Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Ever since that Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction we know that TiVo was not only keeping track of what you watched, but how often you replayed certain parts. Now your eBook is keeping track of your reading habits. Bookstores and publishers know what you read, but also how long it takes, how fast per page, and what parts you are reading. They can focus on what to push to you eBook addicts. From now on I'm only buying paper books with cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast The Mystic Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Now I know why I go to bookstores to buy actual books, pay in cash, and (sometimes) lie about my ZIP code if/when they ask for it. I've never liked ebooks anyway. Suddenly, I'm glad I don't have TiVo either, and not just because I don't watch much TV to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Cairo Jim Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Oh wow. Sponsored stalkerism. Makes me feel so loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Why would a bookstore ask for your zip code? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast The Mystic Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 A lot of stores do; I guess it's to collect information about which people from what area are buying what products. And again, it's just another form of Big Brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Ah. I haven't been in a chain bookstore for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgeoning Battle Gamma Parakeet Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 How depressing. Why does government & commerce need to usurp and increase what Mothers do? & to think I was considering an ebook reader since the purse chews up paperbacks so badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dantius Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Originally Posted By: Parakeet How depressing. Why does government & commerce need to usurp and increase what Mothers do? & to think I was considering an ebook reader since the purse chews up paperbacks so badly. 1. The Government had nothing to do with that article. It's just about ebook publishers and releasers like Amazon. 2. The eBook's aren't censoring what you see or read, they're just taking notes on your reading style so they can better tailor their suggestions to things that you would like and therefore buy, and altering your reading experience of the books themselves so it's more enjoyable and that, again, you're more likely to buy. It all comes down to money in the end. Then again, just about everything comes down to money in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Originally Posted By: Dantius The eBook's aren't censoring what you see or read, they're just taking notes on your reading style so they can better tailor their suggestions to things that you would like and therefore buy, and altering your reading experience of the books themselves so it's more enjoyable and that, again, you're more likely to buy. Thank you for being the voice of reason in this thread. I personally don't really see a problem with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well-Actually War Trall Actaeon Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 As much as I hate to agree with Dantius... If companies gathering information on our electronic behaviors and using them for marketing purposes is a problem for you, the internet may not be the best place to hang out. Google, Facebook, Amazon... I can't think of any major online presence that doesn't do some form of this. Even television monitors viewership. If the device you're using accesses some sort of network, this is the predictable outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 It goes back to TiVo's giving you suggestions to what to watch. The "why does TiVo think I'm gay" or interested in programming that I don't want after recording one show and extrapolating from that. You see the same thing with YouTube giving me suggestions where they are clips I've seen or only marginally related to something I once looked at for a few seconds to determine it wasn't what I thought it would be. The companies push certain selections and when you search through their catalogs you get blocked from what you want. Google search does it now where two users with the same keyword search get different result pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Understated Ur-Drakon Tyranicus Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Originally Posted By: Randomizer The companies push certain selections and when you search through their catalogs you get blocked from what you want. They give you suggestions, certainly, but I have yet to use a service that will not show me what I'm searching for if I search for something that isn't on their suggestion list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Goldengirl Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Originally Posted By: Randomizer It goes back to TiVo's giving you suggestions to what to watch. The "why does TiVo think I'm gay" or interested in programming that I don't want after recording one show and extrapolating from that. You see the same thing with YouTube giving me suggestions where they are clips I've seen or only marginally related to something I once looked at for a few seconds to determine it wasn't what I thought it would be. The companies push certain selections and when you search through their catalogs you get blocked from what you want. Google search does it now where two users with the same keyword search get different result pages. I agree with what Dantius says. Sure, the problems you have mentioned are legitimate, but you can still find what you need to find. It just may not be as convenient as people would like. The problem you're describing sounds more like it's with the implementation of the idea, and not the idea itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyshakk Koan Lauren CW Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Yeah, I see it more similar to Netflix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Here's a question, would you rather have an algorithm judge your purchases, or the cashier at the bookstore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast Dintiradan Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Yeah, customer data collection and mining is really on the rise; here is an article on Target's practices from a few months back. Like others in this thread, I'm not too worried about individual companies doing stuff like this. The end result is that large companies are able to give you the same personalized service you get from a mom-and-pop store. What does worry me is when companies buy and sell customer data between each other. I may be comfortable with one company having sensitive data about me, but that doesn't mean they should 'gossip' with other companies about me. You've got to read the fine print sometimes, and be careful with 'free' services like Google and Facebook, because in those cases, you are the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Archaeolagent Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I've often been tempted to try an experiment: use different names (or different versions of my own name) to sign up for all kinds of different services that I use, then see which names show up in my direct mail advertising. This would have been more relevant if I had done it a decade ago, though, since direct mail is on the downslope and I'm willing to bet that the worst let-me-share-this-private-info offenders don't use it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchling Cockatrice Randomizer Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 Target takes data mining to an extreme in that different stores in the same city will have different merchandise. For instance one product is only available in one of three stores in a 5 mile radius. Direct mail sells your info because it makes money. I had a friend that used different middle initials to subscribe and buy things to see where his info went. Edit - A Nigerian scam artist got my name from the Optical Society of America mailing list because it had the same error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast keira Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Originally Posted By: Randomizer For instance one product is only available in one of three stores in a 5 mile radius.. This really blows when you don't have three of the same store within a 50 mile radius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnificent Ornk nikki. Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Yeah in the closest city centre to me there are two different branches of the same shop. They both have different stock (with a small amount of crossover for the most popular things). I really don't see the problem with this, as it's effectively doubling the availability of this particular store's wares. Likewise, yeah, getting suggested content online sucks, especially when you only watched one Katy Perry video, for chrissakes, and only then to marvel at the set design, and then you get spammed with more Katy Perry videos to watch. But it's really easy to just not watch those, and watch something else (like ), and then you get all kinds of awesome suggestions for more Laura Marling. Edit: Like The system works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easygoing Eyebeast The Mystic Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Originally Posted By: Dantius It all comes down to money in the end. Then again, just about everything comes down to money in the end. Exactly. Religions may come and go, but the Church of Divine Lucre will never die. Originally Posted By: Homage Here's a question, would you rather have an algorithm judge your purchases, or the cashier at the bookstore? The cashier. He/she will give a much more accurate assessment, especially if you shop there often and chat with the people working there. Originally Posted By: Homage Edit Reason: it's, uh, for a friend. Riiiight. Originally Posted By: Alokazam Likewise, yeah, getting suggested content online sucks, especially when you only watched one Katy Perry video, for chrissakes, and only then to marvel at the set design, and then you get spammed with more Katy Perry videos to watch. But it's really easy to just not watch those, and watch something else (like ), and then you get all kinds of awesome suggestions for more Laura Marling. If asked, I can provide an example that's just as bad, if not worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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