Hello, hello... look at me!

March 2011

I just had a Web 2.0 experience - and it was b!**&y unnerving when I stopped to think about it.  I'd just  opened up a forum site I 'contribute to' now and again, not even logged in, when up popped an advert for ebay.  OK, nothing too bad about that, except that it was animatedly waving things at me that were similar to the last item I bought. 

Presumably it got that information via a cookie.  I don't have a problem with ebay remembering what I've bought in the past, it's even useful at times, but I do have a problem with it waving that knowledge around when I'm not even on ebay.  That's online stalking.  Maybe worse.  It's like the owner of the camera shop shouting to me across the street to ask how my shiny new macro lens is working.  Hey, shut up sunshine! My wife is with me and I haven't told her about that yet!!  (Good job it was only the camera shop!!)

Why is the web getting not only in my face, but right up my nose these days?  It's a brilliant resource, and I've relied on it for years, but when I walk past a bus stop I don't want the advert for Marks and Sparks showing me, and the rest of the street, what sort of socks (?) I bought there last time - and telling me how many of my mates bought the same thing! 

And if that seems far-fetched just think about the RF-ID and 'contactless' technology we're starting to carry about, and how many shopping centres show digital adverts on large screen TVs.  Hmmm!