

They got 2 out of 3, didn't they? ;)
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: MechAg94 on September 11, 2019, 07:51:25 PM
Ad cookies. Any add or item you look at, including those in Amazon, set a cookie that ad expediters use to populate your ad feeds. It's been that way for a while.

Brad
I was thinking about stories I have heard:  people saying they were talking about a particular product or product type then seeing adds for that. 
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: RoadKingLarry on September 11, 2019, 08:49:03 PM
I was thinking about stories I have heard:  people saying they were talking about a particular product or product type then seeing adds for that. 

I've had that happen more than once.
I was discussing a somewhat obscure sailboat with a friend, Pulled my phone out of my pocket and 3 letters in to the model name of the boat it was the first choice. I've had the same thing happen more than once discussing an actor with my wife while watching a movie, 3-4 letters in to a google search entry and the name is the first choice.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: zxcvbob on September 11, 2019, 08:57:06 PM
I've had that happen more than once.
I was discussing a somewhat obscure sailboat with a friend, Pulled my phone out of my pocket and 3 letters in to the model name of the boat it was the first choice. I've had the same thing happen more than once discussing an actor with my wife while watching a movie, 3-4 letters in to a google search entry and the name is the first choice.


Was it a movie on TV that lots of other people were watching at the same time?  (and maybe googling the actor)
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: Devonai on September 11, 2019, 09:16:42 PM
Yes. They are tuned into the cultural zeitgeist.
Title: Re: Just ... WOW!
Post by: 230RN on September 12, 2019, 03:52:12 PM
I was thinking about stories I have heard:  people saying they were talking about a particular product or product type then seeing adds for that.  

I guess it's kind of selective perception.  Years ago I noticed that after I bought a yellow Datsun all of a sudden the roads were full of them.  This was long before the internet, so you can eliminate that as a variable back then.

But yes, when nowadays your machine can search through a bazillion words to discover you mis-spelled "buoy," and underline it and offer suggestions to correct it all within a second or two of typing it,you can be sure The Big Boys are using fast algorithms to suggest what they think you want.

Humph.  My machine (or something) is telling me I mis-spelled "mis-spelled."

"Spellcheck is my worst enema."

Terry, 230RN