Contests and Freebies

In your surfing habits, you have probably come across a contest. So, you want to win that shiny new car? Maybe you just like that cool letter opener 3Com is giving away this week. There a thousands of contests going on each day; just check Iwon.com (www.iwon.com), and you will see more contests than you can shake a stick at. Just what do you think a company is doing with the registration information you provide to enter its contest?

Most Web sites know you as merely an IP address (keep this in mind because it becomes important later). The site owners might want to get more information about who is visiting and what they are interested in. By enticing you to enter a contest or pick up a freebie, they get to learn a lot more about you. You are no longer an IP address; you have graduated to a consumer profile.

Did you register your name, e-mail address, occupation, and home address with the site? Maybe there was a small survey you had to fill out. The organization is using its Web site to collect demographic information about its visitors.

So maybe you don't care that the organization wants this personal information; after all, you just want that cool flashlight. Well, there is more to it than that. The same web of marketing already discussed can weave its way into the contests and freebies you see on the Internet. The information you provide when registering can be used to build a profile on you or be added to an existing one. Your product interests are verified based on what you are registering for, and your e-mail and home addresses will probably be used to spam you with more ads and propaganda.