The totally off-topic thread

[RooFlyer]

Businesses are still storing way too much personal information. Obviously privacy laws don't mean much.

The one that gets me is how does a 3rd party company get information from my laptop/browser that say Qantas has stored? This should be illegal. No?

Correct. What is stopping any website from taking any cookie that is stored on my laptop? Respect? Trust? Yeah right.

If you accept a site's T&C (sometimes simply by using the site), you are half way under water already.

But why accept the cookie in the first place? I have my browser settings such that every cookie has to be OKed by me, else its rejected. Some slip through, so I use software such as CC Cleaner and Spybot Search and Destroy to clean it up regularly. Plus I have my Google settings pretty tight.

I never get the targeted ads that others talk about (and I'm way down on the understand-the-internet sophistication ladder).

Mind you, I don't use Facebook either. That's just a piece of spying and personal information harvesting software with some social stuff tacked on.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Websites can only store/access their own cookies on your browser, they can't access other website's cookies. Same with advertisers. Tracking cookies are the PITA though, as some are more aggressive than others and border on stalking. (Take the FB example where they tracked non FB users)

Correct. But, and importantly but, trackers and other bots include with many (most) websites, including AFF, allow amalgamation and collection of your personal data that is then sold, supplied, provided, etc, to 3rd partly accumulators for advertising without your specific permission. Generally sites, (for example, AFF) who use google advertising and analytics have no idea and no control over the data that is collected. Without blocking programs such as AddBlock, Ghostery, Flashblock etc, it’s impossible to follow what trackers and addons are added to a website. Even then, if you permit specific sites to bypass such blocks, it is not possible to monitor or even follow the myriad of interconnected apps and to whom these programs sell your personal data.

This is the scourge of the current advertising driven internet.

And let’s not even get started on Google search, Facebook, Twitter and other mega-corporations who are based on stealing your personal data for monetary gain.

No, not paranoid, just informed.

 

[AisleSeat]

And let’s not even get started on Google search, Facebook, Twitter and other mega-corporations who are based on stealing your personal data for monetary gain.

Perhaps AFF should remove the Twitter, G+ and Facebook Recommend widgets from the bottom left of the site. They're full of tracking cookies.

 

[JohnK]

If you accept a site's T&C (sometimes simply by using the site), you are half way under water already.

But why accept the cookie in the first place?

I accept that a website can use what I have done for ots own purpose not to share with other websites/businesses behind my back.

Also how do you browse a website such as Qantas? If I turn on Ghostery the Qantas website stops. For a time there I also couldn't display the Qantas website when I turned off Flash.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I accept that a website can use what I have done for ots own purpose not to share with other websites/businesses behind my back.

Also how do you browse a website such as Qantas? If I turn on Ghostery the Qantas website stops. For a time there I also couldn't display the Qantas website when I turned off Flash.

Select which widgets and trackers in Ghostery you are prepared to accept and block the rest until you get the site working. And selectively enable flash et.

Or use private browsing in Chrome.

 

[Milboo]

I accept that a website can use what I have done for ots own purpose not to share with other websites/businesses behind my back.

Also how do you browse a website such as Qantas? If I turn on Ghostery the Qantas website stops. For a time there I also couldn't display the Qantas website when I turned off Flash.

But you have accepte their terms in using their site and their Privacy notice details specifically what they will do with your personal information, including who they will share it with and why. A company should only be collecting the personal information required for the purpose for which you are providing it, and then can only use it for the purpose for which it was provided.

Of course, some businesses go beyond this and, in my experience, it is the small business operators who don't bother to go and learn their obligations re collection of personal information and spam.

For example - I got a text the other day from a small beauty clinic I used on a trip to Hobart. Now I never consented to them using my phone number for marketing purposes so already they are outside of permitted use. Then the text was a do not reply number and didn't have the opt out/ stop functionality they are required to have in then under the Spam Act.

Worst offenders for data sharing to associated companies (but its disclosed in the Privacy Notice) are the 2 supermarkets and their loyalty arms, and associated companies. Woolworths owns a large stake in a data analytics company called Quantium.

 

[RooFlyer]

But you have accepte their terms in using their site and their Privacy notice details specifically what they will do with your personal information, including who they will share it with and why.

Exactly. Don't like what they do with your personal info? Don't use their site. No Privacy Policy? Assume its open slather.

For example - I got a text the other day from a small beauty clinic I used on a trip to Hobart. Now I never consented to them using my phone number for marketing purposes so already they are outside of permitted use. Then the text was a do not reply number and didn't have the opt out/ stop functionality they are required to have in then under the Spam Act.

Boy, have I given a roasting to a couple of small-medium businesses who have used my mobile number (given for the business purpose) to market to me. I usually call their main number and ask for the MD.

Worst offenders for data sharing to associated companies (but its disclosed in the Privacy Notice) are the 2 supermarkets and their loyalty arms, and associated companies. Woolworths owns a large stake in a data analytics company called Quantium.

Which is the main reason I don't participate in FlyBuys etc. All those points do not come 'free' just for shopping. One of the costs is that you surrender a whole bunch of info about yourself to them and whoever they choose to pass it on to.

 

[Pushka]

Boy, have I given a roasting to a couple of small-medium businesses who have used my mobile number (given for the business purpose) to market to me. I usually call their main number and ask for the MD.

.

That is so freaking annoying. We have to give them a contact number to organise the service and then they abuse it and use it for another purposes like marketing.

Had an SGIC claim last year. This week I received a call from their marketing dept to do a survey. The questions were so inane and would not have given them relevant feedback. It also went forever. Repetitive questions. At the 8th minute mark I asked how much longer. He said maybe 5 minutes. I ended it on the spot.

 

[Denali]

My boss became a granddad for the first time yesterday. Healthy girl with a full head of hair.

 

[serfty]

Which is the main reason I don't participate in FlyBuys etc. All those points do not come 'free' just for shopping. One of the costs is that you surrender a whole bunch of info about yourself to them and whoever they choose to pass it on to.

I guess it one needs to weigh the cost against any benefits.

I believe I am ahead with these schemes; Family earning over 50,000 QFF and 40,000 Velocity points this year (well after Dec 15).

On top of that, I have had 4 x $50 Coles Gift cards for ~$700 in Liquorland purchases I would have made anyway.

 

[tgh]

Running a mac , I do not find targeted ads intolerable.
I ignore them and try never to respond directly , ie reward the targeted ad with a click.
I see ads as the price of an otherwise free seat in the game.
Mail is challenging as some of the stuff is wonderfully creative and sneaky, one has to pay attention.
The junk mail volume is pretty amazing.

 

[JohnK]

Which is the main reason I don't participate in FlyBuys etc. All those points do not come 'free' just for shopping. One of the costs is that you surrender a whole bunch of info about yourself to them and whoever they choose to pass it on to.

Flybuys can have the little personal information they get from me such as daughters formula and nappies to Cuddly/Softly purchases to Pepsi Max/Coke No Sugar purchases on special to my cheap lamb purchases etc.

I have accumulated around $120 in savings in less than 3 months which equates to around 2 weeks shopping. Not bad.

May have to look into private browsing a little further or at least clear cookies regularly.

 

[Milboo]

That is not only what they collect. They collect how often you shop, the time of day, the day of the week and the stores used - also your average basket spend. They use it to target offers aimed at getting you into the store at different times or to increase your purchasing frequency, as well as getting you to increase your basket spend in order to access a discount/ savings etc

 

[serfty]

That is not only what they collect. They collect how often you shop, the time of day, the day of the week and the stores used - also your average basket spend. They use it to target offers aimed at getting you into the store at different times or to increase your purchasing frequency, as well as getting you to increase your basket spend in order to access a discount/ savings etc

True, but it is possible to distort the profiling very simply.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

True, but it is possible to distort the profiling very simply.

My profile probably is " she is a sav blanc swilling Lindt eater "

 

[RooFlyer]

Hmmmm ... do I "Like", "Agree" or "Informative" that comment mrs.dr.ron ?

AFF can be a minefield!

 

[cove]

Great profile self assessment mrs.dr.ron. It is not too late to get you onto Royce chocolate and some of the good doctor’s red wines.

 

[Pushka]

My profile probably is " she is a sav blanc swilling Lindt eater "

Oh. You forgot a coupla things ‘......who loves shoes and handbags’

 

[JohnK]

That is not only what they collect. They collect how often you shop, the time of day, the day of the week and the stores used - also your average basket spend. They use it to target offers aimed at getting you into the store at different times or to increase your purchasing frequency, as well as getting you to increase your basket spend in order to access a discount/ savings etc

True but only to a certain point.

I can easily spend $40-$50/week with my wife and daughter in Brisbane. Any attempt to try and increase that spend will fail unless they throw in decent incentives for me to shop.

For me $17.50 discount to spend $50 was a no brainer. Offering me $10 discount to spend $75 is not going to work and I'll only spend $25-$30 that week.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Denali! Why haven't you alerted us to this one?

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