They ARE watching and tracking us

[canamjhb]

Looking at posts on this forum tonight. I took a break and make a cocktail without logging off. Came back to my desk and sat down. My computer suddenly started a "Skidoo" audio commercial without me touching a thing. What the......??? I suppose Can Am knows it is too hot here to ride the Spyder so now I should be out on the lake. HMMMMMMM

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Looking at posts on this forum tonight. I took a break and make a cocktail without logging off. Came back to my desk and sat down. My computer suddenly started a "Skidoo" audio commercial without me touching a thing. What the......??? I suppose Can Am knows it is too hot here to ride the Spyder so now I should be out on the lake. HMMMMMMM

You better believe it!!! Your travels on the web have been being tracked for over 20 years! I have a browser plugin called Disconnect that blocks many sites from tracking me. Here is a graphic from it that shows the sites that are, or would if Disconnect didn't block them, that my browser interacts with while I'm on SL.


Disconnect 1-3.jpg

Guess who one of those trackers is!! None other than our very own intrepid BK911!!

Disconnect 2-3.jpg

I had to get these by taking a pic w/ my camera of the screen. As soon as I tried to get a new clip with the Clipping Tool they would disappear. There is no easy way to capture the names of all the websites represented by the circles, sites like YouTube, flicker, northamericanmaps.com, gstatic.com, and so on.

[Chupaca]

They know your every move....and now your thier captive audience... they will bombard you with offers for anything you ever looked at...

[youngers]

and that is why we ride our spyders , while we are out running around having a great time they are busy at there little cubbie hole or where ever , busy sending tib bits of things they would like to do but are busy in their cubbie !

[Flanker]

They're here, they are
They are, they are
They're here, they really are

I saw them, I did
I did, I did
I saw them, I really did

They come at night
They sneak at night
They take the power
From our lights

From Maine to California
Up in Michigan too
I'm telling you
They're watching you

[Bob Denman]

838-02491471en_Masterfile.jpg

[jbim]

is as follows:

1. Your browser uses cookies
2. Cookies are stored on your computer
3. Bombardier buys advert space from someone: don't know if it is from Spyderlovers.com or the company hosting Spyderlovers or maybe even the Telco hosting your Internet
4. You can go to many sites and now see adds on the products that you search online. Amazon does that a lot once you have looked something up.

It is for that very "big brother" reason that I did not like the FOBO product, having to create an account , giving them access to location services on my phone and on top of that having to read a 12-page agreement.

You would think two billion people couldn't be wrong but that is how Facebook is able to make tons of money using/selling your data.

Be safe on the road ... and the Internet

[Joel The Biker]

Check out Ghostery.com That is what I use to block the trackers. The upside is you can surf the web without being tracked and web pages open MUCH faster!! The only downside is, some sites will not let you use certain features or dropdown menus. But you simply click on "trust site" and refresh the page. Has the best reviews. Check it out.

[LeftCoast]

I used to work with a guy that got hired from one of the ad serving companies. He said based on tracking they could serve you up an ad within milliseconds of you having visited a site.

i got depressed after that.

[ARtraveler]

Yup! Just like everything else...don't go anywhere you don't want somebody to know about...don't say anything you do not want shouted from the highest hills.

And...good luck with the above.

[Bob Denman]

Check out Ghostery.com That is what I use to block the trackers. The upside is you can surf the web without being tracked and web pages open MUCH faster!! The only downside is, some sites will not let you use certain features or dropdown menus. But you simply click on "trust site" and refresh the page. Has the best reviews. Check it out.

Hi Joel!
I just downloaded it, and will give it a good work-out!
Thanks!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

You better believe it!!! Your travels on the web have been being tracked for over 20 years! I have a browser plugin called Disconnect that blocks many sites from tracking me. Here is a graphic from it that shows the sites that are, or would if Disconnect didn't block them, that my browser interacts with while I'm on SL.


Disconnect 1-3.jpg

Guess who one of those trackers is!! None other than our very own intrepid BK911!!

Disconnect 2-3.jpg

I had to get these by taking a pic w/ my camera of the screen. As soon as I tried to get a new clip with the Clipping Tool they would disappear. There is no easy way to capture the names of all the websites represented by the circles, sites like YouTube, flicker, northamericanmaps.com, gstatic.com, and so on.

Before I ( BK911 ) ( BLUEKNIGHT911 ) go OFF the charts in " *ISSED Mode .... You NEED to define " Tracking " as it pertains to ME ........ Because I have NEVER knowingly TRACKED anyone ...on this Forum and ANY other site ..... IMHO that's a Nasty Charge to make against anyone ..........Mike

[canamjhb]

Joel, I too just downloaded Ghostery. So far, so good. Maybe my imagination but I think my computer is a bit faster. Thanks for the tip

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Before I ( BK911 ) ( BLUEKNIGHT911 ) go OFF the charts in " *ISSED Mode .... You NEED to define " Tracking " as it pertains to ME ........ Because I have NEVER knowingly TRACKED anyone ...on this Forum and ANY other site ..... IMHO that's a Nasty Charge to make against anyone ........ and if you don't answer this I WILL make a complaint to the Administer in language much stronger than I use Publicly ...... This is Total B.S. ...............Mike

All I can tell you is what I see on the dialog from the plug-in Disconnect. I can't make any judgment as to whether it is good, bad, or meaningless. Tracking is a broad term and in the world of the web any sort of information gathering based on surfing activity would be considered tracking.

Disconnect 3.jpg

It says your website is informed whenever I visit Spyderlovers.com! To what extent and how I have absolutely no idea. Maybe there is some setting in your website page that triggers the notification, a setting you may not even be aware of. If you want to dispute the reality of what I see on the dialog you'll have to take it up with Disconnect.

[Flanker]

Good tip on Ghostery! It's vitally important to defend your internet privacy at all times. Getting caught watching Puppet Porn on the net can be a real career ender! Not that I know anyone who'd do that.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Mike,
I'll bet it has something to do with the link you have on your website for spyderlovers.com. Google analytics or some web watching program sees that since you have that link maybe every time anyone comes to SL it sends a notification to your web host. I don't know, just guessing on my part.

Anyway, I just pointed out the connection to show just how a person never knows who all gets info about your surfing. It would be an interesting experiment if you removed the link for SL for a few days and then we see if the informing note still comes up.

[canamjhb]

IMS & BK911.....I just looked and you both share a couple of the same friends on this forum. Could be the link.....? Regardless, anyone can go to the home page and see who is on line at any given minute. Gezzzzz, this web site gets a lot of activity. And that is good.

[Joel The Biker]

I just checked www.blueknight911.com with ghostery and it didnt show any trackers. Spyderlovers shows 3 trackers. Social media, advertising, and site analytics.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

All I can tell you is what I see on the dialog from the plug-in Disconnect. I can't make any judgment as to whether it is good, bad, or meaningless. Tracking is a broad term and in the world of the web any sort of information gathering based on surfing activity would be considered tracking.

Disconnect 3.jpg

It says your website is informed whenever I visit Spyderlovers.com! To what extent and how I have absolutely no idea. Maybe there is some setting in your website page that triggers the notification, a setting you may not even be aware of. If you want to dispute the reality of what I see on the dialog you'll have to take it up with Disconnect.

Really - Take it up with " Dis-connect " ....F - Disconnect .... I'm taking it up with YOU - YOU posted this piece of crap ..... on this forum - not Dis-connect .... I can't even figure out how to post pictures .... and YOU claim I'm TRACKING YOU ...... Frankly this FORUM has gone to H*LL ..... What you did I consider ..." slanderous " to put it mildly ........... I demand you remove that post about me TRACKING you and an APOLOGY ...........Mike ..............Blaming me for what my computer may or may not be doing without my knowledge or understanding is MEAN & HURTFUL , you should be ashamed of yourself......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[canamjhb]

Well, I'm kinda sorry to have started this thread. I looked back at IMS's original graphic and it says red circles are trackers and grey circles ARE NOT. It also goes on to say a grey circle with a halo is a web site the user visited. BK911 is a grey circle with a halo. What I take from that is, at some point IMS visited BK911s web site. Big fat NOTHING. Time for a deep breath and a cocktail.....

[Joel The Biker]

Well, I'm kinda sorry to have started this thread. I looked back at IMS's original graphic and it says red circles are trackers and grey circles ARE NOT. It also goes on to say a grey circle with a halo is a web site the user visited. BK911 is a grey circle with a halo. What I take from that is, at some point IMS visited BK911s web site. Big fat NOTHING. Time for a deep breath and a cocktail.....

I am seeing the same thing. There is probably a counter deep in the bowels of the website that keeps track of how many times someone clicks on the spyderlovers link. I bet it doesn't gather any other info. But I would agree with Mike also, that he should not be accused of doing something he is not. Especially here for all to see. Just bad taste.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am seeing the same thing. There is probably a counter deep in the bowels of the website that keeps track of how many times someone clicks on the spyderlovers link. I bet it doesn't gather any other info. But I would agree with Mike also, that he should not be accused of doing something he is not. Especially here for all to see. Just bad taste.

" THANK YOU "....... Mike

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Well, I'm kinda sorry to have started this thread. I looked back at IMS's original graphic and it says red circles are trackers and grey circles ARE NOT. It also goes on to say a grey circle with a halo is a web site the user visited. BK911 is a grey circle with a halo. What I take from that is, at some point IMS visited BK911s web site. Big fat NOTHING. Time for a deep breath and a cocktail.....

Enjoy your cocktail ..... me I'm searching for Heart medicine my blood-pressure is 250/150 .... No one knows how bad you can be made to feel ----until it happens to YOU ................Mike , ....I appreciate your looking into this , frankly I wouldn't even know where to start ....that's how computer illiterate I am ..

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Well, I'm kinda sorry to have started this thread. I looked back at IMS's original graphic and it says red circles are trackers and grey circles ARE NOT. It also goes on to say a grey circle with a halo is a web site the user visited. BK911 is a grey circle with a halo. What I take from that is, at some point IMS visited BK911s web site. Big fat NOTHING. Time for a deep breath and a cocktail.....

Red circles are 'known' tracking sites. Gray circles are not 'known' but 'may be' tracking.

I did not even know blueknight911.com existed until I saw it on the graphic. I'll accept the fact that Mike is not knowingly or deliberately tracking anyone. It's obvious he was as surprised by this as I was, and a whole lot more upset! But that does not negate the fact that some internet software somewhere is, according to Disconnect, sending some sort of data to the server that hosts Mike website. At the very worst I thought maybe it was being done out of curiosity! After all, he does want to sell stuff to SL members, and there's not a thing wrong or bad about that! The big mystery is why does his web site show up in the list of sites that are informed when I visit SL and no one else's like Doc Humphrey's roadsterrenovations.info, or Lamont's lamonstergarage.com? I looked at the source code for his web page and don't find anything there that requests tracking information. But there's a whole lot more behind the scenes that the hosting company controls.

If we all got up in arms about Internet tracking like Mike has about this revelation the Internet world might back off and pay more respect for our privacy. If nothing else, this thread has probably made all of us a whole lot more aware about just how sinister the Internet system is in picking up bits of personal information about us all.

I'm sorry Mike you were offended by this information, but believe me, I did not do it with any malicious intent at all.

[pitzerwm]

I hate to bring up facts, but IMO (based on 22 years on the Internet, with over 20K pages on it) I think that all that has happened here is that IdahoMtn's software is tracking himself. You can get the same info by looking at your history. Since BK911 can't even post pictures on SL, and since I'm his webmaster, I can assure you that he or his site isn't tracking anyone. We don't even bother with cookies or stats. His site is just for fun. Thanks, Joel, for your input.

I see by IdahoMtn original post that he wasn't trying to start an issue with BK911, but he might get a little more familiar with what really goes on with the Internet and your phone. I saw a documentary where I guy took out the battery and turned off his phone walked/drove around town for a few hours and when he put the battery in and turned on the phone it sent to Google his entire route/s. Like Costco that has every item that you ever bought in any of their stores, Google among others TRACK every keystroke that you make on your computer/phone/tablet.

Just like spam emails/bot phone calls etc, it's the price we pay for this technology. If you want to avoid all of the tracking/spying good luck, I doubt if living on a desert island would save you. We are well past 1984, learn to live with it.