Fun with spyware

It's all becoming quite clear to me now. Duh! All those directed solicitations for diplomas and other such things in my email box are the direct result of something I sort of ignored up until now, Spyware! Spyware was a sort of mystery to me or rather I simply didn't pay attention to the concept because I was way too smart for it to affect me. Like my friend Sarah says so eloquently,"Yeah, you betcha!"

It took me a long time to catch on to the spyware tactics, how they work and exactly what they generated but I'm on to them now all right. Listen to this a second. I'm sure you naturally assume I'm talking about Internet spyware right? No, not necessarily. You know those specific store rewards cards you faithfully carry on your key chain? Spyware! Gas cards too. Spyware! Those credit cards you use every day, you remember that they sent you a pamphlet way too long to read thoroughly explaining their security when divulging any information about your transactions? Spyware! Virtually all your financials are infiltrated by some sort of spyware. Medical records, driving records and electrical usage is recorded and documented and spyware has a way of getting that information. You think I'm being a little paranoid don't ya? Think about this? If you aren't on the "do not call list" how do the solicitors know you might be in the market for a specific product. It's no accident senior citizens get a mailbox full of insurance offers neither. You buy a pair of shoes with a credit or debit card and what do you find folded neatly in your next Sunday paper delivery? Shoe sales!

I've figured out that spyware is just like this really huge type butterfly net, constantly moving back and forth across the information highway, capturing our bits of information and putting them into that big ole' advertising jar. You know whats really fun now that I know how it works? I often find these store rewards cards laying in the parking lot somewhere. If I use them I still get the discounted price and the original user gets all the email, snail mail and telemarketers too. I'm sure they wonder why, being only in their mid 20's and having two kids under age 5, why they get stuff about Medicare, rolling over an IRA, walkers, retirement villages, bus trips to the casino and Viagra. I think that's kind of fun don't you?