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And just today I got an ad (in the paper mail) from an electronics distributor notifying me of new parts they stock. Among them was an embedded face and express

And just today I got an ad (in the paper mail) from an electronics distributor notifying me of new parts they stock. Among them was an embedded face and expression recognition engine that would emit pretty much this data, in a convenient text output you can read into any little microcontroller and act on (omron B5T-007001-010 if anyone is interested). This is no longer exciting cutting edge technology, it's off the shelf. And terrifying.

alanfalcon 9y ago
If you visit my website and fail to complete a purchase, you may find a physical postcard in the mail from us in a few days with a surreptitious coupon code. No, you did not actually tell us your mailing address at any point; knowing your e-mail is sufficient.
- Kliment 9y ago
  That 100% guarantees I'll never complete a purchase with you, and I'll warn others to avoid you too.
  - alanfalcon 9y ago
    But for every you, there's ten people who complete their purchase using the code they received, and my boss makes more money and I keep my job. Until and unless those ratios reverse, it's going to be that way and you'll have fewer and fewer places to shop. (I'd happily make the case to my boss that he makes more money without retargeting tactics like this if such were the truth.)
    - Kliment 9y ago
      I'm okay with that. I find your practices disgusting but I'm not in a position to be telling your customers what they should be choosing. So all I can do is vote against it with my money and reward shops that don't do evil. There's very few things that I need badly enough to put up with that crap.
      - alanfalcon 9y ago
        You classify sending un-asked-for mail as evil? (I admit the company that provides this service is not doing God's work by combining/selling all their customers' databases to make this possible, and so by enabling them neither are we. I'm not seeing how it's exactly evil though.)

alanfalcon 9y ago

If you visit my website and fail to complete a purchase, you may find a physical postcard in the mail from us in a few days with a surreptitious coupon code. No, you did not actually tell us your mailing address at any point; knowing your e-mail is sufficient.

Kliment 9y ago
That 100% guarantees I'll never complete a purchase with you, and I'll warn others to avoid you too.
- alanfalcon 9y ago
  But for every you, there's ten people who complete their purchase using the code they received, and my boss makes more money and I keep my job. Until and unless those ratios reverse, it's going to be that way and you'll have fewer and fewer places to shop. (I'd happily make the case to my boss that he makes more money without retargeting tactics like this if such were the truth.)
  - Kliment 9y ago
    I'm okay with that. I find your practices disgusting but I'm not in a position to be telling your customers what they should be choosing. So all I can do is vote against it with my money and reward shops that don't do evil. There's very few things that I need badly enough to put up with that crap.
    - alanfalcon 9y ago
      You classify sending un-asked-for mail as evil? (I admit the company that provides this service is not doing God's work by combining/selling all their customers' databases to make this possible, and so by enabling them neither are we. I'm not seeing how it's exactly evil though.)