Advertisers Following Members To ATS?

Recently I purchased an item on-line for my grandfather from a company called Haband. Now, every time I log onto ATS, they are one of the ads I see on the right-hand side of the screen very frequently like this:



What concerns me is that this advertiser has ALL my contact information since I placed an order with them and now that information is obviously connected with my member ID on ATS. How are they doing this? Is there something I need to do to better secure my computer? It has really made me realize how "exposed" we are on-line. I have no problem with ATS generating ad revenue. What I do have a problem with is an advertiser following me around the net. Thanks for any and all ad advice! Does anyone else on here feel a bit net naked in this respect? I have obviously now exposed my computer lameness....

I recommend downloading SpyBot Search and Destroy from CNET. Install it and run a scan. Just sounds like some type of spy ware on your computer. Remember, viruses are different from spyware.

I would delete my account at ATS and make a new one. Also if you have "SPYWARE" I would run it every time I made a purchase online. Don't know if it will work but it's worth a try. That is what I do and I haven't had any problem.

I had a similar event and asked mods for advice as the ad was blocking panel buttons.
I cleared all cookies and history,then ran a spybot check and destroy..

All hunky dory now,and I know what to do for the next time too.

The ad has no idea what "member account" it is displaying to. The adverts have picked up on a "cookie" in your cache and are feeding you ads tailored to your past practices.

It's the computer...not "you".

Clear your Internet cache, cookies, history, etc....and all should be good.

Thank you so much for all of your help. I have done everything suggested now EXCEPT (gulp) deleted my account and created a new one. That would be like electing to have a lobotomy. I can't imagine disconnecting myself from all my past posts and conversations, thread flags, etc., that I am still in the midst of reading.

Right now I am getting an empty blue box on the right-hand side screen for advertising. I'm sorry ATS if these actions impacted ad revenues - I don't know why a general ad isn't appearing instead. As stated, I have no problem with the ads, only ads aimed at tracking me around the net. Although you suggested that the ads were not targeting me specifically, I can not imagine that all ATS members were seeing this ad like I was. I have a hard time believing I wasn't personally identifiable on here in that respect. It was literally running every third or fourth ad load. If they were running for everyone to see...well....I'd say they owe ATS a whole bunch of money right now for space.

Again, thanks for all your help and I will report back if they show up again. Any other suggestions are welcome! This is another example of why I love ATS...folks on here are so helpful and there are experts floating around here on any subject you post.

Huge Thanks to ALL


Peace

reply to post by DancedWithWolves



Definitely don't delete your account.

As suggested, clear all your cookies etc etc.... you've done that, should be good now.

reply to post by blupblup


Nope. Couldn't bring myself to delete my account. Oh and one update....

Ditech has saved ATS ad revenue by replacing the blank blue box on the right-hand side of the screen. They are offering me a "great' deal on a home loan so that our government (reads us the tax payers) can take over their debt too!

Again...thanks to all.

reply to post by DancedWithWolves

There really is no way for them to associate the cookie they loaded on your browser to your account or any personal info you gave them when you made your order. The info you gave them when you bought the item resides on a secure financial transaction server and the cookie was in your browser cache on your computer.

All the cookie did was realize you were on a site that uses the ad network the company advertises on (ATS). These cookies are known as "net work wide", since there are only a handful of major ad networks many thousands of sites use the same one or combination of several.

Deleting your cookies and clearing your cache is all it takes to clear them out.

So while it appears the ad "followed you" it really didn't, all that happened was you logged onto ATS and we use the same advertising network as the site you made your click through/purchase from.

Again, there's no way for that cookie to identify you or have any of your private info on it.

Springer...

A bit more on the mechanics of how this works...


You buy a product from "PRODUCT COMPANY A" and somewhere along the way, that company has a "ping graphic" from "AD COMPANY B" on several pages throughout their site. Based on your browsing habits on the "PRODUCT COMPANY A" site, and their specific relationship with the ad company, "AD COMPANY B" can be aware if you viewed the online catalog, signed up for emails, or even made a purchase.

---HOWEVER---

"AD COMPANY B" doesn't know who you are when you make a purchase. All they know is that some random number (maybe "USR.0012974774.NXG" or something) that represents your computer made a purchase on the website of "PRODUCT COMPANY A" within the past 30 days, or whatever other timeframe they want to apply (usually 30 days).

When you leave the website of "PRODUCT COMPANY A" and head out into the wild of the Internet, their agreement with "AD COMPANY B" would stipulate the conditions upon which you receive a preferred or premium ad. In other words, "AD COMPANY B" will deliver a high-paying ad for "PRODUCT COMPANY A" when you visit "WEB SITE C" if that site is displaying ads from "AD COMPANY B." And, they will pay a premium to make sure you get their ad, over all other possible ads in the inventory.

---WHO KNOWS WHO---

There is no interchange of data. "PRODUCT COMPANY A" has no idea you visited "WEB SITE C" or "WEB SITE D" or "WEB SITE X," only that "AD COMPANY B" is charging them for each time you see one of their ads.

"AD COMPANY B" is aware of the sites you visit, but they don't have your personal data that you provided to "PRODUCT COMPANY A" unless you specifically provided it, or one of them broke the law.

"WEB SITE C" has no idea you bought something at "PRODUCT COMPANY A" and unless "WEB SITE C" is serving the ads themselves (very rare these days) has no idea you're getting their ads (unless you start a thread ). Also, there is no exchange of available personal data between "AD COMPANY B" and "WEB SITE C" as the ads load in "browser-time," or after the servers of "WEB SITE C" send the pages to you.



"WEB SITE OWNER G" is wondering if that made sense for "WEB SITE USER M?"

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Ahhh!

(Site user T smiles and nods politely pretending he understood everything that was said there.. whilst trying to hide adverts for curling tongs,inflatable sheep and subscriptions to National Geographic)

Originally posted by Springer

Deleting your cookies and clearing your cache is all it takes to clear them out.

So while it appears the ad "followed you" it really didn't, all that happened was you logged onto ATS and we use the same advertising network as the site you made your click through/purchase from.

Again, there's no way for that cookie to identify you or have any of your private info on it.

Springer...

Wow....I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Are your (my) browsing habits, not "logged" now by the ad network in relation to my IP address? Yes, I have eliminated future notification that I am here but, don't they already know where my IP hangs out so to say. It seems like an underachievement of these ad networks not to log patterns of activities and maintain those for target marketing. Anytime a market condenses into 5 or so conglomerates it makes me wonder.

Obviously I am way out of my limited area of expertise here but now you have me curious about ad networks in general....

Most of us (not specific to ATS as I would rate the knowledge here way above normal) have no clue from a security viewpoint what we are doing when on-line. Maybe you could recommend a good link to follow if I wanted to educate myself a bit on these networks and personal on-line privacy in general. We lock our home doors at night and have a right (or at least used to) to refuse unwarranted search. Somehow I feel like when I am online I am leaving my door wide open and some "officer" can just look in and say, "Oh that seems like it's suspicious, etc." I want to learn more about how to keep my door closed is all.

Privacy is not about having something to hide, it's about protecting our rights as so many on here state. On-line, however, it seems like not knowing how to shut the doors gives "them" to much access that we don't intend.

Anyway...sorry for the long-winded response and I greatly appreciate all the help and assurances from all.

Peace.

So is your Grandfather enjoying his gift?

Be sure to tell him thanks from all of us.
Because of him we learned something new today.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
A bit more on the mechanics of how this works...

"WEB SITE C" has no idea you bought something at "PRODUCT COMPANY A" and unless "WEB SITE C" is serving the ads themselves (very rare these days) has no idea you're getting their ads (unless you start a thread

). Also, there is no exchange of available personal data between "AD COMPANY B" and "WEB SITE C" as the ads load in "browser-time," or after the servers of "WEB SITE C" send the pages to you.

"WEB SITE OWNER G" is wondering if that made sense for "WEB SITE USER M?"

DANG

Web site user is now wondering if Product Company A is going to send me a commission check for immortalizing them on this thread. I am such an idiot!

Why is it that I don't completely "trust" ad networks....mmmmm....ahhh....perchance my virtual location would suggest my suspicious nature.....

I'm sure it is a benign "collaborative' agreement (see sig)

So I end with...let em watch.....

And thanks for the completely clear explanation...I actually followed (most of it).

Peace

edit to add: Yep, Grandpa's velcro shoes were a hit. He can't bend over to tie shoes anymore but he keeps me laughing all day from his electric wheelchair....if everyone had a grandpa like mine, the world would be a better place.

[edit on 23-9-2008 by DancedWithWolves]

reply to post by DancedWithWolves

When you consider that "USR4452287.ngx" (the ID# of the cookie) is all the data they have on you, it becomes pretty clear that it's impossible to associate that with a living person.

Now, the crooks out there love to load trojans and other "malware" (slang for malicious software) which will definitely give up the ghost on your information if it's undetected by your security software. That's why it's such a good idea to keep your security updated and do regular scans on your machine to delete this trash.

This is why internet security software companies make so much money off selling us all security software. Ironically, there are theories "out there" that these very companies create some of these disgusting bits of software (trojans and malware) to keep the demand high through fear.

It's never been proven, to my knowledge, that any of these companies actually do this but they are very misleading in their sales pitches about the simple "cookie". They tend to call them "Tracking Cookies" which is pure bunk and true all at once. True, in as much as it "tracks" and thereby limits how many times you'll see the same ad on any site and or network.

Bunk in the way they make it sound like it's stalking you and has a clue who you actually are when it simply doesn't.

It's good for their business to keep everyone scared and clueless.

Springer...

Originally posted by Springer
reply to post by DancedWithWolves

 

This is why internet security software companies make so much money off selling us all security software. Ironically, there are theories "out there" that these very companies create some of these disgusting bits of software (trojans and malware) to keep the demand high through fear.

It's never been proven, to my knowledge, that any of these companies actually do this but they are very misleading in their sales pitches about the simple "cookie".

Springer...

You mean kinda like what the CDC does?

Sorry for the OT post but I just had to ask.