I have a question.

[conuly]

Periodically, I click on a link to a news article, and am taken to a redirect that asks for my zip code, date of birth, and gender. This is to "better serve you (that is, me)".

How is this going to better serve me? What information does the site glean from that nonsense that isn't better gleaned by checking to see which the most popular articles are? It seems simple to me. To find out what your readers are interested in, find out what they're reading. Nonsense about where they live (or don't - I amuse myself by posting blatantly false information) and such isn't nearly as important as what they're actually reading, is it?

Comments

[sayga.livejournal.com]

i think they want to target specific advertisements to you. asking your gender stops them advertising maxipads to men. but you're right: they could just look at what article you're reading and have specific ads based on what you have chosen as your reading material.

[ratkrycek.livejournal.com]

Great icon! (Daniel Dennett is my godfather. This is his car. *g*)

You wouldn't mind if I showed it to him, would you?

Heh, I've been trying to get him on LJ for years... he says he doesn't have time for it. :( I think it'd be a great "sketchbook" for his ideas. Plus, I'd enjoy reading what he has to say!

[conuly]

Nope. I didn't make the icon, why'd I mind? (The person who did make it is credited under "comments" on my userpics page.)

[leora.livejournal.com]

It's too small and fast for me to be able to read (yes, my eyes are unfixably incredibly bad), would one of you mind telling me what the icon says?

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that not everyone that reads articles has a zip code, like people from other areas of the world.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

i think they want to target specific advertisements to you. asking your gender stops them advertising maxipads to men. but you're right: they could just look at what article you're reading and have specific ads based on what you have chosen as your reading material.

[ratkrycek.livejournal.com]

Great icon! (Daniel Dennett is my godfather. This is his car. *g*)

You wouldn't mind if I showed it to him, would you?

Heh, I've been trying to get him on LJ for years... he says he doesn't have time for it. :( I think it'd be a great "sketchbook" for his ideas. Plus, I'd enjoy reading what he has to say!

[conuly]

Nope. I didn't make the icon, why'd I mind? (The person who did make it is credited under "comments" on my userpics page.)

[leora.livejournal.com]

It's too small and fast for me to be able to read (yes, my eyes are unfixably incredibly bad), would one of you mind telling me what the icon says?

[velvetchamber.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that not everyone that reads articles has a zip code, like people from other areas of the world.