Do the algorithms ever get you wrong?

[Sociotard]

I was watching youtube, and I got a commercial that kind of shocked me.  I've never been much impressed with "talk tough" slogans on clothing, possibly because I gave up on thinking of myself as manly a long time ago. Also, I like the United States, but sometimes intense (possibly violent) patriotism makes me uncomfortable. 

 

Anyway, I wondered at first why I'd think it was odd to get that commercial. Then it occurred to me that it was because usually the algorithms these sites use are much better targeted. I think I might be getting these because some of my friends on facebook are very conservative and enthusiastic about gun culture, even though our interactions usually go something like

Him: Here's a meme with the Elizabeth Warren quote: "If women need to be raped by Muslims to prove our tolerance, so be it — then thank goodness for Planned Parenthood."

Me: She never said that. Here is a Snopes link

Him: Snopes is too liberally biased. Give me something better.

Me: It's really hard to prove a negative!

 

Me living in Idaho probably doesn't help.  I mean, I get why I sometimes get bodybuilding ads. Again, I have no aspirations to bodybuilding, but those sites just hit "men" on their matching parameters. This just seems very specific and way off the mark.

 

Does it feel weird to you when your ads are way off?

 

 

[RDU Neil]

Several years ago, when my engagement became "Facebook official" I started getting ads for "Get your Ketubah Here!" in my feeds.

 

I had no idea what that was. I looked it up. So... I learned about a cultural practice I never would have before, but I always wondered what part of online history made the algorithm think I was Jewish. (And it wasn't like one ad... it was a string of them, for weeks.)

 

I'm sure they are better these days at profiling... but then I'm off most social media that, well, isn't this site.

[Simon]

I've suddenly started getting ads on FB for earthworm jerky. 

 

I have no idea what it is in my profile that would have made someone (or some algorithm) say "this guy wants earthworm jerky"....but I'm also horribly intrigued.

[Cancer]

I don't do Facebook or most other common social media, and I do very little on-line shopping, so while I am sure I have footprints for them to analyze, there aren't as many as there might be.  My real name is common enough that I have never bothered to google my name.  My heavy use of this site, and websites like Science, Nature, NASA ADS, SIMBAD,  a regional weather with utterly no commercial ties that's run by the Atmospheric Sciences Department at the enormous state university across town, wa.gov's traffic information sites ... obviously I am an old soulless data geek who never buys anything.

 

Most of the junk snailmail I get is for financial services, AARP, and yard service outfits.

 

About the only thing where it's obvious Google Analytics are onto me is my YouTube preferences, mostly music, where the suggestions are mostly reasonable given the stuff I call up.

[Old Man]

I stay off FB as much as possible, so I think that takes care of the worst culprit as far as invasive market profiling.  And I filter some web ads too so maybe I don't even see whether they're targeted correctly or not.  What I do see, from Amazon and whatnot, seems pretty generic for a middle-aged male tech worker.  And to be honest, I don't really need a larger penis.  This one's caused enough trouble already.

[Simon]

This goes back about 6 years.  Same day, same credit card:

Was grocery shopping with The Wife. Decided to get a coffee at the bar on the way out. $3.50 charge that I put on the card (because I'm lazy).  Declined (might have been fraud, per the credit card company).  Same day, took her out art shopping for her b-day.  She found a $3,500 piece of photography that she "had to have".  Gave them the same card and told them that the card would likely be declined, since the (the credit card company) were being uppity...but that I'd call it in if needed.  Charge went through without issue.   

So to sum up:  $3.50 coffee, looks suspicious.  $3,500 artwork, seems legit.

 

Between that and the earthworm jerky, I'm thinking that I may have taken obfuscation of my online profile a bit too far....though I'd be fascinated to see what that digital profile actually is, if only to use it as a character in a game.

[death tribble]

You've seen An Inconvenient Truth so now Ronco and K-Tel bring you the ex-Vice President's musical numbers now available on Al Gore's Rhythms at a good record store near you now. Oh and on Amazon as well.