Damn you Data Miners!

WTH?! Until yesterday, I did not even know there was such a thing as data miners. In fact, when my husband first explained it to me, I thought he said data MinDers. Which would make equal sense, because data miners dig for dirt on you, so in a sense they are minding your data.

I know! More big brother.

It's not enough that we have to use a card for every gorcery/pharmacy store we shop in. It's not enough we get our photo taken on the street or voices are now streaming over these video cameras in parts of the world to tell us to get off our bicycles or pick up trash.

We are being monitored while we are on the net.

Maybe I am just very naive or computer illiterate, but it never occured to me. Apparently, all it takes is for you to click onto a website. Then... BINGO! BANGO! If they have a data miner set up, they can track what you do, where you go on the web.

Now I am sure most of these data miners are innocuous, just collecting generic info to help companies with marketing and the like. BUT, these things work like viruses, getting into your computer. And it does seem like a sneaky, shady thing to do, all without our knowledge. Insiduous. (I'm liking the big "I" words rolling off my tongue. Insiduous. Innocuous. Try it!)

So, I'm doing my best to limit these miners. I'm cutting down the time I spend at certain sites. I'm making sure I search for data miners after I visit a site and eliminating it (for those as novice as I am, you need a program to do this). I'm keeping myself alert.

The idea of people getting information about me is disconcerting. (Thank God I no longer visit those XXX sites! Boy, would my face be red!) And these miners do have the potential to gain more personal information from you than you expect.

You have been warned.

I wish I could go back to just enjoying the net as innocently as before.

Damn you Data Miners!