I was feeling nostalgic the other day. So I looked at some magic smoking lamps via the internet. Not to buy. Just to see if any new and amazing designs had come out. Some of those things look freaking awesome. Well now thanks to google and the other ad companies. All my dang banner ads are filled with tobacco water pipes! I personally find it rather amusing. I go to hundreds of other sites during the day, and google picks just that one. Must have a contract with them or something.

What ads???      

They assume anyone looking at "magic smoking lamps" is most likely using a water pipe as well. Kind of like looking for peanut butter and having ads for jelly pop up.

A magic smoking lamp is a water pipe.

ok. Im not down with your hipster lingo.Next time lets just say bong for us old guys.

ok. Im not down with your hipster lingo.Next time lets just say bong for us old guys.

Shhhhhhh. You can't use that word. They will throw you out of the head shops for saying that.

Contextual targeting, likely the result of a tracking cookie.

 

You didn't think Google acquired Doubleclick just for giggles, did ya? 

Almost 90% of Google's revenue is from advertisements, not only from what you search for but from information in emails sent.

My ads always show what I was last looking at on Basspro.com. Talk about tempting! 

 

Brian

ok. Im not down with your hipster lingo.Next time lets just say bong for us old guys.

Or hooka for some of us that first tried that apparatus back in 1963, I still have one from that era, yeh I know there is an h on the end.

Almost 90% of Google's revenue is from advertisements, not only from what you search for but from information in emails sent.

Yep. They actually give away their Android operating system. They more than make up for it in ad revenue.

 

Tracking blockers help. I use Do Not Track me from http://www.abine.com/dntdetail.php . Some browsers also have settings to keep some sites from tracking/getting info from you.

 

But it's the way of the 'net these days. The money is in gathering data on you. That's what FaceBook is all about.

I also run **** which helps block some of the tracking items from running. Also taking a look at the Firefox Lightbeam addon, interesting to see the extra sites connecting in the background. With options to monitor and block them this may turn into something useful.