A few months back I acquired a couple of new rifles. That is nothing strange for me as I have owned guns all my life.
A few days later at least thirty news feeds about guns started showing up.
I have been writing here on the forum about playing by ear for a day or two.
Is it normal for things like this to show up? Is everything we do on the internet being looked at, and decisions of what will appear on MSN made by spying on me? Not that I care, I have nothing to hide, but damn folks. Is nothing private?
Today, I logged on to this YouTube site about piano instruction.
After a few hours, I got this.
I also asked ChatGPT who Planobilly was, and it returned a bunch of information about my SoundCloud and BIAB accounts, my real name, and where I lived, and people I have played with in the past. There were never any non disclosuer agreements I have made with the government/millitary when I have worked for them. They have no real reason to track me but they do. Homeland showed me part of some files they had on me one day when I cleared coming back into the country in my airplane.
Is it normal for things like this to show up? Is everything we do on the internet being looked at, and decisions of what will appear on MSN made by spying on me?
There were complaints about a year ago where people were seeing what looked like extremely targeted ads on Facebook, and concluded that Facebook must be listening to their conversations on their phones.
That turned out not to be the case, but the amount of information that's collected via our browsing habits is astonishingly large. I was talking to a co-worker who's working on selling a product that will integrate multiple trackers, and sell targeted ads to users.
I've seen the ear training videos pop up in my feed because I've visited musician-oriented websites, so it's not necessarily as targeted as you think.
Then again, if there's money to be made, no doubt someone will parse out the pages we're visiting to gather even more information.
Does everyone who has a Windows computer have MSN in the taskbar? On mine, there is a cloud with a moon, 64 F, and Mostly Cloudy. When I click on that MSN comes up.
The information contained here is generally emotionally charged subject matter, advertisements for things for sale, and weather information.
I will try to figure out some sort of test to see if it is directly related to something discussed on this site.
Is it illegal to monitor information on a site like P G Music Forum and sell that information to an advertiser?
I don't really care about targeted advertising, although it can sometimes be useful. It just seems strange based on a music forum if that is actually happening.
Cookies, Billy, and not the chocolate chip kind. I'll bet your browser allows cookies (most do, they are nearly impossible not to have enabled), and those cookies can watch everything you do. That's largely what they are all about.
I'd start with cookies... When I get asked to install cookies, if it is compulsory (the web page won't load otherwise), I always select 'strictly necessary cookies only', never anything else. More detail on cookies here.
It states this about Tracking Cookies: "Tracking cookies, and especially third-party tracking cookies, are commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals' browsing histories."
There is more info on the Wikipedia website on Tracking Cookies (see link above).
Hope this helps, Trev
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Adding to Trev's excellent advice I use FireFox as my browser and it will delete cookies when shut down. There is an exclude list you can make for those sites you use the most, like PGMusic.
This doesn't eliminate the problem but it really cuts down on tracking. YMMV
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Adding to Trev's excellent advice I use FireFox as my browser and it will delete cookies when shut down. There is an exclude list you can make for those sites you use the most, like PGMusic.
This doesn't eliminate the problem but it really cuts down on tracking. YMMV
I second this. I have Firefox delete all cookies on exit and I close and reopen Firefox between certain sites. I close and reopen both before and after any access to my financial affairs.
I also don't give much information about me personally on social media and the like. I'm cagey about where I live and I try to avoid all the clickbait that asks banal questions, because many are collecting and collating trivia that eventually begins to form a picture. I also deliberately follow things that go on elsewhere to lay false trails. Mostly that seems to keep me fairly private. Not so easy if one has to have a public persona. Yes, I do still get some targetted stuff, mostly about music, sailing, electronics and software.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
If you are on Google, YouTube, Facebook and other sites, remove everything that is personal about yourself. On Facebook, there is nothing personal about me at all, no picture, no birthday, no schools, no interests, etc...
Same thing on Google.
Remove all tracking on Google that you can find.
Use a VPN!!! That is a must.
Download and install OO Shutup and run it. That stops just about all tracking from MicroCrap. The only thing I allow access to is my Microphone in case I do some recording. You have to do research to stop the vast majority of apps tracking you.
My cell phone is for calling only. I don't do YT, Facebook, Mail or other app. That is for my Desktop where I can have more control over it.
Another example, I ordered a guitar from Sweetwater and it tooks months for the ad's to finally trickle off. I learned that if I want to see something on a commercial website like Sweetwater, Amazon, Guitar Center, etc..., I open up the website in a Private Browsing window on Firefox. If you really want to go deeper, you can use TOR. You can't stop it all unless you go a full "Ted Kaczynski" and just drop off the tech grid 100%. You just do what you can to keep the data from feeding back.
BIAB2026 Windows 10 Pro (Never Windows 11!) WA6NCB
There are two components to all this. One is the tracking and how to stop it. The other is whether any real danger exists as a result of the tracking.
I assume the type of tracking we are talking about controlling has little to do with actual criminal activity. The solution to possible future criminal issues is being taken care of by other professionals I have had to hire. I had a banking issue where a fraudulent cashier's check was cashed on my business account. That caused a bit of hassle but not a super big deal. It was a good bit of money, $230,000.
I do not have any real problems with the fact that a bunch of music advertising ends up on my MSN feed.
The fact that I live in Florida is well known and easy for anyone to find that information. I am not hiding out any longer even though All My Exes Live In Texas...lol
The advertising tracking idea seems pretty stupid, as I only get the advertising after I have bought something.
I see most people being very secretive about a lot of things, such as health. I had Cancer and was lucky enough to get over it. I can't imagine what value there would be in trying to hide that fact.
All this potential looking over my shoulder, so to speak, just seems a little weird.
If these people who wanted to sell me things were smart, they would just contact me once a month and ask what I needed to buy. Hell, I would be glad for someone to go do all the research I have to do to make buying decisions!
Welcome to the new AI world! Their bots are scouring sites day & night for anything they can find to 'improve' their ChatBots. Privacy is nonexistent; it's on the public internet, same as taking a picture of you in public; no right to privacy.
I get how beneficial AI can be, but I also see the intrusive abuse every day. They eat up bandwidth I pay for to scrape unimportant trivia .. <sigh>
I, for one. do not welcome our new overlords, especially the ones making big $$ off other peoples data while they foot half the bill. Did a ground breaking study? That's our data now! Wrote a song? Ours!
</rant off>
Last edited by rharv; 12/27/2404:15 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Good point. Just go to the Members List, click 'Who's Online' and see how many bot crawlers are reading posts at any one time:
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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