| Author |
Message |
Brian Payne, AIA
Senior Member
Username: brian_payne
Post Number: 21
Registered: 01-2014
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 03:37 pm: |    |
So I had a moment of realization today after listening to a great interview of an investigative reporter about all the data that is available (for sale) on each of us based on all kinds of things, including Google searches. One of the things she discusses is the level of which this data can be used to piece together "who" you are.
So here was my realization....being a specification writer must make the task of figuring out who I am a bit more interesting. For example: While my wife may have a pair of shoes "follow" her around from website advertisement to website advertisement, There is a 100% chance that she will be buying another pair reletively soon. I on the other hand have had a Bobrick automatic paper towel dispenser follow me for the last three weeks, ever since I looked up the product data sheet to make sure it would coordinate with the restroom design for the project I'm working on. I also have "randomly" received product literature from two companies DAYS after visiting their websites(for the first time) without knowingly entering any personal information.
I don't personally feel threatened by this level of data mining. And in fact I totally understand from a companies point of view that this is exactly how they (and I if it was me) would want to spend their marketing resources. I mean, who better for Bradley to reach out to, but a guy responsible for spec'ing their product.
Thoughts? |
Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC
Senior Member
Username: redseca2
Post Number: 438
Registered: 12-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 03:46 pm: | |
I know I had a brief conversation by phone last week with a product rep located in the city where our project will be located.
Today I got an email from them with PDF drawing attachments that included the complete project address as well as the name of the GC and the GC's contact info - None of which we discussed in the brief phone conversation.
I wonder if they have already answered the RFI the contractor will send me in 2015 and negotiated the Change Order amount. |
Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski
Post Number: 1762
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 03:50 pm: | |
And just imagine the profile being compiled on someone who one day searches for a paper towel dispenser and the next for (just now in my case) warm edge spacers and the next for a bicycle rack or an elevator or bamboo veneer or ???
At least if it's shoes, there's a good chance the followee is female (guys don't purchase multiple pairs of shoes the way women do). But someone searching for the multiplicity of items that we all do, could provide some confusion.
What fun! |
Colin Gilboy
Senior Member
Username: colin
Post Number: 367
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 03:53 pm: | |
This is one reason I have Firefox (my primary business browser) set to dump cookies every time I close it. There is a whole series of privacy addins for Firefox - try Better Privacy, Do Not Track Me, Google Disconnect as a start.
Plus I use Chrome for my personal email and browsing and IT for research, especially the privacy mode.
Colin Gilboy
Publisher, 4specs.com
435.200.5775 - Utah
800.369.8008 |
Sheldon Wolfe
Senior Member
Username: sheldon_wolfe
Post Number: 722
Registered: 01-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 07:48 pm: | |
On the positive side, isn't it better to have websites show you stuff you are interested in? Several times, after searching for a specific product, I have seen the same product appear in ads on websites. Some day they'll get smart, and after looking for that Bobrick towel dispenser, I'll see similar products from Bradley. |
Robin E. Snyder
Senior Member
Username: robin
Post Number: 510
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 08:21 pm: | |
hmmm....my websites are still filled with advertisements from Nordstroms, Coach and Zappos.... |
Sheldon Wolfe
Senior Member
Username: sheldon_wolfe
Post Number: 725
Registered: 01-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 09:38 pm: | |
I see none of those. I wonder why? |
Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS
Senior Member
Username: louis_medcalf
Post Number: 23
Registered: 11-2010
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - 03:46 pm: | |
It is my understanding Assa Abloy has a Revit plug-in for door hardware that collects project information from the BIM file without notifying the project team. We have clients who are strict about confidentiality that this type of data mining could compromise. |
John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1561
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 04:43 pm: | |
Well, last year I bought a new car, having done all the typical internet research one would do. Nothing particularly special about that, other than that with us this only happens every dozen years or so. But I still get ads online, and in the mail, for new cars. I even get them from Chevy, whose car I bought. (Sonic, a great little car.) I'd say I'm more likely to buy a paper towel dispenser than another car. This method of targeting buyers still needs maturation. |
spiper (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 05:43 pm: | |
I decided to create a new station on Pandora for Jimmy Cliff. (I like a little reggae every now and then). According to the targeting agents once I did this there were numerous very attractive, 25-34 year old, African American women who wanted to meet me.
Imagine that; a happily married, old gray haired, Caucasian man attracting so many pretty young girls. (My wife was not overly worried about the new competition for my affection.) |
John McGrann
Senior Member
Username: jmcgrann
Post Number: 113
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Friday, February 28, 2014 - 08:04 am: | |
Where it gets spooky is when they pin down your online identity across various platforms. I see many of the same targeted adverts on both company-owned devices and my personal use devices.
John T. McGrann, Jr., AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP
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