Microsoft is back to warning users away from Google.
Back in November, Microsoft launched an aggressive marketing campaign attacking Google's credibility with regard to providing product search results. Titled, "Don't Get Scroogled," the ad explained that product search results are presented by Google not just by relevance, but are also impacted such as payments by merchants. Now the company is bringing back the 'Scoogled' campaign. This time, however, the company is targeting Gmail.
MarketingLand reports that Microsoft's latest Scroogled stunt involves a survey that was given to over 1,000 adults between February 1 and February 4. The survey in question asked respondents how they felt about their email provider scanning the contents of their email in order to provide them with targeted ads. For those not aware, Google does this.
"Google goes through every Gmail that’s sent or received, looking for keywords so they can target Gmail users with paid ads," Microsoft writes on Scroogled.com. "And there’s no way to opt out of this invasion of your privacy," the company says, adding, "Outlook.com is different—we don’t go through your email to sell ads."
Microsoft goes on to say that a user's email is nobody's else business but that Google doesn't feel that way.
"Even if you’re not a Gmail user, Google still goes through your personal email sent to Gmail and uses the content to sell ads," Redmond says, again, encouraging users to try Outlook.
This campaign is online at scroogled.com but Microsoft is also planning print ads in newspapers.
If a large number of web traffic from your account is related to porn, then it's quite likely that an algorithm will pick it up and respond accordingly.
In fact, Target's consumer algorithm predicted a teenager girl's pregnancy, before her father did: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/
Privacy is an illusion unless you're willing to go to tinfoil hat paranoid lengths to secure it for yourself.
They're just jealous!
Honestly, a computer doesn't understand what your emails say. It can't not draw conclusions about your personal life. If just shows an ad when prompted.
This is like bad politics.
If a large number of web traffic from your account is related to porn, then it's quite likely that an algorithm will pick it up and respond accordingly.
In fact, Target's consumer algorithm predicted a teenager girl's pregnancy, before her father did: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/
it's like those old IBM ads said, something to the effect of "there's so much information floating around untapped, if we could analyze it we can learn much"
they're just learning what to sell us, is all.
Don't you mean Microsfot is planning print ad's in newspapers?
It can and does. Keywords can be linked and related words can be generated. Same way youtube's recommended videos work. And if Google really wanted to, they can probably pin point exactly who you are, where you are likely to work, where you are likely to live, your facebook, age, ect, ect. Software algorithms can do all that if you send out and receive enough emails.
Privacy is an illusion unless you're willing to go to tinfoil hat paranoid lengths to secure it for yourself.
Based on what? Have you used it? What don't you like about it?
What are you talking about?
Lol of course it can find out who you are and where you live, that information is plastered all over e-bills and e-statements. While information like that could be dangerous in the wrong hands, what this Microsoft is "warning" you about is Google using certain information to advertise to you. Apples and oranges.
No, Google is going to ironically advertise for Hotmail... or Live Mail... or Outlook... or... what the hell are they calling it now?
That's funny because my opinion is polar opposite to yours.
Just taking a look at Gmail interface makes me sick in comparison to Outlook's (and no, I'm not interested in customizing Gmail's interface to my liking, before you suggest it).
I'm fully aware of it mostly. As long as I am not forced to see it(gmail users have the right to turn off email ads through their settings) and someone someone buys information about what i like and such, the more collective information, new products can be generated. Whats to say that going onto this site with like chrome or something, you are basically giving google information that you are into computers and technology. it isn't anything new, data mining is probably the current most lucrative market.
Yet last year when it was discovered that Apple was tracking your location (not you personally, but the device) people on Tom's were livid that Apple would stoop so low and invade your privacy.
Hypocrites much?