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Where does Google get this information?

A.Nonymous

A.Nonymous

Extreme Android User
So I went to the Play store today on the web which I almost never do to look at the Nexus 7. There I found my recommendations listed.

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Apparently Google things I have a rather diverse field of interests. I like movies with lots of explosions and books about other kinds of explosions. And I'm apparently a business professional on top of that. How does Google generate this stuff?
 
Can't say I've ever surfed for pron on Google. Certainly not while signed in. That would be foolish. I've also never searched for movies with explosions either. Not really my thing.
 
When faced with a user it doesn't have a lot of data on, the Google recommendations will be broad, random and heavily seeded with sponsored products. Basically what it's telling you is that it doesn't know you too well.
 
Google is right about Linkedin and the Entrepreneur mag. Couldn't be further off on the other recommendations. I can't imagine going up to someone you don't know and saying, "Hey, would you like a sex toy?"
 
Google knows your inner most thoughts and desires...don't try to fight it. Just go with it. lol jk. :p
 
Sex and Movies with explosions probably sell the best. Considering cable television, I would say this is true.
 
jerofld said:
Sex and Movies with explosions probably sell the best. Considering cable television, I would say this is true.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is that a Cable television program where real people compete in a less than wholesome manner before a panel of judges and the losers are blown up, would be a top rated show?
 
lunatic59 said:
So what you're saying is that a Cable television program where real people compete in a less than wholesome manner before a panel of judges and the losers are blown up, would be a top rated show?
Click to expand...
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The million dollar answer. Yeah! ツ
 
I just ignore it. To Google, I'm amorphous. I did look at the magazines, but Google doesn't carry the one I want. Amazon does, but I don't want the Kindle app. I had enough of proprietary nonsense with a Nook.
 
Google might also be basing some of these off demographic info. They probably have an idea of your race/gender/age based on your searches and what not. So maybe they assume someone in your demographic enjoys sex toys??
 
akamad said:
Google might also be basing some of these off demographic info. They probably have an idea of your race/gender/age based on your searches and what not. So maybe they assume someone in your demographic enjoys sex toys??
Click to expand...

They don't. I never filled any of that out when I signed up. I use Startpage and Duck Duck Go - even on the phone and tablet. If I need a browser like Chrome - I use Iron. It's not paranoia - just a fight about generalities and assumptions.

If Google knew anything - they'd be listing Astronomy stuff! I got some old books from Google - all astronomy.

Most of the paid apps are astronomy or nature. No social apps. No games.

I don't fit my demographic. Totally don't fit. I worked with demographics. Main complaint from rest of office "why can't you be like everyone else?"
 
I think its embedded in your browser or the website you visit. They basically record your information and then do a list of stuff that is relevant to the stuff you look at or click on
 
I think it's just a generic page touting bestsellers. I use Pale Moon, Better Privacy, NoScript, Adblock Abine.
Dump all history and cookies, Better Privacy removes Flash cookies. Like I said - Pure Spite, not paranoia. I got so pissed at telephone solicitors that I'm trying to be a PITA to the whole marketing industry.

I can log into Play first thing when the browser has been cleaned out on the computer, and still get a list of recommendations. Most of which are still screwy and stuff I wouldn't buy in 1,000 years. So I ignore it.

If Google is getting the list from the phone - it's still wrong. I'd be adding only baseball books to the mix. I only use the phone for looking up something if I'm too lazy to turn on the laptop. Last stuff I looked up was about the Waldo Canyon fire.
 
Well Google Play recommended me...

Wordpress app. I've never used Wordpress in my life
Beijing Subway map. That can be useful when one is in Beijing.
Firefox.
ZX Droid, Sinclair Spectrum emulator.
Speccy, Sinclair Spectrum emulator.
Linux/Unix command reference.
Finger Basketball.
Koi fish wallpaper.
Vector pinball.
Another Beijing Subway map.
Android cricket scorer.
Street cricket.
English dictionary.
Al Jazeera.
Yet another Beijing Subway map app. That's makes three of them.
3D horse racing game.

So from that list, Google knows that I visit Beijing from time to time and travel by subway. I like cricket. I play old Sinclair Speccy games on my phone. I sometimes use the Linux command line. I read international news. However I'm not interested in Wordpress, fish wallpapers, horse racing and basketball games.
 
It's no different to going on amazon or lastfm or wherever. If you choose something that other people have chosen, then there will be suggestions of other things you might like, based on things that other people have chosen, which are similar.

It's not about you personally. It's just suggestions based on similarities. I think this is all done by some software algorithm that cares not one bit what you're into.
 
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