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SNCB/NMBS Web Advertisements?

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ChristopherJ

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Joined
8 Aug 2005
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423
Location
London, UK
Almost hourly I am getting advertisements promoting the SNCB-NMBS on websites including on Yahoo, Youtube, Google and even this forum in the top header banner. Previously it has been an ad promoting the international travel agent B-Europe and recently it has now changed to a very funky and colourful "This is Belgium" advertisement. I like it.

Admittedly, I do read many websites regarding the Belgian railways - in both French and Dutch. I'm curious to know if this is just a general advertising campaign by SNCB/NMBS or during my searches I have downloaded a web cookie that promotes advertisements based on my past searches?

Is it just me, or everyone?
 
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Schnellzug

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22 Aug 2011
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2,926
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Evercreech Junction
I think they're targeted according to whatever cryptic process they use to decide what they think you'd be interested in. I often get ones (not here, but elsewhere) inviting me to join dating sites offering tens of thousand of sexy Russian women.
 

Badger

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2011
Messages
617
Location
Wolverhampton
Most ads on the net are by Google or Yahoo, so if you use Google or Yahoo on a daily basis and search for such things you'll end up with ads targetted at you.

Because those ads are used on many different sites of course, if you visit a website with "railways" in it's keyword tags, and then go elsewhere which also has Google ads, Google will remember that you've been to a railway site and will be more likely to give you railway related ads.

This is why the whole new cookie laws are coming in, but those making the laws don't understand cookies aren't the cause; they can easily just store your IP address when you view the advert and then serve that IP address tailored adverts, with no cookies or javascript needed.

Some more dodgy ad companies target ads based on the location of your IP address (so if you see a site with an ad saying "hot chicks in Wolverhampton!" avoid it, it's generated it by guessing your location from your IP address).
 
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