For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By VictoryRoll
#1704092
So, I had a conversation last night with a friend who mentioned a live performance recording of lynyrd skynyrd Freebird. We didn’t listen to it, search for it, just talked about it.

Today FaceTwit has “suggested for me” to watch that performance on a post.

I get targeted adverts , based on search activity but listening to me like some Orwellian nightmare?
Really taking the pi55 now guys.....

Anyone else similar??
Vr
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1704097
Sorry, misread the post. If you were discussing near a phone or tablet it's entirely possible the machine was listening, ditto Alexa et al.
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By rikur_
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1704100
I don't believe Facebook does any unsolicited listening.
These things can often be explained by working backwards. Why did your friend mention it? Had he searched for it earlier? Had he mentioned it because he'd seen a similar advert? Did your friend go an search for it after you'd finished your conversation.

IIRC Facebook does link advertising trends across friends - e.g. if several friends have shown an interest in something, then the product may get promoted to other friends.
This often leaves me playing the game of 'which of my friends was looking at that?' .... fairly easy to work out when it's landrover spares, or DJ equipment .... but has left me wondering which of my friends has the interest in latex pants.

Edit to add: https://www.businessinsider.com/faceboo ... you-2019-5
By PaulB
#1704142
So what was listening and on what device? Just takes its access to the microphone away?
By Chris Martyr
#1704181
JoeC wrote:Old geezer gets served an ad for old geezer band. Naturally thinks it’s subterfuge. Turns out most old geezers listen to and talk about a relatively small repertoire of old geezer bands.


Probably not a million miles from the truth Joe .

But VR's situation is actually a bit spooky isn't it ? There literally are 100s/1,000s of 'old geezer' bands around , so it probably is more than just a coincidence that he was talking about this to a friend and then gets this popping up on his computer.

This thread could almost be linked to the 'social media' thread now couldn't it ? Because let's face it , all this shi-ite is equally invasive in peoples lives isn't it ?

Anyway , I might just try and put it to the test . If I could find anyone who could remember it , I would call them by phone [landline that is] and have a chat about Edgar Broughton appearing at Brighton's Big Apple club in 1971 .

And if I get any pop-ups tomorrow , I really will start worrying .... :oops:
By JoeC
#1704185
He could have been served loads of ads for Lynryd Skynyrd previously and never clocked them. The conversation may have triggered the recognition. Hence the synchronicity.

How many more times do you clock a car brand on the road after you’ve bought a one? It seems as though suddenly everyone is driving your new type- but it wears off.
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By rikur_
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1704192
Chris Martyr wrote:But VR's situation is actually a bit spooky isn't it ? There literally are 100s/1,000s of 'old geezer' bands around , so it probably is more than just a coincidence that he was talking about this to a friend and then gets this popping up on his computer.

It seems spooky, but we've all probably had 1,000,000s of conversations that haven't resulted in an advert popping up on Facebook. I think you just reach a point where statistically at some point someone is going to have a conversation and shortly after sees an advert for the same.

I've looked at app permissions on my phone, and Facebook doesn't have permission to access the microphone, so it can't be listening.
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By rikur_
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1704193
riverrock wrote:Also links people based on location (IP address / wifi network / GPS & smartphone used).
Its all rather clever.

The one I found quite spooky was that Facebook prompted a friend suggestion of a lady that used to commute on the same train as me. At the time we didn't know each other, but FB must have worked out that we were regularly in the same place as each other. We know each other nowadays, and don't know of any shared friends or other common thread between us, other than we used to catch the same train.