Web ads are becoming very focused

[Scrag Meister]

Recently I have noticed how directed web ads are becoming.

You visit a site one minute and the next their ads are appearing on every other site you visit.

This is really spooky and somewhat of an intrusion. How is this done, internet history or what?

Watch-Hut, Zoopla, Dell, all sites I have visited recently and all sites that now have ads directed at me on other sites.

Edit: ... or am I just paranoid and the odds of a random ad from a site I have visited are on the up?

[Jog On]

Recently I have noticed how directed web ads are becoming.

You visit a site one minute and the next their ads are appearing on every other site you visit.

This is really spooky and somewhat of an intrusion. How is this done, internet history or what?

Watch-Hut, Zoopla, Dell, all sites I have visited recently and all sites that now have ads directed at me on other sites.

My guess is history/cookies, it's evolving that's for sure.

[Freamon]

I think you're just being paranoid.

[GreenLabel]

I use a customised host file, so I don't see any ads whatsoever - they never even get downloaded in the first place.

I got one here.

The other add-on I swear by is NoScript.

[Jog On]

I think you're just being paranoid.

If they're Google ads I wouldn't call it paranoia - especially after what they've been called out for recently. Who knows what they're up to that we don't know about..

Majestic SEO is the one to watch out for though. I hear they employ ex KGB agents

[Cliphead]

AdBlock Plus for Firefox, sorted.

[Zippy]

We had another discussion about sheds on here a while back, so I went looking for some. Every other flaming ad was for sheds for a day after that.

[MarillionFan]

We had another discussion about sheds on here a while back, so I went looking for some. Every other flaming ad was for sheds for a day after that.

I noticed that. I visited the Sun newspaper and was taken aback to see an advert for Business Objects on a page about the X-Factor (what luck I thought and went to click it. Then though b@stards!)

[RichardCranium]

Adverts? On web sites? On the Internet? Really?

I haven't seen one of those for some years now.

AdBlock Plus for Firefox, sorted.

Oh, yeah. That's why.

[Zippy]

I noticed that. I visited the Sun newspaper and was taken aback to see an advert for Business Objects on a page about the X-Factor (what luck I thought and went to click it. Then though b@stards!)

I thinlk we should try to confuse them. Visit a site for 'marital aids', then go to one that flogs stairlifts, then one that sells bouncy castles.