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There is no "Right Way" to mine customer data. Privacy isn't the real issue to me -- though it is to many of my customers -- it is simply a useless annoyance that makes me look unfavorably at advertisers who target me that way. I've usually already found the information or bought the product(s) I was looking for. They are too late.

It's like driving your car into a Mexican border town and having dozens of kids with squeegees and spray bottles surrounding your car yelling "Wash your windshield, Mr.?" ...Even though your windshield is sparkling clean from the kids who did it at the last two stop lights.

I can sympathize with the kids -- even though what they do is annoying. ...But I have no sympathy for businesses who engage in what I call "adver-begging". If I had time, I'd send an email to every one of them saying "Because you mined my personal data to post your ad, I will never, ever do business with you. ....And I don't!