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  1. #1
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    Another example of Big Brother

    I commented on a thread yesterday describing my solution for locating the flip stop on my chop saw station.
    I mentioned that I used a Morton Quill stop in a thread about using a DRO for a station.
    I probably haven't mentioned either a DRO or my quill stop for years.

    Today, I saw this ad.

    Quill stop DRO.jpg

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Feeley View Post
    Today, I saw this ad.
    That seems annoying. Maybe you need my built-in universal ad blocker. I've never seen an ad on my computer, phone, or in my snail-mail box.

    Well, I'm sure I've gotten untold ads but they are just background noise to me - I've never read or even looked directly at one so I have no idea if any are targeted. I'm sure advertisers everywhere would hate people like me if they knew. Oops, now they know.

  3. #3
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    Wait until they start pushing ads upon you for things you discuss only on the telephone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob Reverb View Post
    Wait until they start pushing ads upon you for things you discuss only on the telephone.
    A friend said she got a targeted ad after her digital "assistant" listened to a conversation and reported back to Amazon. Apparently when idling those things are listening for more than the trigger word.

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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    A friend said she got a targeted ad after her digital "assistant" listened to a conversation and reported back to Amazon. Apparently when idling those things are listening for more than the trigger word.
    Ok, all. Here's a challenge. Everyone with Alexa or Siri listening. Just say a couple of times a day, "I want a crowbar". Let's see how many crowbar ads show up.
    I don't have anything that is voice activated. I do have an Amazon Tap but you have to press a button to get it to listen (hmmmm.....).

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    Maybe you need my built-in universal ad blocker. I've never seen an ad on my computer...
    My ad blocker was deactivated due to comments from folks about how ad blockers are depleting the revenue here at SMC.

    On an interesting note, some of the banners ads say "Google Sponsor" in the frame above the ad.

    Maybe SMC should have a "click on ads" day. Encourage members to click on the various ads and leave the ad window open for a minute or two. Maybe the "click throughs" would encourage the advertisers to stay and support SMC.

    One thing the "targeted ads" do is to give me a heads up on what my wife has been looking at with a mind to buy.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
    Weird I never get any of this stuff.

    Maybe It’s because I use all apple products but nothing.

    These conversations I have been hearing about our devices listening to us then sending us info based on what we are “talking” about not typing about frankly makes me want to throw all the devices in the trash take my hand tools to the woods and go live off the grid.

    If it’s true we best all stand up do something. What do they say freedom is lost a little bit at. Time without the masses even knowing. And that this is how dictatorships are born..

    Something smells fishy to me unless this is all conspiracy theory garbage with no real basis in reality.

    I’m not sure cuz I don’t experience the above.

  8. #8
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    Ad click campaign

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Maybe you need my built-in universal ad blocker. I've never seen an ad on my computer...
    ...Maybe SMC should have a "click on ads" day. Encourage members to click on the various ads and leave the ad window open for a minute or two. Maybe the "click throughs" would encourage the advertisers to stay and support SMC.
    Yikes. Imagine what existing and potential advertisers would think of SMC if they caught wind of a campaign to artificially inflate click counts.

    Maybe you need my built-in universal ad blocker. I've never seen an ad on my computer...
    Since this snippet is taken out of context: I get plenty of ads. My point was my brain is apparently not wired to read or respond.

    The ads that frequently pop up on apps and web pages are simply a mild annoyance - I've never clicked on one on purpose and I rarely even notice them anymore. I also don't watch TV and don't browse stores/catalogs/Amazon looking for advertised specials or sales for something I didn't know I wanted.

    I can't think of anything I've bought or even considered based on an ad -- in fact, direct exposure to an ad is likely to turn me away from the product. I am, however, strongly influenced by reputation, observation, trusted recommendations, experiences real users describe here and elsewhere, and of course, a bit of research.

    I don't know the answer to the forum advertising support dilemma but I do know advertising dollars are wasted on some of us, except indirectaly. I should probably turn in my Conspicuous Consumer card.

    JKJ

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Feeley View Post
    I do have an Amazon Tap but you have to press a button to get it to listen (hmmmm.....).
    ...are you sure about that?...
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

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    I think most modern smart phones can use voice recognition technology to allow people to compose text messages. Without composing a text message, try talking aloud about some topic such as "hose bib" and then use the phone's keypad and search function to search for "ho..." and see if the auto-completion function gives you "hose bib".

  11. #11
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    I read the book "1984" in 1970. We are getting there!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    I read the book "1984" in 1970. We are getting there!
    I keep hearing about facial recognition software and cameras being installed in airports and other places. Have they really started to do this yet? To me that is extreme big brother at work as now one can be easily tracked.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Wintle View Post
    I keep hearing about facial recognition software and cameras being installed in airports and other places. Have they really started to do this yet? To me that is extreme big brother at work as now one can be easily tracked.
    What I've read about facial recognition is that it's pretty unreliable, hit rates in the single digits or something. Give it time though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Curt Harms View Post
    What I've read about facial recognition is that it's pretty unreliable, hit rates in the single digits or something. Give it time though.
    There are problems with facial recognition as it is currently configured. There are a large numbers of businesses big and small working on improving its reliability. It will be a big payday for anyone who develops the break throughs in this field.

    From the NY Times:

    Facial recognition technology is improving by leaps and bounds. Some commercial software can now tell the gender of a person in a photograph.

    When the person in the photo is a white man, the software is right 99 percent of the time.
    The bugs are being worked on as this is being typed.

    BTW, the NY Times article is over a year old. That is a long time in the world of advancing technology.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tymchak View Post
    ...are you sure about that?...
    Has anyone ever taken one apart? If the microphone is accessible it might be easy to wire in an enable/disable switch.

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