How does my browser know I am Indian?

by | Thursday, August 07, 2008

Over the past few weeks I have noticed that some webpages I visit have banner ads that are targeted to me quite specifically – in particular to my Indian origin.

For instance this page (a story about ipods being used by the army) contains a set of banner ads that seek to find me a “perfect Indian partner in Michigan.” See the images below one from this page and another from a different website – whose URL I forgot to record.

I know they can figure out Michigan (or East Lansing) from my IP address – and I had seen these sort of geography-based targeted ads before. What surprised me about this latest set of advertisements is their focus on India. How did they figure that out? Is it because I follow some Desi Blogs (see blogroll on left?) or because I visit Indian news sites once in a while?

I wonder what advertisements other people are seeing when they visit these pages?

Combine this with how my browser history reveals my gender (something I had posted about earlier)… it just reinforces my thoughts on the end of practical obscurity.

And finally, just in case you think these guys know everything about me – that’s not really true. I am most emphatically NOT looking for any kind of matrimonial service… 🙂

A few randomly selected blog posts…

sci-Phone

In a previous posting I raised the question about when does a piece of technology become an educational technology? One of the coolest pieces of technology today is the iPhone. Can it function as an educational technology? I have been considering getting one for a...

Learning science with the body

Learning science with the body

We often think and understand the world using our bodies. Our senses and movement shape how we form and process knowledge. Paul Reimer, Rohit Mehta and I explore this idea and its educational implications in a new article published in iWonder: Rediscovering School...

Off to Netherlands

I will be out of the country for most of next week. I will have access to email (except when I am in-flight/traveling) though I may not be able to reply as to emails as promptly as I would like. For those who care I will be in Twente University, in the Netherlands,...

Quest 2 Learn conference in Bangalore & more

Quest 2 Learn conference in Bangalore & more

I just got back from a lovely few days in Bangalore. I was there to participate in the Quest 2 Learn Annual Summit organized by the Quest Alliance. Convened at the  National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), on the campus of the Indian Institute of...

Fact / Fiction, ambigram

Yesterday after I had posted my two latest ambigrams (see them here) I got a message on Facebook from my cousin Sonny (the one who composed the cool music for my Explore, Create videos) saying Big deal. I can make "fact" and "fiction" blur together till they are...

Representing networks

Facebook has a couple of apps that allow you to map your friends' network. I knew about them but hadn't really played with them till Matt Koehler asked for some ideas to use in his 956 (Mind, Media & Learning class) and I suggested trying some of these tools out. To...

Looking for design in Barcelona

Readers of this blog know that I am always looking for examples of good / bad design (actually I am usually not looking for bad design - it just sort of comes and slaps me on the side of the head!). I thought I might share one with you today, that I found in my hotel...

The darker side of curiosity

The darker side of curiosity

Curiosity, the willingness to learn more, is often seen as a positive trait one that drives learning, and one can argue, it drives creativity and innovation. It has been argued as being important for leadership, among other things. I have prized curiosity in my own...

Neuroscience, downtime and creativity: New article

Neuroscience, downtime and creativity: New article

In this article, in our ongoing series on Rethinking technology & creativity in the 21st century, we interview Dr. Jung. Dr. Jung is a neuro-psychologist, brain imaging researcher, and a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of New...

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