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Vee know vot you like and vont!

There is no denying that the internet has many, many positives. Just think emails, access to untold zillions of facts and other material, the ability to utilise video and audio online across the globe, etc. etc.

That said, there are a number of negative aspects about the internet - think spam and porn to name but two - not so positive.

The NY Times reveals in "Ads Follow Web Users, and Get More Personal" another dimension to how the internet is going to be utilised, which is both troubling and insidious:

"For all the concern and uproar over online privacy, marketers and data companies have always known much more about consumers’ offline lives, like income, credit score, home ownership, even what car they drive and whether they have a hunting license. Recently, some of these companies have started connecting this mountain of information to consumers’ browsers.

The result is a sea change in the way consumers encounter the Web. Not only will people see customized advertising, they will see different versions of Web sites from other consumers and even receive different discount offers while shopping — all based on information from their offline history. Two women in adjoining offices could go to the same cosmetic site, but one might see a $300 Missoni perfume, the other the house-brand lipstick on sale for $2."

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