Why all the trackers on this forum?

[Twobottom]

Originally Posted by Possum Belly

Do you really think that the mods or owners would even know if the NSA were collecting data?

No, thats kinda the point.

[katlupe]

It doesn't really bother me. I have a pretty public profile all over the internet so if there is a list somewhere, I am probably already on it. If HT can make a few bucks off me clicking a link here, that is fine with me.

[wr]

Originally Posted by Twobottom

So as a forum moderator, you are telling us that these trackers are only advertisers, not government/NSA ? Can you assure us that our information is not being collected by an NSA spy agency and used to help them create a profile on the users here? Are the owners willing to make a statement to that effect?

Do you feel the owners are working with these spies to collect your personal information or are you inclined to believe that HT is actually a group of spies disguised as a friendly homesteading site?

I'm more inclined to believe that if those spies really want to know what I'm up to, they will likely discover I estimate on my weight, my eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, I have an odd sense of humour, prefer leather tack to synthetic, I only knit socks and live 30 miles past nowhere.

[sdnapier]

Originally Posted by Vosey

Yes, since the new ownership and ads on HT (it used to be more ads for small survival companies and Backwoods Home Magazine), it appears the ads are targeted to key words used in posts. I'm not overly concerned, but it does bug me. I keep meaning to become a paying member, perhaps it's time!

You can pay to join this site?!?! Why would you and what does it get you???

[blooba]

Originally Posted by Twobottom

So as a forum moderator, you are telling us that these trackers are only advertisers, not government/NSA ? Can you assure us that our information is not being collected by an NSA spy agency and used to help them create a profile on the users here? Are the owners willing to make a statement to that effect?

Actually, I am NOT a moderator or the owners of this site but I can make a statement to the effect that the NSA IS collecting all data posted on this site. And no ad blocker is going to stop them. The trackers that you see are just for ads, the trackers you don't see and can't block are the NSA's....lol

[awm8604]

If you want to protect against tracking and gain more privacy while online I would recommend:

-Switching to a open-source browser like Firefox and installing the following extensions (Free):
DoNotTrackMe
NoScript
Adblock Edge (Whitelist domains you want to support with advertising, like HT)

-Using a VPN that doesn't keep logs like Private Internet Access ($$)

[puddlejumper007]

Originally Posted by cab

Trackers are software that records details about you when you log onto a web site. Many people consider them invasive and/or obtrusive. This data can be sold, mined, or otherwise used for marketing, etc.

well guess i will be ok, unless they go to general chat, and they turn me in to the gove....lol

[puddlejumper007]

on second thought,,,there goes my freedom of speech

[Awnry Abe]

Originally Posted by Earthling

I've always thought it amusing when some program or someone is tracking my habits, whether it be websites or shopping. I'm the most boring person on Earth and if they are tracking me, their life is even more pathetic than mine.

Whether your life is boring or not isn't for you to decide.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by GranmaKay

We should start a club I'm so boring I bore myself!

Yes so am I. I am sure there is a huge file on me somewhere. But my life has not changed one bit and it won;t change the rest of my life either. I know they have the government that is has a file on me for so many years now as for the last 25 years I have used nothing but a debit card to pay for stuff. Been on the internet since the late 90's, I am part of WI premise ID program, use CC at gas stations, and when I put the card in it say Welcome: and there is my name displayed on the pump.
I go to Amazon and even if I haven't been to the site for years its says Welcome Back.... and my name is displayed. So what? I like it when things are already set up ready to use a site like that.
And even after 10 years of living in AZ when I got back back to Wi everything was in the DOT computers, I just had to update my address, when I got a WI drivers license.
You would be amazed of what the government already knows about you and has records dating back years.
But my life has not changed one bit because of it, and will not in the future.
I just don't lay awake at night worrying about such stuff. You think you are hiding things from the government? Think again you are on the internet on a open public forum right now, on the WWW. = The World Wide Web. LOL

[Belfrybat]

Originally Posted by sdnapier

You can pay to join this site?!?! Why would you and what does it get you???

I donate to the site. I want to do my part in keeping this going as I gain so much from it. I've learned so many things over the years that paying a small amount a year is well worth it to me. What do I get? Less advertising, a larger avatar, and a HT decal sticker. But I'd donate even if I didn't get these items. This is one of the best forums on the net, and I want to see it's continued success.

[HSTAdmin]

Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea

I see Quantcast (3 requests) and skimlinks and Google (2 requests) for a total of 6. Compared to other sites, that isn't a lot.

No it's not. We try to keep it as minimal as possible.

[blooba]

You can also tailor your google ads to your taste.

You will still see ads although you can set them to be random or based on your interests and viewing history.

https://www.google.com/ads/preferences

[Kasota]

I'm a paying member to support this forum. It's a great place and nothing is free. The paying member fee is very small, but the little bits add up and keep this place going. You also get more PM storage.

[Vosey]

As Kasota and Belfrybat say.

[Convoy]

one use of tracker I haven't seen mentioned yet is using them to track someone then hijack their bank account. This is the main reason I try to block all tracker since even though most are benign not all are.

[sss3]

I agree; w/Arabian Knight. The big eye opener to me was WhitePages.com. For at least, 10 yrs, they only published my current addresses. Now, they're going back almost 40 yrs. For what purpose?

[michael ark]

More people need to use cash to keep (In god we trust) in our government. Lord knows that they hate that someone is being put above them.

[Rectifier]

Oh geez. These "trackers" are to run the advertising system and do traffic analysis. I used Google Analytics for a long time on my old blog host and have seen how these things work.

The most common use is to track things like how many repeat visitors, how long someone spends on the site so you know what kind of users you are attracting. A quick glance at the stats shows how many of us post every day vs. how many cruise by once a week, and how many are lurking as guests. This kind of information is valuable to a site admin.

If the government wanted to track what you were posting, they would just hire someone... to read your posts! This is a public forum!

[arabian knight]

So true, and tracking like is happening they are not getting personal info like bank card numbers or SS numbers or banking info. When you go to those sites you are on a secured site. They are not tracking for that info.