Vending Machines are Watching You!

Some of my best friends are bots, but don't tell them that.

 

Some years ago, the Royal Mail in the UK wanted every household to complete a data sheet, showing the ages, hobbies, food preferences and details of things such as preferred locations for holidays and likes or dislikes on things such as cruises etc.
The object was to offer advertisers correctly targeted advertising, but they would legally not be allowed to pas the data on to the advertiser, thus preventing them from contacting the recipient themselves.
I helped with the proposed launch, but the reception was at best luke warm and the whole idea was scrapped. I actually thought that it was a good idea, not having thousands of leaflets for nappies delivered to pensioners and details of care homes delivered to young families, while such things as college and university details arrived at the correct time for the children leaving school.
It was estimated that it would cut down junk mail by more than 80%

Your example could do the same, but it is all about trust, but why would advertisers spend time and money on todays 10% hit rate based on demographics.

Perhaps at some time in the future, things like this will be accepted as the norm. People need more explanation on how data can be used to THEIR advantage, at reduced cost to advertisers.
Every time I bin the dozens of adverts for pizza companies that arrive on the mat, I think back to how the royal mail proposed system would have saved tons of paper.

 

This review brought much laughter. Many cherry thanks for the breathe of fresh Maethiru ( martian air in rough translation

 

Here in Mexico people don't even have mailboxes. So instead of junk mail, you have individual vendors or workmen coming down the street with their products or offering some labor. It's strange but somehow better. Certainly like days long gone in US.

 

Knocking on the door to offer services is coming back into fashion here in the UK and good local tradesmen can do quite well, since the grapevine is always in operation.
Fortunately, unlike Mexico, they do not explain their offerings while pointing a gun at us. LOL