Sure, the Googlebots know your deepest secrets - but it's worth it

technology.timesonline.co.uk...

Mike Harvey, Technology Correspondent, in San Francisco
I use Googlemail for my e-mail. As is the case for millions of others, it is the hub of my online existence.

I have just sent myself an e-mail saying that I wanted to buy a new bed. Within four minutes this link appeared in the small ad box at the top of my inbox: Temperature-pedic 70% off www.eBed.com/Tempur-Pedic - Mattress Sale: Get Free Delivery, Free Pillows, No Tax & Much More.

What has happened is that Google has digitally "crawled" my inbox, noted that I was writing about beds, and sent me a targeted advert. To some this is very scary. Google knows what I am writing about all the time. In theory, it knows that I have just been to the doctor for a check-up.

It's actually kind of funny that the advertisement he mentioned in his article is actually showing at the bottom fo the article page also. I work in paid search marketing and create the same types of ads the author was writing about.

Google spiders crawl through your email as you are reading it, meaning whatever is displayed on your monitor is visible to the spiders. While they technically have access to your information, these are bot programs that are merely looking for key words and phrases that companies have bid on so that they can monetize their free email system for profit, and also so they can keep it running.

If you don't want Google invading your privacy like this, be sure to remove any Google Toolbar programs from your computer!