# See what Google thinks of you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094 "2011-07-06T20:58:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/41 "2011-07-07T23:12:56Z")
It says (on mine, at any rate): “Google does not associate sensitive interest categories with your ads preferences.” I guess porn would count as a “sensitive interest category”? ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/42 "2011-07-07T23:16:41Z")
Got my age right, most of my interests right (pest control?), but my sex wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/43 "2011-07-08T14:41:10Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > It thinks I like double entry accounting software. > > Um, no. Heh. \*Nobody \*likes double entry accounting software. It thinks I’m a guy - apparently I don’t visit enough shopping or shoes sites, so therefore I have manly interests. I can deal. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/44 "2011-07-08T15:47:55Z")
“No interest categories are associated with your ads preferences so far.” Another victory for AdBlock Pro and NoScript. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/45 "2011-07-08T16:59:24Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > No id cookie for me. I like it that way. \ I have AdBlock Plus at home, and Google still managed to deduce that I’m a male who reads newspapers. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/46 "2011-07-08T17:05:54Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > or if you had your browser set to clear cookies when it closes. Ohhhh, that’s what was going on. The profile only listed “interests” based on what I’d clicked on in threads here. Like “Pets” presumably because I clicked on the Snowball link in the thread about the dog rescuing his buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/47 "2011-07-08T17:57:42Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I have AdBlock Plus at home, and Google still managed to deduce that I’m a male who reads newspapers. I have yet to try it out at home, on either laptop, but I’m curious to see if I’ll see it as well. I have AdBlock Plus, Ad Sweeper, and Ghostery installed, too (on this computer). ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/48 "2011-07-09T01:01:52Z")
I can’t get it to show me anything. It claims I have cookies disabled, which I’ve triple checked and I do not. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/49 "2011-07-09T01:12:11Z")
It’s not too far off, but I wouldn’t say it knows me well: > [@](#): > > Arts & Entertainment - Comics & Animation - Comics > Arts & Entertainment - TV & Video - TV Shows & Programs > Business & Industrial - Energy & Utilities - Nuclear Energy > Computers & Electronics - Software - … - Proxying & Filtering > Food & Drink - Cooking & Recipes - Baked Goods > Food & Drink - Cooking & Recipes - Meat & Seafood > Home & Garden - Gardening & Landscaping > Internet & Telecom - Web Apps & Online Tools > Law & Government - Legal - Labor & Employment Law > News - Newspapers > Reference - General Reference > Demographics - Age - 35-44 > Demographics - Gender - Male It left out anything gay. I guess they consider that a sensitive interest category. Bull! My interests and preferences should be pretty clear in that area, and I don’t care if the Google AI knows. What is this, China? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/50 "2011-07-09T01:17:10Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > That’s exactly what I got. Am I you? Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/51 "2011-07-09T01:18:15Z")
It’s waaaaay off in two areas: It thinks I’m between 25 and 34 (oh to be such a youth again, I think it’d kill me.) It thinks I’m into having birds as pets. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/52 "2011-07-11T14:05:09Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Doesn’t seem to know anything about me: > > “No interest categories are associated with your ads preferences so far.” Same here. High-five for being off the grid! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/53 "2011-07-11T14:45:20Z")
LOL! I’m not only male, but age 25-34. I also like outdoorsy activities (well, that one isn’t that far off; I _used_ to like them… back when I really _was_ 25-34 years old… but that was before Al Gore invented the internet so how would they know??). ---
**Author:** ![rekkah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rekkah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rekkah)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/54 "2011-07-12T15:46:16Z")
It had no demographics for me. All the interests were good apart from thinking I like Rap & Hip-hop - I’m not a big fan, but I do tend to listen to the odd hip-hop craving I get on Youtube rather than buying albums, so I can see where it got the idea. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/55 "2011-07-12T18:24:44Z")
I got (translated from French, so I might be using the wrong words : News-Financial news News-Financial news-Tax news News-Financial news-Economic news Politics Arts and entertainment-TV and video Arts and entertainment-TV and video-TV programs and broadcasts Online communities-Dating- Pictures sorting sites Computer and electronics-Computer hardware-sound and video cards Law and administration Books and literature House and gardening-Pools and spas References-Libraries and museums References-Human sciences-History Sciences-Astronomy Travel-Hotels and housing Travel-Air travel Gender : Male They got the gender right. As for the rest, they got some little things right, but for the most part, it’s an extremely weird and inaccurate picture of myself. To give some examples, I can’t even fathom how they decided I was interested in gardening, pools and especially in spas. As for air travel, it’s a major phobia of mine, and I didn’t fly during the last 20 years. Games don’t appear anywhere even thought I visit game sites frequently and buy many games online. I can’t remember having been on a dating site in a long time. The rest is for the most part things I probably searched about at some point or another, but not particularly interested in, and many things I searched about and actually find interesting aren’t anywhere to be found in the list. I think they’re seriously missing the target. ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/56 "2011-07-12T19:00:10Z")
Ooh! It thinks I’m younger than I am! I’m afraid to change anything that makes me look younger :o ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094/57 "2011-07-12T19:03:17Z")
No age or gender, but it got this: Arts & Entertainment - Comics & Animation - Comics Arts & Entertainment - Music & Audio - Jazz & Blues - Blues Beauty & Fitness - Fitness Games - Online Games Law & Government - Government - Courts & Judiciary News - Weather Online Communities - Forum & Chat Providers Reference - General Reference Reference - General Reference - Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Sports - Combat Sports - Martial Arts Yeah, that’s pretty dead on, actually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/see-what-google-thinks-of-you/588094.md?page=2)