Would This Creep You Out?

[JewelFreak]

It does me. Today is my birthday. In the past week I have received emails -- and one snail mail -- from places I've shopped & from a forum I read but have never written on, wishing me a happy birthday. I never gave any of them my birth date.

Makes me feel like someone is peeping in my windows, checking my mail before I see it, kind of stalking me. Ick! It's also weird that these organizations think this sort of invasion of my privacy would please me!

Does it happen to you? How do you feel about it?

--- Laurie

 

[TooPatient]

Happens to me!

I think they get you with various online registration things. So many require your b-day that I'm sure that info is all over the place.

What I find creepy is that some place I trusted (or was forced to share whether I liked it or not) had the NERVE to sell my private details to some other random place. What else did they choose to share for me?

I've taken to giving places I don't trust fake info

 

[missy]

No, in fact if they send me birthday coupons/promo code I like it.

Happy Birthday Laurie!!!

 

[Circe]

Happens to me!

I think they get you with various online registration things. So many require your b-day that I'm sure that info is all over the place.

What I find creepy is that some place I trusted (or was forced to share whether I liked it or not) had the NERVE to sell my private details to some other random place. What else did they choose to share for me?

I've taken to giving places I don't trust fake info

Yep. I give almost every place a date a day before or after my birthday, on the principle that it should make it a little harder for identity thieves.

And as for whether I would find it creepy - YES. I can barely wrap my brain around the NSA having all my info. Random corporations? DO NOT WANT. The government at least has some vague oversight. Rando employee #5878793408 of Goog-hoo-mart-plex, or whatever? Not so much ... I look forward to some kind of boundaries on this sort of thing.

And, more importantly, to quote Missy ....

No, in fact if they send me birthday coupons/promo code I like it.

Happy Birthday Laurie!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

[momhappy]

I find it no more creepy than when I'm browsing something particular at a web site (say a pair of shoes for example) and the next day, it shows up as a promo on my FB wall.
I get notes, promotions, coupons, etc. around the time of my birthday, so I don't think it's that odd.

 

[Andelain]

I find it no more creepy than when I'm browsing something particular at a web site (say a pair of shoes for example) and the next day, it shows up as a promo on my FB wall.
I get notes, promotions, coupons, etc. around the time of my birthday, so I don't think it's that odd.

I keep my fFB locked down so tight it squeaks, if I had something like that happen I'd be ****ed. As for birthdays and other info, I don't give the real info out online, except on my bank and credit card sites where I have to.

 

[OreoRosies86]

No, you're right. It's totally creepy. The joys of the digital age!

Sephora sent me a coupon for my bday, as did Dairy Queen

Happy birthday to you!

 

[dk168]

I just had my birthday a few days ago, away from base, and was kind of pleased to receive some birthday wishes when I got home, including one from PS.

DK

 

[JewelFreak]

Well, I'll give it to PS -- I didn't give 'em my b'day (I don't think; it was a while ago) & haven't had any emails, so they didn't look it up. Yay!

The fake intimacy creeps me as much as the lack of privacy. As if I'm going to melt all over & think XXX store really loves me so I'll go back because we're good friends. Yack!

Anyway -- THANK YOU, EVERYBODY!! From you all, it's great! (Don't think we'll get to celebrate tonight -- still snowed in.)

--- Laurie

P.S. Missy, you're too much!! Big smile at you.

 

[pregcurious]

Happy Birthday! I'm snowed in too!

 

[movie zombie]

happy birthday!
but the internet is networked.............

 

[Dancing Fire]

Happy Birthday Laurie

 

[iluvshinythings]

Happy Birthday!

I do think it's kind of creepy how birthdays and other browsing info is stored and shared. I also think it's really creepy that FB and LinkedIn know my real friends and associates.

 

[junebug17]

Hope you have a wonderful day Laurie!!!

 

[LoversKites]

Happy birthday

I don't find it creepy considering we so willingly give out that info to so many sites but it does make me a bit paranoid sometimes.

 

[minousbijoux]

Yes, creepy indeed. I like the idea of giving out false info - that thought had never crossed my mind!


Anyway, and more importantly, Happy Birthday! Everyone truly must know its your bday, since everyone everywhere seems to be buying flowers today.

 

[momhappy]

I find it no more creepy than when I'm browsing something particular at a web site (say a pair of shoes for example) and the next day, it shows up as a promo on my FB wall.
I get notes, promotions, coupons, etc. around the time of my birthday, so I don't think it's that odd.

I keep my fFB locked down so tight it squeaks, if I had something like that happen I'd be ****ed. As for birthdays and other info, I don't give the real info out online, except on my bank and credit card sites where I have to.

The FB thing is not about my FB settings/security. My FB account is very secure (at least as much as it can be for what it is). In fact, I don't even post pictures of myself for my profile picture or my cover photo. When advertising shows up on my FB wall, the more likely culprit is Google (or other search engines) keeping tabs on what sites I visit, which has nothing to do with FB security settings.

 

[texaskj]

I'm with missy and Circe, bring on the coupons!

Happy Birthday JF, you're one of the very few people I've come across who has a Feb. 14 birthday.
My grandma would've been 96 today.

 

[JewelFreak]

Aw, TexasJ, Feb 14 is a good vintage. Your grandmother must have been a peach!

Thank you all for the wishes! Makes me feel all warm & fuzzy, & I'm not kidding.

Preg, hope you get out tomorrow! Do you have cabin fever? Me too!

Re feeling creeped out -- I am not on FB or Linked In or any social network like that precisely because I dislike info being spread around. I won't use gmail because I don't want my emails mined for whatever the flavor of the day is by Google or NSA. Not that any other email program is more secure, I know.

Guess we have to get used to having zero privacy but I don't like it. Especially when companies or internet forums -- organizations, not individuals -- pretend to be my warmest buddy while exposing their own spying, it gives me the willies.

--- Laurie

 

[LLJsmom]

Happy birthday to you, laurie...

 

[monarch64]

They're called "cookies." Clear your cache. Problem solved.

Google "clear cache" to find out how to get uncreeped.

 

[hippi_pixi]

They're called "cookies." Clear your cache. Problem solved.

Google "clear cache" to find out how to get uncreeped.

Lol

Happy birthday!

 

[JewelFreak]

Monnie, I clear my cookies every night. I run CCleaner once a week & get rid of all the gunge. No cookie is gonna tell anyone when a person's b'day is anyhow. No way to escape endless marketing, I guess. Gosh, a couple years ago some ad agency had the bright idea of putting ads on eggs! "No matter how they dislike it, they won't be able to avoid our ads," chirped the spokesman. Yeah, but do they buy your product? These guys forget that annoying the customer doesn't sell stuff -- it's not enough just to get their attention.

Thank you, LLJ & Hippipixi -- it was a good one. Ice cream cake & 2 Edith Wharton novels!

--- Laurie

 

[dragonfly411]

I wouldn't be creeped out. Enjoy the coupons! Oh... and... HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Andelain]

I find it no more creepy than when I'm browsing something particular at a web site (say a pair of shoes for example) and the next day, it shows up as a promo on my FB wall.
I get notes, promotions, coupons, etc. around the time of my birthday, so I don't think it's that odd.

I keep my fFB locked down so tight it squeaks, if I had something like that happen I'd be ****ed. As for birthdays and other info, I don't give the real info out online, except on my bank and credit card sites where I have to.

The FB thing is not about my FB settings/security. My FB account is very secure (at least as much as it can be for what it is). In fact, I don't even post pictures of myself for my profile picture or my cover photo. When advertising shows up on my FB wall, the more likely culprit is Google (or other search engines) keeping tabs on what sites I visit, which has nothing to do with FB security settings.

I went into my google settings and disabled personalized ads and all that stuff. I rarely get anything that looks targeted or tracked.

 

[WinkHPD]

I find it no more creepy than when I'm browsing something particular at a web site (say a pair of shoes for example) and the next day, it shows up as a promo on my FB wall.
I get notes, promotions, coupons, etc. around the time of my birthday, so I don't think it's that odd.

I keep my fFB locked down so tight it squeaks, if I had something like that happen I'd be ****ed. As for birthdays and other info, I don't give the real info out online, except on my bank and credit card sites where I have to.

The FB thing is not about my FB settings/security. My FB account is very secure (at least as much as it can be for what it is). In fact, I don't even post pictures of myself for my profile picture or my cover photo. When advertising shows up on my FB wall, the more likely culprit is Google (or other search engines) keeping tabs on what sites I visit, which has nothing to do with FB security settings.

I went into my google settings and disabled personalized ads and all that stuff. I rarely get anything that looks targeted or tracked.

I learned one thing vividly in my marketing classes back in the dark ages when I commented in a class that I did not understand why the Sunday paper had sections and sections of ads that nobody read and were just increasing the amount of paper in the land fill.

My instructors response.

"Does it cost money to place those ads?"

"Do you see the same ads week after week?"

"Do you think advertisers are stupid enough to spend that money on ads that are not working?"

And what made me remember it:

"Was your comment smart or just ignorant?"

We may not like those wishes coming to us from places we do not think should know that it is our birthday, but if they were not making more money doing that than the spend to do it, we would not be getting those wishes.

Oh, and yes, personally it both creeps me out from some sites and makes me all warm and fuzzy when I get tons of wishes on Facebook. Which makes me think I should be making more of those wishes to my friends on their birthdays...

Wink

 

[JewelFreak]

Good points, Wink. Your teacher's right, except on the web the economies are very different. They don't spend much money on mass internet mailings, which is why we all get so many. Fractions of newspaper advertising for multiples more consumers. Regular spam is one thing -- my email program handles that well, but when they are personal and specific to me alone, ick!

 

[AGBF]

A belated Happy Birthday, Laurie. I think it's really special that your birthday is on Valentine's Day! Did you get heart shaped cakes and cookies on your birthday when you were growing up?

Hugs,
Deb

 

[isaku5]

Belated Happy Birthday, Laurie !!

When I first started using the internet, my reaction was surprise, but then I realized that websites sell info to each other and didn't feel special at all

Now, very few online friends notice the date and that works for me too as I have trouble remembering actual friends' birthdays.

I've learned over all these years not to care what other people say or do. It's taken a very long time to come to that realization.

 

[JewelFreak]

Thank you, Deb & Isaku!

Did you get heart shaped cakes and cookies on your birthday when you were growing up?

Yep, you guessed it! My mother, in fact, had heart-shaped cake pans she used to make my b'day cakes. My father usually brought me chocolates in a heart-shaped box, which as a kid I thought was enormously grown-up.

--- Laurie