Topic: Cookies

The European Union has imposed a 3 billion euro fine on Google for favoring its own advertising services, while a U.S. judge recently rejected a demand for Google to sell its Chrome browser. The hosts discuss Google's failed attempts to replace browser cookies with "FLOC" (Federated Learning of Cohorts) and the ongoing struggle over digital privacy and tracking.

The hosts acknowledge high-tier donors for Episode 1720, granting Associate Executive Producer and Executive Producer credits. A special promotion for "No Agenda Fudge" is featured, with Sir Zach of Fudge offering a "Christmas Cookie" variety and free shipping via a promo code. The segment emphasizes the "value for value" model, where listeners contribute based on the personal worth they derive from the commercial-free broadcast.

A digital billboard in Times Square featuring a pregnant woman promoting "lactation cookies" was removed by Clear Channel for violating content guidelines. Author Molly Baaz criticized the decision as hypocritical, pointing out more explicitly sexualized advertisements permitted in the same area.

A host shares a story from their time as an inspector at a cookie factory, where broken cookies were collected and sold to a vendor who packaged them for vending machines. The vendor's strategy relied on customers assuming the cookies broke during the machine's delivery process rather than at the factory.

The Biden administration announced a new rule capping credit card late fees at $8, down from the previous average of $32. President Biden is also targeting "shrinkflation," using the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster on social media to highlight how companies are reducing product sizes while maintaining prices. The Chamber of Commerce has vowed to sue to block the new credit card fee regulations.

Lindy Pfaffenbach is officially damed as "Dame Lindy of Squirrel Nut Acres" following a donation from her husband. She requests chocolate chip cookies and milk stout for the Round Table and mentions her work in local media. Another producer, Nicole, requests the "massive dumps" jingle in honor of her boyfriend Chris Patty's path to knighthood.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, criticized the prevalence of gender studies and "gender cookies" in elementary schools during a parliamentary session. Wilders also addressed the rise of organized crime, referring to the "Macro Mafia," and the changing demographics of major Dutch cities. Despite his party's electoral success, Wilders continues to face challenges in forming a governing coalition.

A discussion regarding the history of the Hydrox cookie reveals it was the original chocolate sandwich cookie, predating the Oreo by several years. The Oreo is characterized as a "rip-off" or blatant theft of the Hydrox design, despite Oreo's current market dominance. Speculation is raised about the occult or conspiratorial meanings of the stamps on the Oreo cookie surface.

Rich Granville, CEO of the search engine Yippy, criticized DuckDuckGo for allegedly using tracking cookies and providing geo-located advertising. Granville argued that a truly private search engine cannot offer targeted ads, claiming DuckDuckGo hands user information to third parties like Google. DuckDuckGo maintains that it does not track user behavior, while Yippy positions itself as a superior alternative for privacy-conscious users.

Executive producers Mark Empson, James Rogers, and Sandra Langston (now Dame Dang it all) are thanked for their donations. A note from Dame Dang it all in Southern Italy describes the frustration of navigating constant GDPR-mandated cookie warnings on European websites. She also mentions the "meme blocking" laws currently being debated in the EU.

Adam Curry reports receiving German-language spam emails immediately after crossing the Swiss border, leading to a discussion on how location data is tracked. The hosts also criticize Airbnb for alleged dynamic pricing based on user profiles. Curry claims his fiancée receives lower prices on the platform than he does, suggesting the company penalizes frequent users.

The mechanics of digital advertising "conversion windows" are examined, noting that Google AdWords can track a purchase for up to 90 days after a click. A theory is proposed that companies serve ads for products already purchased to artificially inflate "conversion" statistics and claim credit for sales. This practice is described as a potential form of revenue-ramping for advertising platforms.

Eagle Scout listeners provide feedback comparing the Girl Scouts of America to the Boy Scouts, labeling the former a "cookie cult" focused on fundraising rather than outdoor skills. They argue that the Boy Scouts offer a more rigorous merit badge system and objective standards. The Girl Scouts are reportedly facing financial difficulties and closing camps across the country.

The final donation segment features Joshua Dilsaver, who contributed $138 after finding a promotion fortune in a "Chinese-Mexican burrito." Other donors include William Durkin and George Kunath, the latter of whom requested less vulgar language. The show concludes with a formal knighthood ceremony for "Sir Pinder-net" and "Circus Media Knight," accompanied by the traditional list of "No Agenda" provisions.

The hosts compare the performance of Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Google Chrome, noting that Edge is fast but consumes significant system resources. A tip is shared regarding bypassing The New York Times paywall by switching browsers once the ten-article limit is reached. Concerns are raised about browsers and applications like Skype continuing to run background processes after being closed.

The current state of targeted advertising is criticized for being ineffective, often serving ads for products users have already purchased. The discussion contrasts modern digital tracking with the successful "world-building" advertising model used by Bill Ziff at Ziff Davis and *PC Magazine*.

The hosts critique the effectiveness of Amazon's recommendation algorithms, noting that the system often suggests products the user has already purchased. They argue that "Big Data" is frequently a myth, as evidenced by the clumsy and redundant marketing emails they receive. The discussion touches on how tracking cookies and "following" ads fail to understand actual consumer behavior.

Reports from Haiti show citizens in Cité Soleil eating "bonbon terres," or cookies made of dirt, due to extreme poverty. Despite billions in aid sent after the 2010 earthquake, including funds managed by the Clinton Foundation, widespread hunger and cholera persist. The U.S. Ambassador to Haiti has expressed concern over the nutritional lack in these dirt-based patties.

The hosts read a letter from Aaron and Joseph Kramer, who donated after receiving a "fortune cookie" message. A long list of $62.62 "birthday donations" for John C. Dvorak is read. They discuss the history of the show's $2 subscription model and why they transitioned to an open "Value-for-Value" system.

The technical aspects of Omniture tracking via Flash cookies are discussed. The hosts explain that even if the tracking is intended for advertising, the resulting behavioral data is highly valuable for profiling. They recommend using tools like Ghostery to see how many trackers are active on a given webpage.