A naive question about gmail

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I've noticed that the ads that pop up when I read a mail msg from someone usually have something to do with what we're writing about. When I opened up a msg from my classical guitar teacher about nail repair (yeah, I know it sounds fruity), there were ads about classical guitar music and about various types of nail repair. When I opened a msg about my recent trip to NYC where I saw some music, there were ads about music clubs in NYC. The email confirmation re my votes for the ILM 60s poll came with ads about 60s music, etc. This is probably really basic but, just out of curiosity, how does Gmail arrange for this? Is there just some filter that scans each email for keywords and links it up with targeted advertising?

― Sundar (sundar), Monday, 19 June 2006 01:07 (nineteen years ago)

yup

― I woke up feelin' brand new, I jumped up feeling my highs and my lows... (papa n, Monday, 19 June 2006 01:13 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, that's a good marketing tool that hits a targeted audience. Too bad I don't buy their shit.

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:05 (nineteen years ago)

you're pure

― sunny successor (katharine), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:07 (nineteen years ago)

I dont mind the gmail ads at all, because they're unobtrustive text ads and being targeted means they are at least somewhat more likely to be relevant.

Except for one problem. They're almost always for US services/sites and therefore completely useless to me. I have in fact seen links I've thought "hey I need to buy some X" and then realised it was a US-only site and no good to me :(

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:11 (nineteen years ago)

Sometimes they're just for silly webpages that aren't selling anything!

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:23 (nineteen years ago)

i like how you get spam recipes in your spam box

― ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ (chaki), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:26 (nineteen years ago)

For spam.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:27 (nineteen years ago)

Although I see I interpreted the comment incorrectly, I thought you meant 'spam recipes' as in "take one ex-president of Nigeria..."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:29 (nineteen years ago)

sup, nedward

― ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ (chaki), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

How do. Where ya been! Besides rocking out.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:39 (nineteen years ago)

working :(

― ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ¨ˆ (chaki), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

Suckage. :-/

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 June 2006 02:47 (nineteen years ago)

"hey I need to buy some X"

WTF! Ads for drugs? Cool! Gimme gimme GIMME that link.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 19 June 2006 06:34 (nineteen years ago)

Ahaha :D

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 19 June 2006 06:53 (nineteen years ago)

I have proof that gmail has probed my anus.

― aDOring NUTbians (donut), Monday, 19 June 2006 06:57 (nineteen years ago)

find out to look for more anal wife supping here http://www.donutcs.ex lily tomlin three way gateway glory ride thai speculum pad tie the knot circumcision fame fortune dj gigolos

― aDOring NUTbians (donut), Monday, 19 June 2006 06:58 (nineteen years ago)

Lily Tomlin Threeway???

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 19 June 2006 07:58 (nineteen years ago)

Certain ilxors have been known to email rude, bad things to each other just to see what ads Gmail targets at them.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Monday, 19 June 2006 09:11 (nineteen years ago)

They're almost always for US services/sites and therefore completely useless to me. I have in fact seen links I've thought "hey I need to buy some X" and then realised it was a US-only site and no good to me :(

Hey, you just described the whole internet.

― Hotman Paris Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 19 June 2006 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

suckers

― sunny successor (katharine), Monday, 19 June 2006 12:09 (nineteen years ago)

su-su-sudio.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 19 June 2006 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

by vacuum cleaners here
http://vacuum.cleaning.com

xpost

― gmail ads (ken c), Monday, 19 June 2006 12:52 (nineteen years ago)

Certain ilxors have been known to email rude, bad things to each other just to see what ads Gmail targets at them.

No?! Really?! What sort of fool does that?!

(last time I, erm I mean some other fool, tried this, Google tried to sell me, erm I mean them, a pub)

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 19 June 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever I read e-mails from my most super-fashionable friend, the ads are all for Juicy Couture/'spensive jeans/stuff of that nature, even though she never mentions anything like that in her messages (they're usually like "are we meeting at 8 tonight?"). Spooky.

― Abbott (Abbott), Monday, 19 June 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

unfashionable people meet at 7

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 19 June 2006 16:08 (nineteen years ago)

That's why she has to remind me, or I would have been there at 7.

― Abbott (Abbott), Monday, 19 June 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

Certain ilxors have been known to email rude, bad things to each other just to see what ads Gmail targets at them.

Haha. Me and Tep have done this a few times. Clowns were involved. You don't wanna know, believe me.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 19 June 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

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