Pimps R Us

AdSense is starting a new program to make your online shopping more convenient. Their advertisers will now purchase ads based on visits I've made to their site and on my interests as revealed by my visits to other websites.

According to the e-mail I got from Google, which urged me to reset my privacy settings to let them follow me around day and night, they'll now be able to "recognize the types of web pages users visit throughout the Google content network."

Isn't that special? Well, no. It's one thing to have cameras recording every inch of, say, Target parking lots; those cameras do contribute something to shoppers' security. But to have my every move traced online so a company can market better to you should you stop in at this blog? In the original story, Big Brother had a political use for information; all this contemporary Big Brother wants is to get into your pants -- but only if that's where you keep your wallet.

I'm not going to join their game of Pimps R Us. Instead, I increased my privacy settings and then deleted all their gadgets from my blogs. I attempted to remove myself completely from their records; but I'm not sure I was successful. There are a lot of places you can click one button and sign up for AdSense. I didn't find one, though, where I can resign. In any case, they're out of here.