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Ads With Your Name On Them
eldavojohn writes "The NYTimes is running an interesting blog piece on the answers Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo, & Google gave to the question: Can they show you an ad with your name on it? The results: 'Microsoft says it could use only a person's first name [which it doesn't consider personal information]. AOL and Yahoo could use a full name but only on their sites, not the other sites on which they place ads. Google isn't sure; it probably could, but it doesn't know the names of most of its users.' Now whether or not they would use this information is a different story. AOL has no plans to, Yahoo is open to it, and Microsoft has implemented a technological barrier preventing it (despite behavioral and demographic data being served to the ad companies). Although Google might use name information at some point, they don't now do so; nor do they use behavioral or demographic data."
As a dumb slashdot moderator, I uppose this.
I just don't want my retarded children to see an ad that says, "Hey Douchebag McGee, how about a book on logic? If you read it you wouldn't be such a dumbass."
Exxxxxon/Mobil gas pumps used to put your name up when you used your credit card to buy gas. Not for any reason, just because they could. I felt it was intrusive, since anybody at a neighboring pump now knows my name, but kind of a minor annoyance.
Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
Several years ago I was surfing some non-amazon related site, and there was an add at the bottom from amazon, with my name on it (presumably a amazon hosted ad that looked at my cookie information). Really freaked me out. I haven't seen anything like this for a while though.
Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
But the real problem isn't that they can *show* who you are, it's that they *know* who you are.
Showing it would just be disclosing our already existing vulnerability.
Well now that the EU have approved the Google / Doubleclick merger, expect ads VERY soon with your name on them ... and possibly a lot more.
A. Let's go ahead and tag it "sometimesyouwanttogowhereeverybodyknowsyourname"
B. Google certainly can show me my name in the ad. Certainly it knows which gmail account I use, and the name on that. It also knows what billing name I used for my Google Checkout purchases. Similar ways of identifying users apply to the other companies. What worries me, is seeing my name on an ad served by somebody I did NOT share my name with.
Will slashdot implement a form of this as a replacement for the CowbowNeal option?
Kdawson
We have an offer you simply cannot refuse! Kdawson, if you will just submit your name to us, we can use your real name in our ads instead of this silly Slashdot nick for just a one-time fee of $59.95! Get our your checkbook or credit card and call or visit our website today!
The computer doesn't know your name. It echoes a variable.
UTF-8: There and Back Again
I could see some sort of username/nickname, but not my personal name. My personal name, even only my first, would be creepy and I'd probably have to start supplying false names for it. However, I would crack-up with laughter everytime I read an ad like "Dr. Eggman, click here to stop your pest problems today!"
Demented But Determined.
Or, they could simply take shots in the dark against the most common names.
Worth a try.
John Smith: This is a message directed for you, and only you. Yes -you-, John Smith. Buy my snake oil! It cures everything, even *that* special problem. Only $99.
GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
Since I got modded down for an earlier overlord comment (Though, it's not like I'm hurting for Karma) I'll just say that this could be very much like in the movie mentioned in the subject of this post. On the other hand, It's not like it's a real suprise that advertisers get to know you, and, I'm not sure I'd be too upset by it. I mean, when Yahoo mail greets me by first name, I don't get worked up by it, nor when several other services do it. And this would just be a logical extention.
That which is done from love exists beyond good and evil
Thats just annoying, not to mention most people I know go buy a nick name anyway.
Granted, I was very un-hopeful when that flick came out, on the one hand, Philip K. Dick, on the other three (and both legs and much of the torso) was Tom Cruise. Still the personalized ads bit was there. Funny how they offered him pink clothing.
Roflmao
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
Request your free CD of my piano music.
I don't care if they have ads (that I can't see) addressing me with names that aren't mine.
I do however, care about those people who are less technologically capable, and less privacy conscious being tricked into clicking on ads because they think it is from a friend or whatever (when reading emails especially).
Just because I rarely give out my real name on the web, doesn't mean that there are people who use their real name for everything and don't mind giving it to everyone.
And that's the problem. This won't matter for most people on Slashdot, but it will matter to at least minority of people. And the people with knowledge should promote that knowledge, we should fight against this sort of thing.
(Actually, I suspect that there are a number of people who would get rather angry being addressed by their name when looking at ads. Imagine your TV saying "Hey Joe, I've got a great new beer for you to taste!" or "Hey Joe, I've got a great new computer bit", most people I know would get angry at that. Meh, now I'm starting to ramble.)
I wank in the shower.
And I've written text-based ads for Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc.
But I can't imagine anyone would want to purchase a product based on an ad with their name on it. "Hey Morley! Buy some laundry detergent!" I'd get freaked out, and I'd forever associate that creepy feeling with the product. And I'd never buy it.
I imagine most people would feel the same way. And I imagine most copywriters -- who are less like the oily marketeers you're thinking of -- would feel the same.
I say, if some oily marketeer wants to use this feature -- and it is only at most my first name -- he deserves to scare off his customers.
"Hi, Cro! I have some V!aGra for you for only $9.95. And for an extra $4.99, I'll throw in some hygine products for Mrs. Magnon"
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
I imagine a crafted ad would be quite effective (although misleading). We've all gotten the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes where they call us by name and say we won. Remember back to the first time, and you can know what it would be like to have that happen online.
One time on the news site forum I frequent they did that. The news posting/headline used a little trick to display who you were logged in as. Everyone assumed that the story was actually about them. The forums were chaos until everyone figured it out, and through-out the day new people would hurriedly make a comment and then get modded 'redundant' by everyone else.
Even though it was a simple echo of your login-name and not some great technical trick, it was effective enough to give everyone a bit of a startle.
--Welcome to the Realm of the Hawke--
So they can run an advertisement that I don't see that has my name on it? When ads are outlawed, only outlaws will have ads. It's madness I tell you. Madness.
I already am slightly unnerved when ads for dating sites and such already know where I am, and that doesn't even require a cookie generally.
As soon as they pay me for the use of my name.
We take our names seriously here at the Desperation compound. Why just the other day my brothers, Utter and Six-Degrees-Of, were talking about hunting down some of those there mappers for using their email addresses. But then they had to chase away from revenooers and got all distracted like.
Use POP3 and don't log into the web based version.
I don't preview or spellcheck.
I remember the early ISP days of MSN and their portal package 'MSN Explorer'. Whenever you would log in it would play an audio file of a woman gently saying 'good morning', 'good evening', etc. After I had registered and used it for a few days, it started adding my name to the end of the greeting (i.e. good afternoon Tim). It was creepy to say the least. Of course, I immeadiately change my profile to show my first name as Dick. The software then obediently started calling me a dick several times a day (which, at 23, I thought was hilarious). And this wasn't some hawkingesque robovoice either; it was an actual recorded human voice.
I judt got a nre Kinesis keybiartf so please excusr ant egregiou typos.
And yes, it makes a difference, these ads are HORRIBEL and anyone with a brain will know that they are ALL scams, how come there are only attractive women near you?
But the naming of your home town makes it seems more legit. It is afterall how confidence tricksters work, by finding stuff out that you somehow let them know but using it in the right way to make you believe they really know you.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Did anybody ever think we would ever live to see a list of several entities, and be able to say that Microsoft is being the least evil?
I feel bad for anyone with a funny name or nick-name getting targeted with these ads: "Has anyone ever said, 'Let's help Jack off this bench?' Perhaps you have Osteoporosis." "Have you ever wanted to feel bigger, Dick? Hair transplants are the way to go!" "Google ads reach over 100,000,000 people a day. Can you service that many people, Hore?"
Microsoft does not say that your first name is not personal information. Their policy prevents the spread of personally identifiable information, which they define as information which could be used by theirselves or others to connect data (including your first name) to you, the individual. Now, using your first name might be a little dodgy in that you might be the only person in the world with the same first name. But generally speaking, you cannot match a person to their data with only first names.
Yeah, but it seems like this is the sort of thing that won't be influenced by somebody hearing your last name in a store. I mean, if they're going through your trash, they're probably going to find some piece of mail with your last name on it.
Really?
Really?
also your claim that safeway could be "dangerway" is entirely unfounded. rummage any accessible mailbox or driveway mail or deliveries and note th presumed name. what did safeway give out that the asshole/creeper could not get from the name on the mail? and he doesn't even have to make any serious effort for rummaging.
liking to be anonymous while shopping, I cannot argue on that since it is a personal preference. other than that your comment is full of FUD.
Your first name isn't personal information. Your address is available on a map, so that's public information too. Heck, your SSN is given to you by the government, so that's not technically yours either! Wait until your GPS-enabled cell phone buzzes when you walk into a McDonalds: "Say, Bob, are you sure you want to eat here? Your cholesterol is 224. Subway is just around the corner. Mention this ad and you'll get 10% off!"
they could be doing it now for all I know. Between adblock, flashblock, and spam filtering I don't see many ads at all. Actually with the DVR at home ads anywhere are a rarity in my life. Maybe they should advertise during the superbowl...
Sheldon
Ads (for the bank's services) on my bank's website say my name. Obviously my bank is allowed to have my name, but I think it's kind of annoying. I don't particularly want google ads or anything else not as trustworthy as my bank to have my name.
Well, the creeper might, after following the mark, find out the hailed name differs from the address. Could be the mark lives in a household of someone else, or just stopped there first, or is married but under a different name than the other spouse.
This isn't Mayberry RFD, or Hazel, or Green Acres. This is AMERIKA of the info age. Some entities respect privacy, and some don't. Those who don't put the "k" in America.
Out of sheer respect, stores should simply use anonymous honorifics: "Thank you so much, sir. I hope you shop with us again. By the way, just a head's up: next week we have a promo/price reduction..." Empower and please the customer THAT way. Other than stroking egos of a few minor customers, the only good that could come out of blurting out people's names is if two long-lost relatives found each other because tho they have different paper names, they both know of changed names and now voila! They reunite. And, that is so rare an event as to not justify blurting out people's names.
Blurting names also confirms the name of a mark who conscientiously and carefully LIED to her follower about her name, only to be f*scked over by her emerging stalker.
THAT's why it matters. We don't have the luxury of knowing who is our freak and our stalker.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
I was going to note that, but then I figured "This guy HAS to be putting us on." How could anyone write that much and NOT think of the obvious?
-The world would be a better place if everyone had a hoverboard
Merriam-Webster defines Paranoia as: "a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others."
Maybe give that some thought?
Our wealth breeds emptiness
I get frequent re-finance offers for a post-office box that is fraudulently rented in my Second Life avatar name.
Seriously, if AOL can actually identify its users, you think advertisers would run to another site? nah... holy grail
Those who don't put the "k" in America.
I disagree. I'd say that the "k" in America is much more likely to be put there by someone who isn't really concerned-- or able-- to violate privacy by culling personal information. Look at their lack of data accuracy, for instance. Anyone with any sort of purpose, be it nefarious or otherwise, would at least be able to spell-check their way through "America". Do you think these type of people could even pronounce your name correctly?
Blurting names also confirms the name of a mark who conscientiously and carefully LIED to her follower about her name, only to be f*scked over by her emerging stalker.
This is why honesty is the best policy. That, or a unified and vigilant front of deception. Oh-- and avoiding wildly improbable scenarios. That too.
Information wants to be free.
Entertainment wants to be paid.
You just want to be cheap.
Yeah, but they're both dead. See where that gets you?
Information wants to be free.
Entertainment wants to be paid.
You just want to be cheap.
Speaking as (probably) the only person in the world to have my first name, I am compelled to consider it personally identifiable information.
-Tupshin
Is this you?
Tupshin Harper
Director of Engineering
San Francisco Bay Area
First hit for the first name Tupshin.
Is buying a Harley Davidson as your first motorcycle since you were 16 at age 49 a midlife crisis issue?
Where are they pulling the info from? Are they, for example, using the "name" I enter when prompted to while installing Windoze?
"Type your full name and press enter"
OK...y-o-u-r...f-u-l-l...n-a-m-e...
You're using her as bait, Master!
I don't mine seeing my name in an ad, it's not going to make me any more inclined to click on it. The only issue I see here is how are they going to get my name to begin with? Does anyone even know of a method of acquiring an account holders name from an IP addresses? The only thing like that I have seen just tells you the ISP. Wouldn't the ISP have to disclose this information?
I don't remember changing my user name to Kdawson...
Er, we do have metamoderation ya know...
If I had mod points now I would definitely mod you Off-Topic.
"I like my sex like my basketball, one on one with as little dribbling as possible." - Lt. Frank Drebin
1 (Least Evil): Microsoft (implements tech. barriers)
2 : AOL (no barriers, no plans)
3 : Yahoo (no barriers, shows interest)
4 (Most Evil): Google (no barriers, no comment, lots of extra available data)
If we assume that companies think Evil is a negative for business, this suggests that Google and Yahoo are getting complacent, while Microsoft is working pretty hard again to woo customers and improve its market position.
I guess your parents weren't thinking about information security back in 197*.
There's a lot to be said for just living life without the need to have a panic attack about every possible bad thing that could (but almost certainly won't) happen to you. Getting riled up about people using my name, isn't something I feel the need to raise my blood pressure over. Good luck with your next medical.
You know it's true, ${FIRSTNAME}.
"A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
Guess not anymore :-)
So much for privacy on the internet.. :-)
- Leon Mergen
http://www.solatis.com
What about John-jacob-jingleheimer-schmidt?
What about cultures where the first name is the surname? How are these companies going to assure those (billions of) individuals that their identifiable name is not being sold?
I'll change all my user names to "Your Can't". That way I'll know which ads are useless.
"You Can't find everything you need at carpet warehouse!"
"You Can't find 'quadratic equation' and anything else on eBay!"
I hate those eBay ads that just take your google search input to serve in the ad. Apparently eBay will sell you entire cities.
-b
No offense, but I've stopped responding to AC's.
Similar to the upcoming US election results
First thing I thought of was an old Adbusters magazine cover.
http://www.dianefarrisgallery.com/artist/woods/ex00/images/02.jpg
His name is my name too!
They know countless random topics that have popped into my head, because the first thing I do is to Google them. This has taught them all sorts of things about my personality and interests, including topics I might keep private from most everyone I know. When I go to Google News they learn about what events catch my attention. They know I still only click on a Google Ad every few months, but that hasn't stopped them from showing ads every chance they get. And of course, they've got Doubleclick now just on the off chance that I might be visiting a site they don't cover or that I might click on an ad they didn't provide.
I didn't even mention Picasa or Google Earth. And if that's not enough, just imagine what they'll know once they get a piece of the internet backbone.
No offense to the Googlebot reading this!
Based on a simple cookie, after you have looked at the product of your choice, when you're returned to the main page you are greeted by name. If your name is Gregg.
The 7" stand-up guy (depending on your screen size) is then informed off-camera that their company's identity-recognition software is not yet finely tuned for their teleprompter cues.
The whole scenario was brought to my attention by a guy in the office (named Gregg) who was worried about his security settings and has yet to learn the time-honored tech trick of duplicating an event from the machine next to him.
is that you mr. hildegard?
Here's an idea for a really great advertising tactic that would make people very happy: All the ad sites would display ads containing peoples' names, social security numbers, addresses, and even a photo! The really innovative part is that it would display peoples' private information to other people! Of course, if you don't want your stuff showing up on millions of peoples' computer screens, there would be a process by which you could "opt out" of having your information displayed. The "opt out" process would be so long and complicated that a whole cottage industry would sprout up all over the place with "opt out" specialists charging $49.95 to opt you out of an ad provider's system, or you could pay $995.95 for the "Ultimate" package, and they'll opt you out of all the various ad agencies' listings! What an innovative idea!
Right, so your ISP can intercept your plan text traffic and build a profile of what your communicating about instead.
If you actually did have a stalker, they will find your name out pretty quickly.
Have you ever had a stalker? Do you know anyone who did? I was under the impression that non-celebrities were stalked by jilted boyfriends, ex-husbands, and such; people who already know everything they need to know about you. The deranged psycho who comes out of nowhere and targets you "just because" no doubt exists, but like terrorists, the number of people affected is much, much smaller than the number who walk around in a state of fear due to imagining they are a target.
Apologies if you actually have been stalked by an anonymous psycho.
Google isn't sure; it probably could, but it doesn't know the names of most of its users
They ask for your name when you register, so if they can tie your account to an ad, they can tie your name to any ad. Of course, people who sign up may simply not be giving their correct name, but that's not due to any Google privacy policy.
Microsoft says it could use only a person's first name. AOL and Yahoo could use a full name but only on their sites,
That's bullshit. Like Google, they ask the user for their full name and they store it. If they don't use that information for a particular kind of ad, it's a policy decision, not because they "can't".
The question today is not "Are you paranoid?" but "Are you paranoid enough?"
Ni.
You're right, you shouldn't be modded Offtopic... You should be modded Flamebait.
Sure it's personal, it doesn't tell much about the person though, other than some names sometimes giving imperfect hints as to cultural background.
It makes no difference to stalking though. The *huge* majority of stalkers already know the precise name of the target, simply because the typical stalker is either an ex-friend, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend or other person you know, or alternatively someone stalking a public figure.
It's fairly rare that some random person suddenly starts stalking a random person they see on the street. And even if they did, after following someone home and rummaging in trash and mailboxes, I'd say in the huge majority of cases they'd learn the name anyway.
Just out of curiosity, do you also turn on your paranoia whenever a pal of you shout your name across a crowded street or a room in a bar or whatever ?
I wont sue you, I wont complain, but I will find the person that approved it was ok to do that at your company and I will punch you in the neck. Twice.
... that any ad addressing me as "Scroatzilla" would be quite endearing.
Personally I don't give a fuck if someone addresses me by my first, last or any name.
I'm exactly the opposite of the previous caller -- I expect people in service industries to use my last name, not my first name. When they use my first name it bothers me and I correct them.
When a customer service goon on the phone says something like, "Can I call you Mike?" I always say, "No." They usually pause for a couple of seconds because their script doesn't have a "No" scenario. Eventually they ask, "Then what should I call you." The correct answer is "Mister Smith." I don't know you, and you're working for me, so you will address me by a respectful title.
If a doorman in my building addressed a resident by their first name, the doorman would be looking for a new job in a matter of hours. There are still places in the world where civilized society exists.
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
While you are correct that the overwhelming majority of stalkers know their prey, for some it's the challenge of getting to know the target that gives them a thrill. I know a woman who picked up a stalker by simply bumping into him at a sporting goods store.
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
One of the best things to do in Ultima Online was the buy a book and make the title something sexual, then attempt to give it to an NPC vendor. The vendor had about 5 different things that it would say if it didn't want the book, wherein it replaced "a book" with the title of the book. So you could get the NPC to say things like my title, or "You are giving me oral pleasure? I have no knowledge of this," or a half dozen other wonders.
If they pull your name out of being logged in to Slashdot, AIM, your computer's name or whatever else, I will literally pay them to make these ads because it will be hours of fun for me and other like-minded people online. Can you even imagine?
Mastercard ad:
Bag of chips, $1.29
Hot dog, $2
Ticket to the big game, $50
Giving [a child mollestor] a day of fun, priceless
Slashdot title:
Slashdot: News for [your tinfoil hat], stuff that matters
The possibilities are endless.