# spyware generated advertising?



## dellzeqq (13 Dec 2011)

I made out an order for some wooden blinds the other day. Now, when I open CC, there are ads for wooden blinds at the top of the screen. It's a bit like the Grauniad website carrying ads for Evans. 

How does this work?


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## Shaun (13 Dec 2011)

Lots of web sites either display Google ads to generate revenue and/or have the Google Analytics code embedded in their pages to allow them to assess how well their site is performing.

Where that is the case and you visit such a web site, Google takes a note of your IP address. Later on, when you're browsing a site that displays Google ads, it will use your IP address to tailor the ads it displays based on what you've looked at regularly and/or recently; the aim being to increase the likelihood of your clicking on an ad.


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## dellzeqq (13 Dec 2011)

crikey! Do you get a window in to our lives? I'd hate to think that my self-appointed status of forum libertine and ne'er-do-well was being undone by references to shower thermostats, wooden blinds, and Simply Red CDs.

I'm teasing about the Simply Red CDs, by the way.....
(...wasted all my tears, di-dum, wasted all those years di-dum and nothing had the chance....)


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## Shaun (13 Dec 2011)

Nope, the only thing I ever see are numbers of visitors and what parts of the site they're looking at - and how many ads were displayed and how many were clicked on.


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## Dan B (13 Dec 2011)

Yeah, it officially doesn't count as spyware as long as it's Google doing the spying.


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## srw (13 Dec 2011)

It may amuse you to know that an advert for everyone's favourite expensive charity night ride was at the top of my screen before I logged in just now...


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## HLaB (13 Dec 2011)

Ads, Its one of the reasons I use Firefox and adblocker


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## ColinJ (13 Dec 2011)

I found it really creepy when adverts for _Fitness Singles_ first started following me around the internet!

Sometimes it comes in handy though. I've had times when I was researching something but got distracted and forgot about it. For days afterwards, ads pop up which serve as reminders. (Note to self: Remember to order that copy of_ "How To Become An Internet Billionaire In 10 Minutes Without Doing Any Work Or Even Having Any Bright Ideas For Dummies"_)


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## chillyuk (13 Dec 2011)

HLaB said:


> Ads, Its one of the reasons I use Firefox and adblocker


 
But do the ads generate any revenue for this site, contributing to allow us to enjoy all it offers free of charge. if so, it is a very small price to pay.


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## Shaun (13 Dec 2011)

Banner ads are only shown to guests


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## dellzeqq (13 Dec 2011)

is this the same mechanism that does advertising on google blogs like the FNRttC blog http://fnrttc.blogspot.com/ ? Could the advertising make me seriously minted? Or even pay for the postage for the membership cards?


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## dellzeqq (13 Dec 2011)

ColinJ said:


> I found it really creepy when adverts for _Fitness Singles_ first started following me around the internet!


you're fit, you're single, what's not to like?


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## Gareth (13 Dec 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> you're fit, you're single, what's not to like?


 

I have a pair of Siberian Huskies, and a border collie, I also have a pair of Red Tailed Hawks and spend a lot of my time in the great outdoors. So the internet spy bots keep suggesting daytime dogging in the UK for me


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## dellzeqq (13 Dec 2011)

go for it!


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## ColinJ (13 Dec 2011)

dellzeqq said:


> you're fit, you're single, what's not to like?


The feeling that someone is watching you!

I watched a video clip somewhere by some internet marketing 'guru' and was bombarded by ads featuring him for a couple of weeks. I searched for obesity statistics and got loads of ads promising me that I could lose 32 pounds of fat in 14 days without exercising ...

I find it a bit sinister.


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## ColinJ (13 Dec 2011)

Ha ha ha - _priceless!_

As if to prove my point, having just Googled for a picture of the Fitness Singles blonde cyclist and failed to find one, I gave up on that and went on my blog to check something and who should just happen to po up ...?


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## ColinJ (13 Dec 2011)

1643408 said:


> Try researching the prospect of marrying Prince Harry and then see how creepy the ads get.


Hmm, okay ...

PS So far I'm not seeing any Marry Harry ads!


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## 2wd (14 Dec 2011)

Just bought a new 10x6 shed today

Now Sheds are following me on lots of sites 

Pursuaded the Mrs that it would be a good idea to get a bigger shed so she can put a dryer in - Mmmm ,I bet there would be more room to get a bike or two in there as well


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## Danny (14 Dec 2011)

ColinJ said:


> Ha ha ha - _priceless!_
> 
> As if to prove my point, having just Googled for a picture of the Fitness Singles blonde cyclist and failed to find one, I gave up on that and went on my blog to check something and who should just happen to po up ...?
> 
> View attachment 5531


I had her pop up recently as well - if she exists, she appears to live in the US (not that I tried to follow up on the ad of course).


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## srw (15 Dec 2011)

I quite often get banner ads for a certain brand of directly sold car insurance. The thing is, the reason I've visited their site is to see whether it's worthwhile me claiming my staff discount.


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## Flying Dodo (15 Dec 2011)

Danny said:


> I had her pop up recently as well - if she exists, she appears to live in the US (not that I tried to follow up on the ad of course).


 
She appears for me, as well links for Cycling Singles. Google's really good at this stuff - my divorce isn't even finalised yet..............


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## Ian H (16 Dec 2011)

I kept getting facebook ads for 'discreet catheters for men' and over 60's insurance (I'm not, quite). Now it's American Express all the time. I can never remember what's at the top of this site.


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## ColinJ (16 Dec 2011)

I've started seeing a different Fitness Singles woman now - she is already in a relationship, but she doesn't seem sure about it because she looks back towards me with _'that look'_ in her eyes every time her partner checks his map ...


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## yello (16 Dec 2011)

I hope it doesn't impact on the profitability of the forum but I use both ad and java script blockers on my browser. I have Google analytics is, for instance, explicitly blocked. No idea how/if they work though! Suffice to say, I don't see ads.


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## ColinJ (16 Dec 2011)

yello said:


> No idea how/if they work though! Suffice to say, I don't see ads.


Only guests see ads on CycleChat.


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## yello (16 Dec 2011)

and I don't see ads when I don't sign in... which is most of the time. I browse more than post, only periodically having spells were I post - like today.


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## ColinJ (16 Dec 2011)

yello said:


> and I don't see ads when I don't sign in... which is most of the time. I browse more than post, only periodically having spells were I post - like today.


Ah, I usually stay logged in!

I have cleared my cookies a few times and then had to log back in.


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## Doseone (21 Dec 2011)

Google tailors ads for you based on other sites you have visited. You can opt out of this here. You still get ads, they are just not based on the sites you have recently browsed.


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