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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Off Topic => Topic started by: jbarber873 on February 21, 2011, 20:16

Title: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: jbarber873 on February 21, 2011, 20:16

   A question for the computer geeks out there- you know who you are.  :)  I've been noticing that wherever I happen end up on the web- say a news article, or something totally unrelated to microstock, I will very often- at least every other time- get an ad from Fotolia or Dreamstime or Thinkstock, among others. At first I just put it down to the intense competition from these sites, but It's starting to occur to me that maybe my browser is telling the website that i spend a lot of time at microstock sites, and they are serving up those ads. I suppose this is a naive question to many, but I didn't know they could do that so effectively ( if they are doing it, and it's not just coincidence.) Am I paranoid, or is my browser out to sell me something?

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: ppdd on February 21, 2011, 20:22

Yes, advertisers track you. Since you visit those sites, and the ad network knows this, you get the ads. I think it's kind of dumb since you obviously already visit them, but you have been profiled yes. If you install another browser, you'll not see those ads, I'd guess.

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: jbarber873 on February 21, 2011, 20:27

  Creepy!

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: Blufish on February 21, 2011, 20:55

Have you cleaned out your cookies recently? That can help

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: visceralimage on February 22, 2011, 07:04

Quote from: Blufish on February 21, 2011, 20:55

Have you cleaned out your cookies recently?

Eat them ;D ;D

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: Blufish on February 22, 2011, 08:13

Lol!

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: jbarber873 on February 22, 2011, 08:57

Yum- cookies! I guess i can do that, but then all the websites that preload my preferences will be zeroed out. I think I'd rather see the fotolia ads. Maybe I'll click on some of them. They don't bother me, I was just curious if this was a marketing tool or random chance. I get the feeling there's no such thing as random in cyberspace!

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: Xalanx on February 22, 2011, 11:18

Quote from: jbarber873 on February 21, 2011, 20:27

  Creepy!

Also, they know where you live.

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: Xalanx on February 22, 2011, 11:19

Just kidding...

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: Xalanx on February 22, 2011, 11:20

Maybe...

Title: Re: Where are all those Fotolia ads coming from?
Post by: fotografer on February 22, 2011, 17:09

^^^^LOL  I've noticed Dreamstimes ads all over the cheezburger site and wondered if it was because I regularly visit DT but as pointed it seems a bit pointless to advertise it to me if I already use the site.