Interesting Link Dump

Samsally · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 6711

I've just given up and decided that if google's gunna creepily stalk me no matter what I do they might as well have their information right.

Things I Xed out because seriously what the actual fuck:

Hunting & Shooting
Outdoor Toys & Play Equipment
Parenting
Saskatchewan

-why- google. just why
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Darqcyde · Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 3:15 pm Post subject:

I am an unknown, N/A mystery to Google all around Very Happy

Also, apparently, I somehow speak "none" languages Rolling Eyes

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Echo · Joined: 18 Jul 2013 Posts: 828

Awwww. I don't know anything because I've told my browser not to accept cookies from creepy organisations.

Telling my hosts file to redirect Google ads and analytics requests to 127.0.0.1 might not help either.

stripeypants · Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 12:00 am Post subject:

They think I'm in my 40s and into sports. Everything else is kinda, "uh...I guess?" I'm guessing there are no categories for my actual interests.

I put down Welsh and Spanish as my languages, because why not? I need to get some spanish practice into my everyday life, and yay Welsh (Which I'm not practicing anymore, but I still like.)

I don't think I see ads anyway, because I'm pretty sure my electronics all have adblock.
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[Stripeypants has enabled lurk mode.]

Heretical Rants · Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 5344 Location: No.

all I see there (after signing in) is a uselessly long list of mostly misses - several hundred out of the ~1600 subcategories

other than that all they claim to know about me is my age

before signing in, nothing

I have difficulty believing that their information on me is so statistically insignificant

I'm sure they know all sorts of creepy things about me

what they hay, Google? if you're going to leverage your data in such a way, at least do a better job at it

anywho, where's the opt-out button? Oh, at the very bottom of the page. Thanks for not being totally evil *click*
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stripeypants · Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 4:43 am Post subject:

I do recall them trying to make me feel bad about opting out of 'personalization' stuff. They were all, "Well, you're gonna see ads, but now you're not going to see ads that you like!" and I'm all, "But I don't like the ads you already show me? Wtf?"

If you need something to waste time, here is cookie clicker:
http://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/
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[Stripeypants has enabled lurk mode.]

Mini J · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 1172 Location: Toronto, ON

Other than assuming I like american football and baseball, it's generally pretty accurate. It knows I like board games, video games, pen and paper games, collectible card games... Oddly enough it also assumes I like bollywood. Xed that one.
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Dogen · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 11011 Location: Bellingham, WA

Google thinks one of my interests is Valentine's Day, which is kind of a unique interest to have for 11 months of the year. Among a long list of apparently random guesses it says I like soccer, sports, rap/hip hop, romance, hygiene and toiletries, anime, and fraternities and sororities.

It's a fairly random list. I assume because I google any little question that pops into my head. Though I would like to know what made them think I have an abiding interest in hygiene and toiletries.
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stripeypants · Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 5:21 pm Post subject:

Nothing says Valentine's Day like toiletries, though. (Which would be funny if you were me, because my brain auto-defaults to 'toilet paper' when I hear the word toiletries.)
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[Stripeypants has enabled lurk mode.]

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 17708 Location: under the bed

mine seems to be disturbingly correct, except that it thinks i am interested in golf. i can think of very little that interests me less than golf.

it doesn't seem to have picked up on my knitting compulsion, which is good because i don't need any more yarn ads that will suck me into websites where i will spend money on yarn that i will never, in my lifetime, have time to knit.
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WheelsOfConfusion · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 12456 Location: Unknown Kaddath

An Australian bird gives its young secret names while still in the egg, in order to tell them from impostor cuckoos.

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 17708 Location: under the bed

and it's called a suberb fairy-wren! i knew right away the story would be awesome.
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Heretical Rants · Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 5344 Location: No.

Heretical Rants · Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 5344 Location: No.

Thy Brilliance · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 3661 Location: Relative