OK, sorry, indulge my squealiness a minute...

[SolidGoldBrass]

I'm a techno-prat so I don't really understand things like ads. The ad for Kobo ebooks appeared on my pageview a few minutes ago.

There was a particular book in the middle of the ones it was scrolling through. I didn't expect to see that book there. I had a bit of a squeal.

Is it there simply because I recently googled it and the clever fairies of the Interweb are waving it at me because stored cookie and stuff?

Nothing else in the array of titles was anything that had any particular relevance. Or could it mean that a lot of people have all of a sudden decided to buy the book?

[YetAnotherHelenMumsnet]

OR IS IT THERE BECAUSE THE INTERNET KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE THINKING?

I'm afraid I don't know, SGB, but will ask a grown-up for you tomorrow. In the meantime, keep on squealing...

[SolidGoldBrass]

That particular book showed up unexpectedly elsewhere, as well. Only that time it started to show up when other people looked at the same page on other computers....

[lougle]

yup, it's the cookie monster. If you're clever, you can search for something really cool, so you don't get bombarded with ads for the dish mop you needed but don't want to look at. [Grin]

[SolidGoldBrass]

It's doing it again! It's doing it again!

[KateSMumsnet]

arf at cookie monster

Lougle is right, by allowing cookies on various sites you visit, ads will be specific to what you've been searching for. It can be a bit unnerving at times!

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

amazon is a bastard for freaking me out like this too.

email saying you were looking for a xyz, here's a selection of xyz's.

and you think NOOOOOO I clicked on a dodgy link!

[yomellamoHelly]

Clear your cookies. (Should see it if you go to clear your browsing data in history.) Then put adblock on.

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

What book was it?

[KateSMumsnet]

Should mention that this is an internet wide thing, not a ploy by Mumsnet freak you out. If you'd rather this didn't happen you can clear your cookies

[SolidGoldBrass]

Oh no, I quite like it. But am separating (in my head) the stuff that's just down to me searching and cookies etc and the stuff that's actually really happening.

[AchyFox]

It's a lot lot worse.

The fairies radiate out of your monitor, into your brain, then run around at night creating a parallel google cookie factory in your mind which makes you think that you recently googled it and the clever fairies of the Interweb were waving it at you because stored cookie and stuff; whereas it's [everrryyything] has all been made up by the fairies.

I'm OK though, what with the crinkly, shiny hat an' all that.

HTH