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I have to say I know exactly what the author means. When I visit a site (like BetaBrand) and all of a sudden start seeing their ads in my Facebook feed, it feel

I have to say I know exactly what the author means. When I visit a site (like BetaBrand) and all of a sudden start seeing their ads in my Facebook feed, it feels unsettling, even if they are just using the cookies temporarily stored on my computer.

300bps 13y ago
That's Google Remarketing (http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html). The greatest sounding idea which has almost no chance of working in the real world in my opinion. I went to Rackspace.com based on a HackerNews article a couple months ago and I'm still bombarded with ads for them on every site I go to.
- Ruska 13y ago
  >almost no chance of working in the real world Why do you think this? The company that I work for uses remarketing, and it actually works really well. I don't know the details behind it, but I know that it's a good source of leads (at least for my company). Keep in mind that it might not work very well with you, but HN readers don't exactly represent the majority of web users.
- disgruntledphd2 13y ago
  Although its a similar approach, I suspect that what is actually being used here is Facebook Exchange, as I doubt Facebook would let Google remarket directly in their users newsfeed.
- prostoalex 13y ago
  Anecdotal evidence suggests it's a working strategy http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/01/ad-retargeter-adroll-we-quadrupled-revenue-last-year-now-profitable/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/01/ad-retargeter-adroll-we-qua...
- tonyplee 13y ago
  I switched to firefox with noscript. Stop using chrome 90% of times. Turn off 3rd party cookie on default for all browsers. pointed doubleclick.net/com to 127.0.0.1 to /etc/hosts. The web felt less creepy now.
  - ams6110 13y ago
    I have a huge number of names in my hosts file. I use the MVPS hosts file but there are at least a few available along those lines. I also have facebook in it.
  - lostlogin 13y ago
    There are several work computers that are shared. The poor thing is trying to advertise to is but it is hopelessly confused. Between work and several staff of wildly different interests it can't target to save itself. It reminds me of a comment on HN some time ago where it was mentioned that grocery store discount cards were randomly shuffled between friends to prevent tracking.
  - greenyoda 13y ago
    There's an extension for Chrome called NotScripts, which does pretty much what NoScript does in Firefox: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notscripts/odjhifogjcknibkahlpidmdajjpkkcfn https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notscripts/odjhifo...
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
  - CamperBob2 13y ago
    I don't run noscript, but I find it's just as helpful to hit ctrl-shift-P to open a private browsing window in Firefox whenever I'm about to visit a site I don't want to see future ads from.
leephillips 13y ago
"it feels unsettling" Why? If you have a Facebook feed, then haven't you already signed up to be spied on?

300bps 13y ago

That's Google Remarketing (http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html). The greatest sounding idea which has almost no chance of working in the real world in my opinion. I went to Rackspace.com based on a HackerNews article a couple months ago and I'm still bombarded with ads for them on every site I go to.

Ruska 13y ago
>almost no chance of working in the real world Why do you think this? The company that I work for uses remarketing, and it actually works really well. I don't know the details behind it, but I know that it's a good source of leads (at least for my company). Keep in mind that it might not work very well with you, but HN readers don't exactly represent the majority of web users.
disgruntledphd2 13y ago
Although its a similar approach, I suspect that what is actually being used here is Facebook Exchange, as I doubt Facebook would let Google remarket directly in their users newsfeed.
prostoalex 13y ago
Anecdotal evidence suggests it's a working strategy http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/01/ad-retargeter-adroll-we-quadrupled-revenue-last-year-now-profitable/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/01/ad-retargeter-adroll-we-qua...
tonyplee 13y ago
I switched to firefox with noscript. Stop using chrome 90% of times. Turn off 3rd party cookie on default for all browsers. pointed doubleclick.net/com to 127.0.0.1 to /etc/hosts. The web felt less creepy now.
- ams6110 13y ago
  I have a huge number of names in my hosts file. I use the MVPS hosts file but there are at least a few available along those lines. I also have facebook in it.
- lostlogin 13y ago
  There are several work computers that are shared. The poor thing is trying to advertise to is but it is hopelessly confused. Between work and several staff of wildly different interests it can't target to save itself. It reminds me of a comment on HN some time ago where it was mentioned that grocery store discount cards were randomly shuffled between friends to prevent tracking.
- greenyoda 13y ago
  There's an extension for Chrome called NotScripts, which does pretty much what NoScript does in Firefox: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notscripts/odjhifogjcknibkahlpidmdajjpkkcfn https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/notscripts/odjhifo...
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- CamperBob2 13y ago
  I don't run noscript, but I find it's just as helpful to hit ctrl-shift-P to open a private browsing window in Firefox whenever I'm about to visit a site I don't want to see future ads from.

leephillips 13y ago

"it feels unsettling" Why? If you have a Facebook feed, then haven't you already signed up to be spied on?