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FULL BLOWN CRAP

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 8:18 AM

  OK there are 2 issues here and it isn't cookie related, The targeted ads are form Google searches you have done (Google stores this info and uses it for the pop-up ads and others too)  and the Location based ones are based on your I.P. address. It's kind of funny cause my ISP routers are in Saratoga, CA which is about 20 miles from where I actually live and I get ads for that location.

  Ad-Blocker and others that do the same are a good step in the right direction

• oneputtdavid 1,337 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 8:19 AM

  hyena64:

  Of course every survey you do, they get your zip & then some. I've heard recently that identity thieves only need name & zip anymore.

  Didn't dawn on me, until I read your comment....Bingo     TY  ;)

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 8:31 AM

  Thanks, I will let our engineers know, so they can find and remove it. If someone has a picture of it as well, please post it.

  -wgticon

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 10:58 AM

  DannyPhan:

  OK there are 2 issues here and it isn't cookie related, The targeted ads are form Google searches you have done

  ...where cookies are set. It has everything to do with the cookies and how they are handled. I did a full system scan last week and found 12 of the little buzzards and I pay attention. They got through anyway.  I can't imagine what it would be like if I didn't check every once in a while. .  :-)

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 5:00 PM

   

  Google search history is not stored in a cookie (Cookies are way to small to store that kind of info), it is stored on Google servers.

  If you have a Google account they have even more info on you, it's called Web History.

  What we store in Web History

  We store information related to search queries you entered into Google, the results that appeared, and the pages you visit, such as the URL, but don't store a snapshot of the page itself in your account.

  Manage your Web History

  Your Web History is stored on Google servers, so you can view and manage it from any computer by signing in to your Google Account and visiting google.com/history.

   

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 5:09 PM

  WGTicon:

  Thanks, I will let our engineers know, so they can find and remove it. If someone has a picture of it as well, please post it.

  -wgticon

  This is what he was talking about.

  

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 5:12 PM

  Google doesn't know about me as I've never signed up or logged in on their servers. If they know about me it came from a tracking cookie.

  
  As text, cookies are not executable. Because they are not executed, they cannot replicate themselves and are not viruses. However, due to the browser mechanism to set and read cookies, they can be used as spyware. Anti-spyware products may warn users about some cookies because cookies can be used to track people—a privacy concern.
  
  reference.

• GolfDum 396 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 5:23 PM

  I personally suggest Ghostery over any ad blocker I have found. Try it out and I think you will be impressed. The only thing it may hamper is if you watch videos. You will need to simply pause it during that time.

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 6:46 PM

  YankeeJim:

  Google doesn't know about me as I've never signed up or logged in on their servers. If they know about me it came from a tracking cookie.

   

  That is true, but it isn't really a tracking cookie per se. 

  the search history is still stored on Google's servers and is accessed via an anonymous user cookie. That is a cookie that Google sets and has a unique id used to track the info. 

  That's why they don't call it a tracking cookie, cause it doesn't have the info in it, it only has a unique identifier which is used to look up the info on their servers. 

  I know it's splitting hairs Jim, in the end they are still able to track your history.

  as far as reading cookies, the cookie is ONLY readable by the domain that set the cookie. So microsoft.com can't read a cookie set by google.com.

  Danny

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Aug 20 2012 8:13 PM

  thanks guys

  I made sure engineers are aware of it.

  -wgticon