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Computer Tracking...You?
In our area, it started with Safeway. They wanted you to join the "Safeway Club" so you can get discounts on various items that you buy. Safeway, of course, will be keeping track of your purchases from now on. If you are a woman, do you really want Safeway to know when you are having your menstrual period? Or, when you buy a pregnancy test? If you drink or smoke, do you want your grocery store to have this information? If you decided to buy two dozen rolls of toilet tissue on sale, would they try and sell you some Kaopectate? They claim their data collection is for their marketing, but if they have this information, I bet it can be "shared"? Am I not entitled to some privacy? In days past, on the cashier knew what you bought. I still dislike when checkers make comments about my groceries.
I use an online service to order DVD movies. It didn't take long before, I started getting these messages: "Since you liked Twilight, you may like Lost Boys." Actually, I am not a fan of either one of these vampire movies that I rented for my teenage granddaughter, but now Netflix thinks I am into teen vampire movies. They are always suggesting movies that I have absolutely no interest in watching. Thanks, but no thanks.
Because my rural area does not have cable, I get Direct TV. I am absolutely sure they have ways of knowing what I like to watch. It is not that I have anything to hide about my viewing habits, but do you really want strangers, even anonymous computers, to know this much about you?
Two of my good friends have cancer, so I was buying some books from Amazon over the weekend. At the same time, I bought a few books on dementia from my brother who is caring for our aged mother with this disorder. I am also a big fan of history and was fascinated by the early colonization of Australia, one of my favorite places to visit. I bought a book called the "Floating Brothel" about the shipment of women from England to serve those early colonists. It was a great story on PBS, so I wanted to read the book. Two weeks ago, I bought three books on raising chickens and how to build a chicken coop.
Based on my Amazon purchases, I am a demented man, perhaps with cancer, who enjoys reading books about brothels and raising chickens. They even suggested other books that I might enjoy about prostitutes, raising ducks, or holistic cancer treatments. If I ever decided to run for public office, these things may be difficult to explain.
My wife is addicted (she denies it) to catalog purchases. Much to the horror of our mail delivery person who stuffs hundreds of catalogs into our mailbox every year, she continues to get more and more things from companies she has never heard of. I bought a bar mitzvah necklace from a company that sells primarily Jewish items. I am now on a dozen or so solicitation lists related to Judaism. I bought a rifle at a sporting goods store a few years ago after a coyote ate my favorite cat. I now get regular letters to join the NRA. I can see why people pay for things with untraceable cash, rather than credit cards. If you get lots of catalogs, save them and line them up. See if you can guess at your demographics by the things people are mailing you.
Of course, your own computer tracks you. If you are unlucky enough to acquire some unwanted spyware, there are many people that track you. Company computers are capable of tracking virtually any keystroke you make. My company is tracking this future Blog right now, assuming they have nothing better to do. Our medical group has over 500 technical people that poke around when they have free time. I love it when I call tech support and they can remotely control my computer. Never do online banking from work. You never know when some disgruntled tech support person is going to clean out your bank account.
I try to never give my email address out when I know I will be flooded by marketing and advertisements. I get an email a day from a popular chain bookstore now with my coupon du jour. Since I typically work 12-hour stints, I never really have time to use those coupons. Even if I do get a chance to head for the bookstore, I never remember coupons. I recently gave out my email address to an airline so I can be informed of specials. Every day I get a "ding" to inform me of inexpensive trips to places I don't really want to go.
Someone is definitely tracking people by their age. In the last few years, I have been getting unsolicited mail for cremation services, long-term nursing home care, and other geezer-appropriate services. I even got several of these things ON my birthday. I sort of expected a form letter that started, "Now that you are getting closer to death, we thought we would introduce you to our funeral services." I think AARP sold my name, and all I was trying to do is get a hotel discount.
Like millions of other Americans, I signed up for the "do not call" list. I think I get more calls now. I found that if you donate money to injured firefighters, you get a dozen calls from other benevolent organizations doing similar fund-raising. It is always nice to hear later that five cents out of every dollar you donate gets to the organization; 95% are for administrative costs. Once you are on the list, you cannot get off the list.
I am really getting sick and tired of running out of a shower with a towel wrapped around me to hear another one of those computer-generated calls about my vehicle warranty expiring. In an attempt to stop the calls, I even tried to play along. When the man on the phone asked me the make and model of my car, I told him that I thought he must have that information since he knew it was expiring. He hung up. I have received no less than twenty of these calls in the last few months, even though it is well known that this is just a scam.
Both of my cars have over a hundred thousand miles on them, but I still get calls from one of the dealers telling me they are looking for used cars like mine. How do they know I still own it? This is an attempt, of course, to lure me back to the dealer to buy a new car. My truck dealer went belly-up in the economic downturn, so he doesn't call me anymore. I avoid buying a new car; to me it is like getting a colonoscopy. Occasionally you need them, but you hate to go through the steps to get one.
Speaking of that, my health care system also tracks me to inform me of needed tests, and sends me a letter. I guess they would send an email but our system does not have that capability as yet. The reason? They are concerned about privacy!
Related Topics:
I use an online service to order DVD movies. It didn't take long before, I started getting these messages: "Since you liked Twilight, you may like Lost Boys." Actually, I am not a fan of either one of these vampire movies that I rented for my teenage granddaughter, but now Netflix thinks I am into teen vampire movies. They are always suggesting movies that I have absolutely no interest in watching. Thanks, but no thanks.
Because my rural area does not have cable, I get Direct TV. I am absolutely sure they have ways of knowing what I like to watch. It is not that I have anything to hide about my viewing habits, but do you really want strangers, even anonymous computers, to know this much about you?
Two of my good friends have cancer, so I was buying some books from Amazon over the weekend. At the same time, I bought a few books on dementia from my brother who is caring for our aged mother with this disorder. I am also a big fan of history and was fascinated by the early colonization of Australia, one of my favorite places to visit. I bought a book called the "Floating Brothel" about the shipment of women from England to serve those early colonists. It was a great story on PBS, so I wanted to read the book. Two weeks ago, I bought three books on raising chickens and how to build a chicken coop.
Based on my Amazon purchases, I am a demented man, perhaps with cancer, who enjoys reading books about brothels and raising chickens. They even suggested other books that I might enjoy about prostitutes, raising ducks, or holistic cancer treatments. If I ever decided to run for public office, these things may be difficult to explain.
My wife is addicted (she denies it) to catalog purchases. Much to the horror of our mail delivery person who stuffs hundreds of catalogs into our mailbox every year, she continues to get more and more things from companies she has never heard of. I bought a bar mitzvah necklace from a company that sells primarily Jewish items. I am now on a dozen or so solicitation lists related to Judaism. I bought a rifle at a sporting goods store a few years ago after a coyote ate my favorite cat. I now get regular letters to join the NRA. I can see why people pay for things with untraceable cash, rather than credit cards. If you get lots of catalogs, save them and line them up. See if you can guess at your demographics by the things people are mailing you.
Of course, your own computer tracks you. If you are unlucky enough to acquire some unwanted spyware, there are many people that track you. Company computers are capable of tracking virtually any keystroke you make. My company is tracking this future Blog right now, assuming they have nothing better to do. Our medical group has over 500 technical people that poke around when they have free time. I love it when I call tech support and they can remotely control my computer. Never do online banking from work. You never know when some disgruntled tech support person is going to clean out your bank account.
I try to never give my email address out when I know I will be flooded by marketing and advertisements. I get an email a day from a popular chain bookstore now with my coupon du jour. Since I typically work 12-hour stints, I never really have time to use those coupons. Even if I do get a chance to head for the bookstore, I never remember coupons. I recently gave out my email address to an airline so I can be informed of specials. Every day I get a "ding" to inform me of inexpensive trips to places I don't really want to go.
Someone is definitely tracking people by their age. In the last few years, I have been getting unsolicited mail for cremation services, long-term nursing home care, and other geezer-appropriate services. I even got several of these things ON my birthday. I sort of expected a form letter that started, "Now that you are getting closer to death, we thought we would introduce you to our funeral services." I think AARP sold my name, and all I was trying to do is get a hotel discount.
Like millions of other Americans, I signed up for the "do not call" list. I think I get more calls now. I found that if you donate money to injured firefighters, you get a dozen calls from other benevolent organizations doing similar fund-raising. It is always nice to hear later that five cents out of every dollar you donate gets to the organization; 95% are for administrative costs. Once you are on the list, you cannot get off the list.
I am really getting sick and tired of running out of a shower with a towel wrapped around me to hear another one of those computer-generated calls about my vehicle warranty expiring. In an attempt to stop the calls, I even tried to play along. When the man on the phone asked me the make and model of my car, I told him that I thought he must have that information since he knew it was expiring. He hung up. I have received no less than twenty of these calls in the last few months, even though it is well known that this is just a scam.
Both of my cars have over a hundred thousand miles on them, but I still get calls from one of the dealers telling me they are looking for used cars like mine. How do they know I still own it? This is an attempt, of course, to lure me back to the dealer to buy a new car. My truck dealer went belly-up in the economic downturn, so he doesn't call me anymore. I avoid buying a new car; to me it is like getting a colonoscopy. Occasionally you need them, but you hate to go through the steps to get one.
Speaking of that, my health care system also tracks me to inform me of needed tests, and sends me a letter. I guess they would send an email but our system does not have that capability as yet. The reason? They are concerned about privacy!
Related Topics:
- Your Health Information Privacy Rights (HIPAA)
- Ear, Nose & Throat Message Board with Rod Moser, PA, PhD
- Living Better Newsletter - Wellness news to keep you healthy and strong!
Labels: privacy
