This isn’t a politics-only blog, so we’ll often talk about toys or clothes or books or even specific museums. Whenever we bring up some particular product, I’ll see from the referral logs that marketing companies or the company itself will show up here.
Sometimes this leads to very pleasant experiences. Like the time, the CEO from Annie’s sent me boxes of Mac n’ Cheese.
Other times, something creepy happens. We mentioned a very specific museum last week. Someone used this service to find out what we were saying.
Apt. 11d 
At the next staff meeting: “Do we fix the exhibits or hand-out oxy10 to the employees.”
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And now we are watching the watching. But are they watching us watching them?
(Recursion is fun!)
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Bonus paranoia edition: Last night I was on the phone with Germany, and had a really bad connection. I made a joke about all the various agencies that must be listening in, causing extra static on the line. Within ten seconds the call was dropped.
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But, will they then change things? If so, not terrible, huh?
I think the creep factor is part of the bigger picture of how electronic communication means that vast amounts of information are stored about us and are accessible to many, and can be accessed without our knowledge (I guess we consent when we make them public).
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I’m curious as to what you mean by “using a service to find out what you were saying”? Were you contacted by someone from the museum who asked about your experience?
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I just saw that someone came to that particular post via that web service. I was slightly paranoid this morning that I was going to get sued.
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MMMMmmmm, I’m enjoying my delicious Starbucks© coffee in my quality General Motors© car on the way to Circuit City© to purchase an entertaining electronic gadget. (Sorry, I’m trying to affect the stock market too–is it working?)
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That depends. Which way were you trying to move the market?
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But, will they then change things? If so, not terrible, huh?
Like Laura, the first thing that sprang to my mind was SLAPP suits.
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