

How this company is 98% certain you want that Parka - mathattack
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102191860

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madcaptenor
It seems quite unlikely to me that they'd actually be able to get 98% on
anything involving what humans want. Especially with retail. You might be able
to figure out from the other warm clothes I'm buying that I would like a parka
if I don't have one - but how do you know I don't already have one.
Fortunately this kind of accuracy isn't actually necessary.

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mathattack
I thought the percentage dubious too, but even if the # is 5% likely (vs 0.1%
in the general population) it's very valuable to an advertiser.

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madcaptenor
As long as they're not doing something stupid like saying "this person has a
98% probability of buying a parka, let's send them one and bill them for it,
but let them return it with free shipping." Then you'd need the accuracy.
(Also that's probably illegal, and even if I wanted something I wouldn't want
a company sending it to me without my permission.)

