What does Google think of you?

[Storm]

I found this pretty amazing, considering all the news lately that Google has been secretly tracking me (and you, probably), even though I didn't give them permission to in my browser.

http://www.google.com/ads/preferences

You will see such amazing information about yourself - about you, as the advertisers see you... It might make you understand why you see wierd banner ads that you didn't expect.  For me, I saw this information:

Your categories
Below you can review a summary of the interests and inferred demographics that Google has associated with your cookie. You can remove or edit your categories at any time.
Arts & Entertainment - Music & Audio - Music Equipment & Technology
Finance - Investing - Commodities & Futures Trading
News - Business News - Financial Markets

So far, so good, those are all interests of mine...  Now it goes off the rails:

Your demographics
We infer your age and gender based on the websites you've visited. You can remove or edit these at any time.
Age: 65+
Gender: Male

OMG!  Google thinks I'm 65+  WTF!!!!  I'm actually almost 30 years younger than that, but that's kinda cool...

What does Google have wrong about you?  Visit http://www.google.com/ads/preferences to find out...

[clacy]

LOL, that's funny that they have at 65+.  My wife jokes that based on my hobbies (investing mostly and politics) that most people would assume I'm 65.  Although Google had me pegged correctly.

[melveyr]

65+ here too... I am 20 

Most of my ads are for APMEX and ETFs though, not adult diapers thankfully.

[Lone Wolf]

Yep, 65+ here as well!  (I'm 33.)  One too many google searches for "savings bonds" I guess!

[gizmo_rat]

Ads on the web
You've opted out, but you can opt in at any time.

Hmmm, is it good that I don't remember opting out ?  

Still, might explain all the 'Hungarian hunnies' ads I get instead of PERM etf's etc. , or not

EDIT
I've got the "Keep MORE Opt Outs" chrome extension installed, which opts you out of 150 tracking networks. Handy if the tracking thing annoys or disturbs you. 

[l82start]

mine now says opted out as well...

saw this the other day for those of you still using IE http://www.slashgear.com/google-bypasse ... ashGear%29  Google bypassing IE privacy settings

[Storm]

This is the place to opt out.  I do recommend everyone opt out.  Why give Google all that information about yourself for free?

[clacy]

This is the place to opt out.  I do recommend everyone opt out.  Why give Google all that information about yourself for free?

Well, they do provide a pretty good "free" service in return.

[l82start]

Ads on the web
You've opted out, but you can opt in at any time.

I've got the "Keep MORE Opt Outs" chrome extension installed, which opts you out of 150 tracking networks. Handy if the tracking thing annoys or disturbs you. 

i just added "better privacy 1.68" and "privacy choice trackerblock 2.2" as add-ons for Firefox, which i discovered by searching the "keep more opt outs" add-on you mentioned, i will run them for a while as a test and see how they work (so far no problems glitches incompatibility or slowing of my surf speed) i also have "add-block" and "no script" running with a privacy list, it looks to me like each covers its own territory with some overlaps .... it would be nice to get all these features in one add-on

[Jan Van]

Got the same categories, but I guess The Google thinks I'm ageless:

Your demographics
No demographic categories are associated with your ads preferences so far.

I'm not opting out. I don't really mind them doing this. And as clacy said, they do provide a nice service...

[smurff]

I opted out of Google a couple of years ago on my Firefox browser.  Here's what they said about me:

You currently do not have an ‘id’ cookie.

Then they invited me to opt back in.

[gizmo_rat]

i just added "better privacy 1.68" and "privacy choice trackerblock 2.2" as add-ons for Firefox, which i discovered by searching the "keep more opt outs" add-on you mentioned, i will run them for a while as a test and see how they work (so far no problems glitches incompatibility or slowing of my surf speed) i also have "add-block" and "no script" running with a privacy list, it looks to me like each covers its own territory with some overlaps .... it would be nice to get all these features in one add-on

I've been playing with an extension called Ghostery http://www.ghostery.com that detects, displays and optionally blocks tracking scripts. The number of disperate bloated tracking scripts on some sites is quite surprising, particularly after the site developers have typically worked themselves stupid trying to optimise all the code.

[l82start]

i looked at ghostery at one point.... it looked like a good option but i didn't run it because it seemed to cover the same territory as the no script and ad-block i was running, i probably have more redundant and overlapping add-ons than i need already...  :D

i am always amazed at the size and scope of the stuff you find running in the background on websites when you have a program that lets you take a look at it...