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Claims it is a myth : https://www.kdnuggets.com/2014/05/target-predict-teen-pregnancy-inside-story.html https://www.kdnuggets.com/2014/05/target-predict-teen-pr

Claims it is a myth : https://www.kdnuggets.com/2014/05/target-predict-teen-pregnancy-inside-story.html https://www.kdnuggets.com/2014/05/target-predict-teen-pregna... If it is not a myth, wouldn't there be countless other reports?

vmception 5y ago
I mean that sounds similar to exactly what people have been saying for the whole decade, that their devices and services are advertising things to them that they only briefly thought about or mentioned in passing to a friend. You don't see the similarity? Or were you hoping specifically for someone being advertised pregnancy and baby products, because you probably won't find stories of specifics.
- the-dude 5y ago
  So the fact there are similar stories, but just not the kind of stories I describe ( pregnancy, somebody else finding out ), make you conclude it must be obvious ? I don't get the logic.
  - vmception 5y ago
    I didn't say "obvious" and asked if you see the similarity. Do you or don't you, why or why not? That's the discussion.
    - the-dude 5y ago
      I do see a bit of similarity, however the Target case includes presenting these ads to someone else, a component your anecdata misses. But I don't see the logic. If you are not claiming it must be true, what are you claiming?
      - vmception 5y ago
        That it sounds similar to what's happened the rest of the decade. I didn't make a conclusion aside from that observation and there is no claim, I know "who does that online anymore we're supposed to masquerade every response as an unwavering confrontation", I contributed because its a conversation, crazy right
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
spywaregorilla 5y ago
Hmm interesting. That does make sense to me. I always suspected that if this story was true it wasn't predicted so much as scraped from a public declaration or something; or predicted with a huge error bar because the cost of targeting someone who isn't pregnant is pretty low.
MichaelGroves 5y ago
Maybe it's a myth, but if so, it's an influential myth. I first heard this story about 10 years ago when I was new to the business and working on ad tech. It was used as an example of "what not to do" (because creeping out customers is bad for business.) The ideal, I was told, was to toe the line as close as possible. Creep on customers, but don't let them realize it. Hide highly targeted suggestions among less accurate suggestions, to disguise the efficacy of the tracking.
HWR_14 5y ago
The story was that this predated (and indeed was one of the inspirations for) the marketing camouflage discussed in the article. That is, they learned that people thought it was creepy to be congratulated on a new baby they were keeping secret by a store, so they stopped the congratulations part and hid the baby ads among the others. Exactly what would prevent those claims in the future.

vmception 5y ago

I mean that sounds similar to exactly what people have been saying for the whole decade, that their devices and services are advertising things to them that they only briefly thought about or mentioned in passing to a friend. You don't see the similarity? Or were you hoping specifically for someone being advertised pregnancy and baby products, because you probably won't find stories of specifics.

the-dude 5y ago
So the fact there are similar stories, but just not the kind of stories I describe ( pregnancy, somebody else finding out ), make you conclude it must be obvious ? I don't get the logic.
- vmception 5y ago
  I didn't say "obvious" and asked if you see the similarity. Do you or don't you, why or why not? That's the discussion.
  - the-dude 5y ago
    I do see a bit of similarity, however the Target case includes presenting these ads to someone else, a component your anecdata misses. But I don't see the logic. If you are not claiming it must be true, what are you claiming?
    - vmception 5y ago
      That it sounds similar to what's happened the rest of the decade. I didn't make a conclusion aside from that observation and there is no claim, I know "who does that online anymore we're supposed to masquerade every response as an unwavering confrontation", I contributed because its a conversation, crazy right
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]

spywaregorilla 5y ago

Hmm interesting. That does make sense to me. I always suspected that if this story was true it wasn't predicted so much as scraped from a public declaration or something; or predicted with a huge error bar because the cost of targeting someone who isn't pregnant is pretty low.

MichaelGroves 5y ago

Maybe it's a myth, but if so, it's an influential myth. I first heard this story about 10 years ago when I was new to the business and working on ad tech. It was used as an example of "what not to do" (because creeping out customers is bad for business.) The ideal, I was told, was to toe the line as close as possible. Creep on customers, but don't let them realize it. Hide highly targeted suggestions among less accurate suggestions, to disguise the efficacy of the tracking.

HWR_14 5y ago

The story was that this predated (and indeed was one of the inspirations for) the marketing camouflage discussed in the article. That is, they learned that people thought it was creepy to be congratulated on a new baby they were keeping secret by a store, so they stopped the congratulations part and hid the baby ads among the others. Exactly what would prevent those claims in the future.