The New York Time's Stephanie Clifford's Wednesday
report that "about
two-thirds of Americans object to online tracking by advertisers" got a lot of online advertising panties in a twist. For some, who think behavior targeting is a malignancy, there were lots of I
told you so's. Others argued that the study on which that conclusion was based was biased to begin with and asked the wrong questions. There were clarion calls for greater (here comes that word again)
transparency so that users can better understand and opt in or out of tracking cookies. Still others pointed out (again) that offline companies like Experian have more personally indefinable data
about you than any online ad company.
A couple of questions that the survey should have asked, but didn't, include: "Ok spunky, for over a decade you've been getting the vast majority of your
internet content free. That is coming to an end real quick like. When all of your favorite sites start offering you a choice between paid content or highly discounted or free content that includes
ads, whatcha gonna do?"
"Smart choice. Now you wanna see more of those smack the monkey or rotating-flashing-Xmas-lights ads from the moral equivalent of discount mortgage brokers, or ads
from brands you trust and like?" Thought so, now about those tracking cookies...
If you look at the stats from the study it is clear that younger folks - let's call them "tech-savvy" shall
we, are not nearly as concerned about tracking cookies as are older folks (let's call them "the Cold War generation") for whom I am sure "tracking" smacks of the KGB and Big Brother. Hell, young
adults, teens and increasingly kids post more personally identifiable information on their Facebook pages than any cookie can deduce. Meanwhile, Cold Warriors are pretty convinced that every time they
use an ATM, there is a guy down the block with binoculars recording their secret passwords.
I strongly suspect that 99 percent of the internet users out there - of any age - can't explain
the difference between tracking cookies, malware, viruses, worms, botnets, or phishing. All they know is that there are guys in Eastern Europe and Africa working 24/7 to steal from them using the
internet as a way get at their indentifies (and eventually their money). Hollywood uses the internet like they used to use Nazis (and before them, Indians) as the root of all evil. No wonder most
people don't want to be tracked online.
I just paid $370 bucks to renew my dead tree subscription to the Wall Street Journal (you are welcome, Rupert). I didn't hesitate because they know
my name, home address, phone number, e mail and whatever else they can deduce about me when I am reading stories on All Things Digital or WSJ.com or Barrons.com. If the end result of all that
knowledge is that they put ads online or in the paper for stuff I can afford instead of NetJets and watches that cost more than my Dad paid for this first three houses (combined), then I win. I'll
start to worry when they send me an e mail telling me my e mail has won $2.5 million in a lottery.