Things that took you way too long to realize....

[Majingir]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

This is why I've been actively trying to de-Google-fy my life. I know every company tracks you, but not every company is as aggressive, dishonest, and pernicious as Google. I'm slowly migrating to iOS for phone, tablet, etc. because even if Apple is also in the data-collection game, their primary business is selling you devices and services. Google's primary (sole) business is collecting as much information as possible about you and selling it. The former isn't great, but compared to the latter, it's much preferable IMO.

I still want to use Firefox for some stuff, but basic stuff like going on here, checking email and so on I'll switch.

I'm not using an account though, so I'm hoping that might lead to less tracking on me. Though on my mobile devices, since I'm logged in already, it probably will start tracking my searches.

[BurghFan]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I don't really care if google or FB or whatever is tracking me. Not like I'm doing anything illegal or illicit on my computer so I don't have anything to hide, and in this day and age if someone wants info on someone, they can get it.

[TripleCrown9]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

Oh maybe it was German, now I don't remember. Maybe I thought Adidas sounded Greek or something. Forgive my mistake, I didn't look it up again.

Nike was the Greek goddess of victory.

Actually serious. The company is named after her.

[pietasterp]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I don't really care if google or FB or whatever is tracking me. Not like I'm doing anything illegal or illicit on my computer so I don't have anything to hide, and in this day and age if someone wants info on someone, they can get it.

I think the reason to care now is because while the majority of the data may be relatively innocuous or you might not care if others have it, once more companies figure out how to start using highly personal information in more and more pernicious ways, it will become a problem - unless its curtailed now. I think all of human experience has suggested that if there is an opportunity to take advantage of information, people will do it.

Relatively innocuous example is that Google has admitted to reading the email of Gmail account holders (which, in and of itself seems like a major privacy violation but I suppose they can hide behind TOS arguments there). Let's say you are having an affair and have a lot of flirty talk in your emails; the next thing you know, your shared google accounts or home computer is bombarded with ads for prophylactics and cheap hotels. That might end up causing you some domestic problems, to say the least LOL...

On a more serious note, let's say via information harvesting, Google or Facebook finds out you have a family history of heart disease. Perhaps you discuss it in emails, Facebook (e.g. people wish your dad well or whatever after posting the old man's had a health issue), or do a lot of searches for heart disease on Google or whatever. The next thing you know, your health insurance premiums are 50% higher than they were prior, and some companies won't give you a quote period. This is not illegal; insurance companies already do this, just not with reams of voluntarily-provided and exquisitely personalized information.

And those are just the examples I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are much more devious examples (keep in mind big banks recently approached Facebook about sharing information....) and there are really smart people that spend all their time thinking about ways to leverage this information. These companies have no ethics and they don't care to develop any (as evidenced by Facebook and its lax approach to personal information data sharing). You probably don't even want to know what's happening behind the scenes. These aren't multi-billion dollar companies because they spend their time doing good things for people.

It's unavoidable to some extent, but to the extent that I can limit what I volunteer, so much the better...

[Majingir]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

Speaking of which, is there any way of stopping Chrome from remembering browsing history? Or keeping a cache of all the files? All without manually having to delete it.

Even with cookies off, browsing history still tracked.

[l3ulvl]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

wait so if I search "how to get rich without getting scammed" over and over, eventually Chrome will provide me with pop up ads that offer exactly what I'm looking for? I should probably turn ad blocker off

[slickdtc]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

Speaking of which, is there any way of stopping Chrome from remembering browsing history? Or keeping a cache of all the files? All without manually having to delete it.



Even with cookies off, browsing history still tracked.

Incognito mode? Is it still called that? Private browsing. For porn!

[pietasterp]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

Speaking of which, is there any way of stopping Chrome from remembering browsing history? Or keeping a cache of all the files? All without manually having to delete it.

Even with cookies off, browsing history still tracked.

No, there isn't. The entire browser is specifically designed to collect information about all of your internet browsing activities. There is literally no other reason Google spent the time and effort to create a browse. Just remember, if you are using a free service, the product is YOU.

Incognito mode? Is it still called that? Private browsing. For porn!

Incognito mode doesn't really do anything. I think it has cookies off by default and doesn't locally cache your internet activity, but Google still collects it all. Google never stops collecting all your information as long as you are running any of their products. Their entire business model is monetizing every aspect of your activity.

wait so if I search "how to get rich without getting scammed" over and over, eventually Chrome will provide me with pop up ads that offer exactly what I'm looking for? I should probably turn ad blocker off

Oh, it definitely WILL do that. Or, at least what the algorithm thinks that looks like...

[Majingir]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

No, there isn't. The entire browser is specifically designed to collect information about all of your internet browsing activities. There is literally no other reason Google spent the time and effort to create a browse. Just remember, if you are using a free service, the product is YOU.

Luckily I don't use Facebook much so at least they can't follow me too much that way.

Only thing I found was setting the history file in the Chrome folder to "read only", so it doesn't save your history. From what I've seen, it appears to have worked.

[Blzer]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I realized this a long time ago, but am just thinking about it now...

At the beginning of Toy Story, Andy is playing with the toys and has Woody say: "Well I brought my dinosaur, who EATS force field dogs!" I misheard this all my life until this scene is similarly reenacted at the beginning of TS3 when we watch the toys do this imaginarily and Woody actually says it. I always used to think he said: "Well I brought my dinosaur! LEASH force-field dog!"

Stupid, I know.

[Blzer]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I don't know if this one is true or not, but if so more props to Hans Zimmer.

If you've seen Inception, you were probably at one point made aware of the main BRRM sound being recreated from the Frecnh song musical cue that is played throughout the film:

Spoiler

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UVkQ0C4qDvM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Well, he may have been playing inspired long before this, way back in 2002 with The Ring!

A student I was tutoring was humming a tune, and it sounded like it was from the main score for The Ring. I asked him, and he said no and started singing "Have You Seen the Ghost of John?"

Incredibly, I never really connected the fact that they sound the same! If Zimmer was able to take that and make it sound completely original in the process, major props dude! Not in a "plagiarism" kind of way, but in an inspired kind of way to build off the idea of one song and completely reinvent it for your OST.

I can't find any sources on Google to know for sure, but maybe if I whip up a video comparing them without YouTube throwing copyright strikes at me I'll show you what I mean (or I'll just go to Vimeo).

EDIT: For quick reference...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WjLCzuMcRaU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/16OaOpfOPZ0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Caulfield]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I've been eating chili for 45+ years and yesterday I found out I dont need crackers in it to enjoy it. Usually I have as much if not more crackers than actual chili. Yesterday I was feeling extra lazy than usual so I didnt bother with crackers. All these years, I didnt really even know what chili tasted like, with so much crackers I was putting in. Extra benefit was when I was done the bowl was 1000 times easier to clean sans crackers.

[AUChase]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I can eat it by itself if it's some good spicy 2-alarm chili, but I prefer to use Doritos to scoop the chili out of the bowl.

[pietasterp]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

I like chili as much as the next guy, but if it isn't on top of a hot dog with diced raw onions and some shredded cheddar, it just always seems like a missed opportunity to me.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Things that took you way too long to realize....

Uhh, Tim Robbins plays Merlin in Top Gun. Damn, how am I just figuring this out now. The movie is so Tom Cruise/Val Kilmer/Kelly McGillis/Anthony Edwards-centric. Still very disappointed in old WTNY here.