A friend and colleague kindly passed along this link to a blog containing a link to the “Ads Preferences Manager” that Google associates with a given user.
In other words, following the link on your computer shows you what/who Google thinks you are.
I followed this link on my work computer, and it turns out that Google thinks I’m a Male (whew!) between the ages of 25 and 34. I apparently don’t surf my age at work, which is nice to hear.
I also have interests in Arts & Entertainment, Games, Law & Government, and Shopping. All true to a degree, I suppose, but I would have thought sports (Go Broncos!) would have been in there, or something picking up my academic research interests (though those could be construed under Arts & Entertainment).
On a lark I typed “Male 25-34” into Google Images and received the following as the first hit:
Nice to have hair in Google’s eyes!
Unfortunately, this image happens to come from a Microsoft website (feel the irony) that describes my supposed age group thus:
At a time of near-constant change, Males 25 – 34 flirt, play, relax and stay on top of the social scene, normally all through the internet and digital media.
… which frankly makes the Google-me sound a bit like a hipster loser.
So then I tried seeing what Google thinks of me on my home computer. Interestingly, it there declared me a male (whew x2) between the ages of 35 and 44 — got me! — with additional interests in Autos & Vehicles (that’s 4xGuard, I suspect), American Football (Broncos!), and three cities: Charleston, Denver, and Orlando.
All in all, it’s pretty fascinating.
What’s Google think of you?
Hmmmm. I’m a 35-44 year-old male who likes Rap and Hip-Hop music, Computer Drives and Storage, Gadgets and Portable electronics, Business and Productivity software, and Travel.
Rap and hip-hop, eh? An odd double-life you lead!