On not sharing your email

webecedarian · 31 Jan 2023, 08:32 AM

This was just in the New York Times, and even though it's probably old hat to this forum, I thought I'd share it.

Everyone wants your email ID. Think twice before sharing it
For many years, the digital ad industry has compiled a profile on you based on the sites you visit on the web.
By Brian X. Chen

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/t...-tracking.html

https://www.dtnext.in/edit/2023/01/2...ore-sharing-it

janusz · 31 Jan 2023, 05:44 PM

The NY Times article is behind a playwall

mister · 1 Feb 2023, 11:33 AM

https://www.textise.net/showText.asp...l#site-content

TenFour · 1 Feb 2023, 10:33 PM

I'm somewhat careful in where I share my "real" email addresses, and I do use DuckDuckGo's service for creating some anonymous email addresses, but OTOH I have a few email addresses that I have used widely for a long time and I receive very few spam or phishing messages that make it through to my actual Inbox. Yes, I suppose all sorts of places have generated profiles on me based on my email addresses, but they don't seem to work very well based on the advertising I do see--most ads are irrelevant when I do see them. I also tend to use ad blockers anyway, so don't see much in the way of ads. But, frankly I am amazed how bad ad targeting is in general--almost never see relevant ads.

webecedarian · 2 Feb 2023, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janusz

The NY Times article is behind a playwall

That is why I provided an alternative link.

31 Jan 2023, 08:32 AM	#1
webecedarian Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 483	On not sharing your email This was just in the New York Times, and even though it's probably old hat to this forum, I thought I'd share it. Everyone wants your email ID. Think twice before sharing it For many years, the digital ad industry has compiled a profile on you based on the sites you visit on the web. By Brian X. Chen https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/t...-tracking.html https://www.dtnext.in/edit/2023/01/2...ore-sharing-it

31 Jan 2023, 05:44 PM	#2
janusz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: EU Posts: 4,944	The NY Times article is behind a playwall

1 Feb 2023, 11:33 AM	#3
mister Essential Contributor Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 387	https://www.textise.net/showText.asp...l#site-content

1 Feb 2023, 10:33 PM	#4
TenFour Master of the @ Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: USA Posts: 1,734	I'm somewhat careful in where I share my "real" email addresses, and I do use DuckDuckGo's service for creating some anonymous email addresses, but OTOH I have a few email addresses that I have used widely for a long time and I receive very few spam or phishing messages that make it through to my actual Inbox. Yes, I suppose all sorts of places have generated profiles on me based on my email addresses, but they don't seem to work very well based on the advertising I do see--most ads are irrelevant when I do see them. I also tend to use ad blockers anyway, so don't see much in the way of ads. But, frankly I am amazed how bad ad targeting is in general--almost never see relevant ads.