Being tracked on the Internet

[PartialToACupOfMilo]

Yesterday I commented on a thread in style & beauty and followed a link to see an item of clothing being commented on. Today I checked my email (hotmail) and in the sidebar is an advertisement for the very same cardigan!

It's happened before with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer too and really freaks me out - makes me wonder what else is being tracked and who else is following my movements [shudder]

It's like being cyber-stalked. AIBU to feel like this?

I get this on some sites, when I got pregnant and started looking at pregnancy related things online Facebook etc started featuring lots of baby/maternity related ads down the side bars...

Its something to do with cookies isn't it?

I really loathe M&S for doing this.

YANBU - Totally agree with you and try not to think about it too much... freaks me out. I must admit I kind of block out internet ads though and don't notice what they're for a lot of the time.

It's similar to having a Clubcard but I don't mind that so much because all Tesco can do is track my shopping with them... I don't like the idea that if my shopping interests can be tracked so easily so can everything I do on the internet just as easily.

I suppose if I was that worried I'd stop using it though...

Tracking cookies. They slow things right down too.

They keep giving me weight loss ones! How rude! I'm not fat, I'm big boned.

There are various additional softwares you can download to blast them but its kind of a way of life these days.

I think you just have to remind yourself its not a person sitting there watching what you are looking at and judging you - rather just an automatic matching which is sometimes right and sometimes wrong...its certainly not collated anywhere. No little green men creating a profile on you thankfully...

I get this in my email account down the side bars too. If someone emails me about a particular topic, say, a book or a DVD then all these book and DVD websites will come up on the side bar.

I have the same thing on FB - they are always trying to sell me parenting stuff, and products for children with Autism as these are the kind of things I search on.

Surely people using the internet for illegal activity, would learn to clear their cookies in the first "How to Be An International Terrorist" lesson? (payable in convenient fortnightly terms).

On my birthday the adverts on Facebook changed their language by one year to match my age, it was crass but not too scary as Facebook has my details. but what you describe is a new measure to protect our freedoms in this war on terrified Muslims. your movements are now tracked to make sure you are not planning to set of bombs or shout "RUBBISH" at the PM.

Funny how all that personal data about your personal life is for sale the moment it is harvested.

SloanyPony, that is so rude! Although I have to say I was more shocked to see an ad the other day asking me whether I wanted to increase my manhood. Me personally-no thank you. A penis seems quite inconvenient .

I find the cookie thing quite scary too, but had no idea how they actually do it. It's so weird how they can know what to send you. Not that it helps either, I find it freaky and refuse to click on them afterwards anyway. So it's a bit of a waste