January 7, 2022
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
You better watch out
We interrupt this spiritual flow for a rather disturbing announcement.
Santa Claus and God are widely known for being both omnipresent and omniscient. Santa brings us presents. And while God doesn’t bring us gifts in the same way, she doesn’t try to sell us anything. There is no such ethic in the world of ever present and all seeing technology.
A few blog posts ago, I mentioned Tony Hawk’s book Round Ireland With A Fridge. It was only a mention. A reference by which to segue into writing about Irish linguistics. I didn’t email or message about this. I didn’t search for the book on the internet as I have it on my bookshelf. I just mentioned it here on this platform. So I was greatly surprised two days later to see an ad for the book come through my search engine news feed. WTF?
Last month I had some car repair work done that included replacing the in-cabin air filters. There were no emails about this as my only communication with the mechanic was by phone. No texting. No web search for air filters. And then a few days later I got an email from Amazon with gift suggestions I might be interested. And, you guessed it, in-cabin air filters were at the top of the list. Again, WTF? I mean, who even buys in cabin air filters for anyone for Christmas?
Yes, like many of you, I’ve been seeing an increase in information sharing on platforms like FB. But to have this invasion be so pervasive is deeply disturbing. No. I have no solutions or ideas about what to do beyond this advice…
You better watch out.
We now return to our regular programming. If you don’t know what that is, just ask them.
Beannacht,
Judith – judith@stonefires.com
I so appreciate and welcome your comments. I’ve just changed the settings so that you don’t have to sign in to make a comment. Should be easier. Thank you so much!!!
I’ve experienced this as well. I don’t have any way to verify this, but one time I was sharing a story in a conversation, with a friend, in person, about Simone Biles. It wasn’t around anything that was a news headline at the time, just a reference to her power. That afternoon, my Net was suggesting videos and articles about her on my phone. Was my phone listening? I do not have Alexa, but I do have an android. Google is particularly good at spying…
I do hear whispers of our devices listening. Perhaps something those listening don’t want acknowledged. But we know differently. A tad scary.
After being ridiculed by my students for having a phone that had an antenna, I bought my first smartphone. Google already knew my father’s address when I went to enter it. Hmmm…
Laughing. The image of you with an antenna phone. Sigh. We are old. And we lived in the same small town with a party line. That does tend to date us!
You’re right, now I can leave comments here (which I hope will be a good thing). Algorithms makes it sound less insidious, I suppose (or not). A cyber-sneaky way to find out who you are, presume what you want, send the appropriate ads. How are we supposed to react? With gratitude? With relief that we might be saved one set of key-clicks? More than receivers of marketing. Victims, I’d say. Without the choice of choice. Without the joy of pages devoid of everything but what we want, what we really went after. Let’s hang on, my friend.
Ah. I so appreciate you in my life. Yes. It seems we have little choice. Once again it’s all about commerce. Yet, as you say, we hang on and write what calls to be written.
I too have experienced this…I was at the house of my soul sisters and we were taking about insurance and the sister whose house we were at mentioned her insurance company, which was one I had never heard of…a short time later she got a call and it went to the message machine and we heard it was from someone with her insurance company! My friend said she has never received a call from them!
Deeply concerning. Wow.