Google opt out

[Niall]

I have just stumbled across something that concerned me regarding this.

I have google opt out installed, plus I seem to remember doing something on their website to opt out too (may have made this last bit up!)

Anyway, I was just looking at the World of Warcraft forums for the guild I knock about in (if I get time!) and saw the ads. Out of complete boredom I refreshed the page to see what ads were offered, which I've never done since having the internet in 1999 as they normally annoy me so I block them!

The page was just your generic buy in game money for cheap prices, etc but then an ad popped up for a dating page. This made me wonder about those stupid pop ups that look like messenger. You know the one's "hi I'm from <your area>, what are you up to?". I'm curious where they got the info of my exact town from to target me in that way? Anyway, the dating site (plentyoffish it's called) on clicking, listed people in my area (well, north Wales)!

So, how are these sites getting my info if I've specifically chosen to opt out, and am running the opt out plugin on my browser? I'm pretty sure I have opted out in other settings too, maybe something relating to my youtube channel, I forget now.

Feel free to go to that site and see what I mean!

[Simon]

I know what you mean, Niall, as they pop up on torrent sites too.  I assumed they can target your location from your IP address, but could be wrong.

[Rik]

They do, but they often are wildly out.

[Dangerjunkie]

Hi,

Mine isn't wildly out. It used to be but it's recently got spot on. Clearly IDNet are populating a geolocation database from my billing information. It would be really nice if I had an option to stop that happening or make it give IDNet's home town as the location.

Cheers,
Paul.

[Rik]

I can give you a categorical assurance that IDNet don't do that Paul. However, because every website knows our IP address and it's sstatic, is possibly, through data mining and other techniques, for it to be located to some extent. That said, one of mine is apparently in Bristol while the other is in Letchworth.

[Dangerjunkie]

Mine was in Letchworth too, then it moved to Chobham (much closer) and now it's spot on.

Sorry to IDNet for defaming them. I would love to know who has updated that database...

[Rik]

Wouldn't we all.

[Gary]

If you are using firefox 3.5 have you said yes to using the location feature, where FF sends out information based on your location, and other wireless access points if you use wifi? I use location aware apps on my phone but I turned the feature off in FF.

[Rik]

Where is that, Gary?

[Supanova]

I've been involved with a gaming website www.dota-league.com. We have 200,000 regular users but because of our temporary ban-system for breaking ingame rules we only allow each user to possess one account, this way they are forced to serve their punishment ban instead of logging onto their other account.

We store every single users IP address every time they login and use it to track their DNS and their location in the world in order to see if they are 'multiaccounting' or not. So yeah, its not IDnet. We have 2 22yo students coding our website for us and they set this system up over 4 years ago. It can't be too difficult to do and its legal under German law (and I assume ours as well).

[Rik]

Thanks for that. 

[Gary]

Where is that, Gary?

type about:config in the address bar, acknowledge the warning "there be dragons in here" to allow you access and change the geo.enabled value to false by double-clicking on the key then shut firefox down and restart it 

[Rik]

Thanks.

[Rik]

Done.

[Gary]

Done.

[Ray]

Thanks, Gary, also done.

[Niall]

I've been involved with a gaming website www.dota-league.com. We have 200,000 regular users but because of our temporary ban-system for breaking ingame rules we only allow each user to possess one account, this way they are forced to serve their punishment ban instead of logging onto their other account.

We store every single users IP address every time they login and use it to track their DNS and their location in the world in order to see if they are 'multiaccounting' or not. So yeah, its not IDnet. We have 2 22yo students coding our website for us and they set this system up over 4 years ago. It can't be too difficult to do and its legal under German law (and I assume ours as well).

I used to do that when I was an admin at Jolt, then a lad started coding for Uni and we upgraded it. It basically did what you just mentioned along with blocking their steam id. That was for a gaming side of things though and we didn't implement it on forums, although it would have been easy enough. Most people just moaned at me on irc though

Oh and that free dating site has some scary people on it! I signed up after I posted this thread and found a girl (obviously now a woman!) that I had a massive crush on in my class She's still rather awesome

[Rik]

Stop trembling, Niall, you're safe here.

[Niall]

 

[zappaDPJ]

I used to do that when I was an admin at Jolt, then a lad started coding for Uni and we upgraded it. It basically did what you just mentioned along with blocking their steam id. That was for a gaming side of things though and we didn't implement it on forums, although it would have been easy enough. Most people just moaned at me on irc though

I was a Jolt admin for a few years (UT/TacOps servers). We were legendary and universally loathed by at least half the gaming community for wielding a heavy ban stick

[Gary]

Thanks.

thanks Rik

[Niall]

I was a Jolt admin for a few years (UT/TacOps servers). We were legendary and universally loathed by at least half the gaming community for wielding a heavy ban stick

We were too on CS