[geeks] Secret codes, was US Post Office Website broken again

[Shannon Hendrix]

On Jul 22, 2009, at 14:55 , Sheldon T. Hall wrote:

> Quoth Shannon Hendrix ...
>> [I said ...]
>>> Trader Joe's (a largely west-coast grocery chain) used to ask for
>>> zip codes;
>>> they used that to figure out where to build new stores.
>>
>> You have to be careful here though.
>>
>> A lot of stores use partial information to gradually build full
>> information profiles, sometimes even illegally.
>
> It's pretty hard to figure out what evil Trader Joe's could  
> perpetrate with
> what they can find out

You are missing the point.

Retailers build profiles and then sell them and even partial  
information to Ad Council members and other ad systems.

This results in more ads sent your way, either directly or to your area.

I wasn't talking about ID theft, though that is also a possibility  
since it has happened too.

> I really don't give a rat sandwich if they know where I live and  
> what I buy
> from them, and I can't see how they can figure out anything else  
> from the
> information I'm giving them.

The ad agencies love it.

-- 
"Where some they sell their dreams for small desires."