Painting the Window Sill

[Uncle Gizmo]

I've heard people say that Google listens to your conversations and then serves ads based on what it hears. Although I noticed some ads that seemed relevant to my recent activities and conversations, I wasn't fully convinced Google was eavesdropping.

Then something strange happened. I was putting a touch-up coat on the windowsills in a bedroom I'm refurbishing. The next morning, I get served a YouTube video on how to paint windowsills. At first, I thought, "Nah, can't be related; it's not a product." But then I noticed the guy in the video was recommending specific products like paint brushes.

So, am I just paranoid, or is Google really this advanced in understanding and capitalizing on our conversations?

 

[Galaxiom]

Yep. Not just Google. And not just listening to you. Integrating every bit of information from you, your family, friends and everything else in the world.

I was at my granddaughter's fourth birthday party and mentioned the Two Ronnies Fork Handles skit while my daughter in law was lighting the candles. That night the skit came up on my Facebook feed. I didn't even have my phone with me at the party.

Went to a work Christmas party on a Saturday night a few years ago. The entertainment included a unicyclist who invited a female colleague from a different work location to sit on his shoulders while he idled on his unicycle. Monday morning my colleague was on my Facebook suggested friends list. I am a unicyclist. I doubt the performer had his phone in his pocket at the time. I didn't have my phone with me but my wife had hers.

One night I sat down at my computer finishing a tub of a particular brand of yoghurt. Within seconds there was an ad for that very brand on the screen.

I walked briefly into a surf shop looking at some shorts but didn't buy any. That night I got ads for surf shorts.

So many other similar experiences. It definitely isn't coincidence. One supposedly private conversation is more than enough.

 

[Galaxiom]

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/581738476870726778/

 

[AccessBlaster]

Not to worry it's just your bank communicating with your refrigerator calculating your social score.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Not to worry it's just your bank communicating with your refrigerator calculating your social score.

And your insurance company listening in to the fridge to determine your body mass index.

However, I have thwarted at least SOME of their evil plans. I don't have any kind of personal home assistant... no Alexa or Siri or anything else. AND I disabled my Android assistant by removing all sorts of permissions so that it cannot use resources. AND I check every so often to see which apps ARE using resources.

 

[Isaac]

Not to worry it's just your bank communicating with your refrigerator calculating your social score.

LOL, I would love to see my "social" score. Have a feeling I'd score rather lowly