I can't help but notice...

[kae101]

I am finding a lot of sites have VERY targetting advertising.

It is as if my internet habits have been analysed and this information is used to make adverts appear. So far I have noticed this on hotmail and several other sites.

For example, just before Christmas I found a lot of websites had adverts for the fashion store Warehouse (which I had been on looking for a dress). It even used pictures of the dresses I had viewed but not bought in the advert.

Today I have been on Boots and ASOS (cosmetics and fashion respectively) and now I am finding other websites are advertising these heavily. Once again the ASOS adverts are including dresses I have viewed (they are thousands of dresses on this site so it would be VERY good luck that it is a coincidence).

How are they doing this??

Thanks!

KA

[msmoneypenny1]

Its big brother but on the web! They're watching you KA.

[msmoneypenny1]

This might be useful, but its not a very techy explanation.
http://howtotarget.com/

[Stewart]

Here's a techish possible explanation...

If this was how you were targeted then I'd imagine you'd have been served a cookie on the warehouse site so you could then be identified as you moved around on the web. When you visited a site which was part of the particular advertising agencies network they would have been listening for you and you would have been identified through the earlier cookie sat on your computer. As you were a member of their predefined target group you were served a particular targeted ad i.e. warehouse.

[kae101]

This would make sense, (although my own personal theory about them riffling through my bins is also holding true for me) and a very clever away of making advertising an alarming level of specific.

Although at the same time makes you wonder what else they know about you...

KA

[Stewart]

If you use Google most of the time your whole online life !!!!

[David]

Here's a techish possible explanation...

If this was how you were targeted then I'd imagine you'd have been served a cookie on the warehouse site so you could then be identified as you moved around on the web. When you visited a site which was part of the particular advertising agencies network they would have been listening for you and you would have been identified through the earlier cookie sat on your computer. As you were a member of their predefined target group you were served a particular targeted ad i.e. warehouse.

Exactly the explanation I was about to give.