big deal simple cookie recognition

Posted by: on May 30, 2002 12:44 PM

 

It's not about techie, it's about being clever sales people. Amazon really get their stuff right - I wonder if they are keeping all their research results in a huge database and will one day start selling that?

Posted by: PeterV on May 30, 2002 01:26 PM

 

I wasn't trying to say that Amazon is wonderful or that Amazon is using some amazing technology. I was merely indicating that they are finding new ways to use the information they have about me. Nothing profound; move along now.

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on May 30, 2002 01:45 PM

 

Peter, that research and data is part of Amazon's competitive advantage. For example, if you ran a supermarket and found that twice as many people bought cereal if it was placed on the lower shelves, would you then share that data so your competitor supermarket could increase *their* sales? I think not.

Posted by: MadMan on May 31, 2002 12:29 AM

 

What really scares me is if I visit some random other site with an amazon ad, and they display my name. It happens on sites I've never been to, it just says "Hello, [name]". That always almost gives me a heart attack before I notice that it's just amazon who knows my name, not the site itself.

Posted by: LKM on May 31, 2002 03:53 AM

 

LKM, if you're using IE6.0, it blocks cookies from other sites by default. So you'll never see that.

Posted by: MadMan on May 31, 2002 06:04 AM

 

useless

Posted by: on May 31, 2002 09:56 AM

 

that won't work. I think they include stuff directly from the amazon site using javascript. the site you visit doesn't know your name or your cookie, only amazon does.

all browsers only give cookies to the domain who set them.

Posted by: LKM on May 31, 2002 01:46 PM

 

Yes, but IE6 will block cookies from Amazon.com that recognise you.

Posted by: MadMan on May 31, 2002 04:27 PM

 

The point MadMan is trying to make is that IE 6 blocks third party cookies. So if you are viewing a site at www.site.com that contains an image or JavaScript from Amazon and Amazon tries to set a cookie, IE 6 will block it.

IE can be configured to only accept cookies from sites that have a document loaded in the browser window and ignore cookies that come from page elements in other domains.

Other browsers have this capability as well.

Posted by: Adam Kalsey on May 31, 2002 04:48 PM

 

Thanks for clarifying that, Adam. :)

Yeah, I meant "third party" when I said "other sites".

Posted by: MadMan on May 31, 2002 07:29 PM

 

My latest Amazon rant... A couple months ago I preordered an item due to be shipped in July. I just noticed the item is on sale, $3 cheaper... however, Amazon still plans to charge me the higher price. So I canceled the order and re-ordered. Sigh. A friend just had the same experience with a digital camera, saved himself $50.

Posted by: on June 4, 2002 03:52 PM