"Public information" has always been known and accessible if one wanted to look for it. I think we are just more aware now that it is all out there. I use to use the Criss Cross directory, every public library had them, in the 1970s: Criss Cross Directory | Haines Directory - Criss-Cross.com and you could look up names and find addresses or look up addresses and find the names. We all have been getting junk mail since ever there was mail. Now it apparently is more "targeted" (pardon for the pun :-) but, actually, that makes it less so? I am not my purchases or what I own. So you know I have two cats and send me coupons for cat food. I still am going to look at what food my cats normally eat (changing food or litter on a cat can cause them to become really sick/throw up, etc.), where I shop for it, how much it costs, how much your coupon is worth (when I use to use coupons, I did not use to do that but my husband did; I'd give him part of our grocery list and the coupons that went with it but he'd return with products but also with coupons; he paid attention to what was available and what the coupon was for and which was the "better" deal; coupons are not always the best way to go) and lots of other factors.

I love the people who drive 5 miles out of their way to save $.02 on gas, getting 20 gallons and thus saving $0.40. If one gets 20 miles to a gallon, going 5 miles and coming back 5 is 1/2 a gallon of gas which sells for $3.70 a gallon, so $1.85 cost to drive to get that $0.40 bargain? If one travelled only a mile (not a very great distance) to another gas station, that would still cost $.37, hardly worth the effort and "wear and tear" on the car for $0.03?

My favorite story though is my husband's ex-wife who was all excited when she came home with a huge box of dried banana chips because they were on sale; did not matter that no one would eat them, they were on sale and she got such a good deal!

Advertisers "think" they know me but the more details they think they know about me, the less they really do know because of the variety and my ability to decide something else tomorrow; what I own, buy, answer on your poll or say today is not "me"; "I" cannot be quantified and the more you try, the bigger the me you think you know gets so that things become less known rather than more so. I may choose your product today but some other, similar product tomorrow for some wholly unknown reasons; what I buy is not what I think about what I buy either :-)